​Best Beds for Apartments: Maximising Space and Storage

Hardly a week goes past in New Zealand without us being reminded that how and where we live is changing dramatically from the traditional quarter-acre section, to modern apartment blocks and townhouses.

In Auckland 343 apartments have been completed in 2017 and a further 873 CBD units are under construction and due to be finished this year, and judging from the response to our Bedpost exhibitor stand at the Auckland Home Show in September, it’s clear that many Kiwis are coming to terms with some of the lifestyle changes required when you have to be more economical about your living space.

Bedpost franchisor Julia Doak says most of the interest from those who visited the Auckland Home Show was in “beds that have added functionality” – ie beds that include storage.

“This is new territory for many New Zealanders,” Julia says. “People are always nervous about the amount of storage they’re going to have when they live in an apartment, so utilising the space under the mattress makes complete sense.”

As well as choosing a bed frame with space under the mattress, as opposed to a mattress and base, the main two options for purpose-built storage when it comes to modern bed design is either in-frame draws (such as this Kent storage frame) or a new Bedpost product: the Sound Asleep Brooks frame which has gas-lift struts to allow the mattress to lift smoothly just like the bonnet of a car.

Retailing for around $1300 for the queensize base, the Brooks frame is perfect for apartment living:

• It comes flat-pack so it is easy transported up stairs or via elevators to be assembled in the bedroom.
• It is aesthetically designed with built-in headboard and the perfect “hideaway” storage space to cut out the clutter.
• It is extremely compact, coming in a range of sizes which are essentially the same footprint as the mattress.
• It is extremely durable with Julia saying they’ve purposefully over-engineered its capacity so that it is able to support any style or size of mattress people choose to put on it.

The key elements to choosing a bed for apartment or townhouse living are all centred around space and access so don’t be surprised that when you come in to a Bedpost store to choose a style of bed and mattress, that’s one of the main things that our sleep specialists will talk to you about.

It’s important to come fore-armed with information about the size of your bedroom so you know what size bed is suitable for the space, but, unless you’re keen to hire a crane to lift a bed in though an upstairs window (something Julia says Bedpost have actually done in the past!), it also pays to know what size frame, base and mattress is capable of getting through all the doors, stairways, corridors and elevators usually associated with apartment blocks.

“When someone has a single level home then access is rarely a problem,” Julia says. “But even the best penthouse apartments usually have to use the same elevator as everyone else and that’s where the challenges can be.”

The main issue is with queensize bases. Sizes below that – say a double at 188cm at its longest – usually fit, and kings and superkings come with split bases anyway. One option for a 203cm queensize is to choose one of Bedpost’s lower profile bases which make it easier to get through doorways and into the bedroom.

“With mattresses,” says Julia, “it’s easier to manipulate them around corners but you can’t do that with a big wooden piece of furniture so it’s important to know that a bed will fit before buying it and organising delivery.”

If you are one of the growing number of New Zealanders living in apartments and you are planning to buy a new bed or mattress, you can read our guide to which bed sizes might suit you and your lifestyle or our mattress size guide to see what would fit into your space. Or why not Freephone us on 0800 233 767 or email or chat to us live via the website.