Innovative beds

We all have one, we all go to them at any time during the day, and some people go to them when they feel scared. They make us feel safe. We go to them with our other half. What am I talking about?

Yes of course I am talking about beds. Yes we all think of them as just a mattress a headboard and a base – where drawers or empty space (mostly for clutter to be found). Little do we know that designers have done their jobs and designed and manufactured the object that we treasure so much and look forward to so much at the end of each day.

Designers have tirelessly incorporated innovation into beds for decades. For those fortunate enough to have a ‘little bit’ of money to splash out on a really nice bed, here are some that my take your fancy:

# 1 – The Magnetic Floating Bed

It has taken six years of research in order for Dutch Architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars to develop this magnetically levitating bed. There are enough magnets to support 900kg / 1,984lbs – the equivalent of a fully grown giraffe. To ensure the bed does not float away from any hard wind or and weird movements (ahem), it is supported by four steel cables that connect into your walls.

This is definitely an eye-catching feature in the bedroom, but you would have to fork out €1.2 million / $1.53 million / £1.04 million in order to own one yourself. Also you would need to have a pretty large bedroom to fully appreciate the effectiveness of this illusion. It is safe to say, you will not find it in any local mattress store.

Courtesy of www.h-eich.com

# 2 – The Cosmovoide Bed

It has been scientifically proven that we all spend approximately one third of our lives in bed asleep. Therefore we would ideally like to be sleeping in a nice bed as possible. How about spending $60,000 / £38,200 / €45,300 to ensure your comfort is attained. It is, I would agree a much more reasonable price in comparison to the Magnetic Floating Bed, but still, it is rather expensive.

For all that money, you do however get wrapped up in a cosy ‘cosmic’ harmony in this luxury bed that is shaped like an egg, whilst suspended by hammock-like springs, with a telephone, theatre / DVD set-up, a television at the foot of the bed along with several rainbow coloured lights to emphasize the relaxed atmosphere once one is ‘inside’.

Do not be alarmed the bed itself can be customized, according to its French manufacturer’s – therefore you won’t be stuck with the rather garish looking yellow suede external colour you see in the picture.

Courtesy of www.bornrich.com

# 3 – The Rocking Bed

When babies are rocked or cradled, they always seem to fall asleep. Why does this technique have to stop once we get too old for our parents to pick us up? Manuel Kloker has designed, a patented ‘rocking frame’. It is essentially a bed that rocks back and forth similar to that of a rocking chair.

I suppose you will be able to alter the orientation of your lying position to depend whether you are ‘rocked’ forward-and-back or side-to-side. I personally may find this a novelty that interest would disappear rather rapidly as some days, I just want to lay there on my bed and not having to worry about having a roller-coaster ride to sleep.

This is available, on average, about $6,800 / £5,130 / €6,070 but that may increase or decrease depending on the size you order. This bed does come without a mattress, so add that onto the already extraordinarily high bottom line.

Courtesy of www.toxel.com

# 4 – The 'Scoop' Bed

I thought this was an ‘interesting’ name for a bed myself too.

As apartments and houses are being built smaller and smaller these days, space saving devices are becoming an essential part of furniture hunting. Saba Italia’s designer Guido Rosati, designed the ‘Scoop’, which is an innovative answer for the demand of space saving furniture combining both the bed with the sofa.

When connected together, the feature looks like a circular bed – a different design in itself. However, the bed can be pulled apart resulting in two stylish sofas.

A great surprise for your guests.

Courtesy of www.i-cdn.apartmenttheraphy.com

# 5 – The Computer Bed

Another space-saving innovation for you. This is an ideal solution for student accommodation, guestrooms that you want to use an office, or for apartments that are on the small size, making intelligent use of the space under the bed.

This was invented by Lino son Francesco, a European designer, using gas and hydraulic pistons to enable the computer table doubling up as a bed. The design is available in a variety of different woods with prices starting at $3,650 / £2,326 / €2,750

Courtesy of www.i1.wp.com

# 6 – The Ceiling Bed

Now this is the bed that in my opinion tops the chart for not only innovation, but for saving space also. Using only 4 square metres of your apartment, the ‘BedUp’ model is stored in the ceiling during the day. When the bed is required, it can come down as a manner of a lift system and stops at a height that you have previously programmed. Therefore you won’t have to clear any furniture that is underneath it.

When it is raised the option of having lighting embedded into the base of the bed which will also provide a fantastic light feature when the bed is down.

Courtesy of www.i2.wp.com

All of these designs and features may seem a little far-fetched or slightly out of most of our price range. One designer, Robin Dodwell, who I am proud to call my good friend, is a product designer who specializes in innovation, idea generation and excellent problem solving solutions. He has designed a few beds of his own. Feel free to check out his own design page at Robin Dodwell Design.

As one can imagine, designers have created so many bed designs and features, obviously the more elaborate, intricate or fancy the design is, the bigger the price tag. The designs featured in JB Design Blog can be seen as possibilities for the rich, but hopefully would provide inspiration to the designers out there to invent cheaper, flexible more effective and less costly beds to suit the average bed user.