After over two weeks of doing it, sleeping on the floor is officially getting old.
So we bought a bed frame. Oh happy day! We had big plans for possibly building one (using one of Ana White’s amazing tutorials). And we debated just getting a cheapo-metal frame and laying slats of wood across it so we could rest our mattress on that (so we could DIY another upholstered headboard down the road). But in the end the four poster bed that caught our eye back when we whipped up this future bedroom mood board won out (click here for more mood board details).
One of the issues is that our organic mattress (which you can read about here and here) is super thick and made of extra dense all natural latex rubber. So as I’ve weirdly described it before, it’s heavier than thirty dead people. To this comment John always responds: “How would you know that? Even serial killers don’t attempt to carry thirty bodies at once.” So although I will specify that I haven’t actually carried thirty dead people, the mattress is as heavy as I would imagine that scenario to be. Seriously, it weighs a ton. Which is why we worried that a normal metal frame meant to hold a boxspring and a regular (much lighter) mattress wouldn’t exactly adapt very well to wood slats and a box-springless super heavy mattress. And the idea of buying a $600+ organic boxspring to make a cheap-o metal frame work quickly became a not-so-cheap-o solution, so we tossed out that possibility as well.
It definitely would have been fun (and kinda romantic) to build a bed frame together like our Bower buddies, but our aching backs won out and we decided we were done with sleeping on the floor. Over it. Seriously spent. Imagine Ben Stiller emphatically saying “I’m finished with the checking of the bags conversation” to that flight attendant in Meet The Parents. That’s how emphatically those last few sentences should be read. Warning: Ben tosses out a the word beeyotch (without all the eee’s) at the end of this clip in case you’re at work/with a tot.
And with the chaos of the holidays, bed-building just wasn’t going to happen for another week or so. Which is how we got to the purchase of our new queen sized white Ikea four poster bed. And since his official Ikea name is Edland, we like to affectionately refer to him as Ed.
But right now he’s looking like this in our house:
Here’s hoping he’s not too hard to assemble and can handle the weight of thirty dead bodies. We’ll be back with pics when he’s all set up after some not-floor sleeping (we’re gonna give him a test run and tell you all about the comfort-factor tomorrow).
Hey guys I also have the older version of that bed from five years ago in the dark espresso stained wood color, I am happy to report that it is extremely sturdy! It has survived several cross-country moves and still looks great! People always think it is from Pottery Barn or someplace more expensive than Ikea! Enjoy!
We slept on the floor for a total of three nights before we couldn’t help ourselves and put together our new Ikea bed. :-) It felt good to have something “done” in a house filled with half-unpacked boxes, etc. Our new bedroom is smaller than yours so we went with a lower platform bed.
We got a $25 off a $250 purchase at Ikea coupon in our change-of-address mailing from the post office. Hope you did, too! :-) Keep an eye out! (Also 20% off coupon to Pier 1!)
The IKEA dresser you posted is the only one i’ve had that has held up well – I really recommend it. The other 3 types i’ve had over the years….not so much. Love the lines of the bed! Here’s hoping that it can handle the weight of thirty dead people ;-)
The mattress is as heavy as thirty dead people. We have the same one and, while it is comfortable to sleep on, I hate moving it.
I like it! But I like everything that’s white and from IKEA ;-)
Probably a really stupid question but I’m new to interior design; what’s the frame for? Is is just for looks or does it have a function?
Just for fun! We figure the room is so large it’ll help visually add architecture and fill things in so it doesn’t look too cavernous and sparse!
xo,
s
You actually need to check it can handle the weight of 30 dead people, two and a half living people and a chihuahua!
I totally love it and think it will look great in that bedroom. Will you put curtains on it or keep the clean square lines?
Do you think you’ll build a bed for the guest room or is it too early to say?
We’ll probably leave it bare for a while- and as for the guest room bed building… maybe!
xo,
s
So exciting! Can’t wait to see how the room takes shape. Burger will need a stool, maybe, so he can hop up onto the bed and snuggle down with you.
jbhat
I’ve always dreamed of having a sleigh bed…but this one is totally cute too!
We have an Ikea bed purchased about 9 years ago. It’s held up pretty well, it’s wrought iron like, there have been others that aren’t as heavy as ours. We have always been happy with Ikea as well…can’t wait to see the big reveal. By the way check out Target..there’s a ton of storage stuff on sale, incuding your trusty ottomans.
I love it! Can’t wait to see it all assembled. Our closest Ikea is 5 hours away and we’re going for my 30th birthday next month. Is that not the saddest thing you’ve ever heard? 30 years old, and all I want is an Ikea store.
Great choice for the bed, and it will look fantastic with a darker wall to contrast with! By the way, the side tables you guys were looking for are great and the Cost Plus Chase Nightstand is $89 right now and very similar!
If the IKEA bedframe doesn’t work out, we bought a steel bedframe from Costco that definitely won’t buckle under the weight of your mattress (as we had similar concerns with our heavy foam mattress). Definitely not the most stylish
frame but priced okay and SUPER easy to assemble. Good luck!
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Productgroup.aspx?Prodid=11474949&search=matress%20frame&topnav=&Mo=0&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode%20matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=matress%20frame&Ntt=matress%20frame&No=0&Nty=1&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial
I can relate! I’ve been sleeping on a mattress on the floor for over a year now. And decided that I’ve had enough! I’m hoping to build one this week. I love the bed you guys got from Ikea! If only they made it in a King size…
I think your concern about breaking the bed frame is a very valid concern. I bought a really nice wood platform bed from overstock and my memory foam mattress was just too heavy for it. It broke my bed :( Awful :(
The canopy bed you picked out is lovely.
I love the Edland poster bed but I noticed that it’s kind of painful on the legs for those of us that aren’t tall. Did you notice anything similar? Are you planning to fix that part somehow or just live with it?
We’ll have to see if we have that issue down the line. Haven’t had that experience so far though! You can adjust the height of the mattress to four different levels, so maybe doing that will help you? Good luck!
xo,
s
You guys are going to make that cute bed look fab I’m sure, so that will be fun to see.
I’m with you on the Ikea furniture, we have had really good luck with it too. Ours is mixed with older furniture, and some how it works. The pieces we do have are from France, when we lived there about 7 years ago, and they are still hanging in there. I actually really miss the bed we bought there, as it was a really neat size that doesn’t exist here in the States, and very comfortable too.
Yay, Ikea!
Hey John & Sherry,
All my life I wanted a four poster bed…and last year as a Christmas gift to each other my husband and I got one. It is by far, hands down, my most favorite piece of furniture in our house! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way it looks. Enjoy yours! Happy Holidays!
Congrats on the bed purchase. I LOVE that Ikea bed (along with the coordinating gorgeous gray Edland furniture). I keep teasing my husband that when he leaves me he can take our current bedroom set so I can buy the Edland furniture… *kinda got my fingers crossed now* heehee
~Jazz
Merry Christmas! Clara is so adorable and so big! Thanks for the mention! Ana
Can’t wait to see how it will turn out, it looks like it will be fablous! If you have checked out Crate & Barrel recently, the lamps are now marked down to $39.99…I’ve been eyeing the Teal one.
Well, Ed is extremely good looking! I can’t wait to see pics of it up and your room finished:)
I have admired that master bedroom mood board since you first posted it several weeks ago. Getting excited to see it come to life in your new casa!
Love the bed. My mother recently purchased it. Just a head’s up, she also has a super heavy mattress and just to be safe we added some additional support beams- no trouble yet, and it doesn’t creak as much as the floor model did. Best of luck with the new adventure
Hey Mary,
Oh yeah, we got the added center support beam just in case! Thanks for mentioning it.
xo,
s
LOVE that bed frame… can’t wait to see it all styled up!
Love that choice. Cannot wait to see what you do with it.
Oh =(
I <3 Ana White.
I can’t wait to see this bed in action… well, in the room anyway ;)
Hi John & Sherry,
I wanted to let you know that the Crate & Barrel lamps are on sale, but I see that someone’s already beat me to it. ;)
I’m still loving the look of your bedroom mood board, but I’d like to see you change it up slightly and splurge on some glam bedding. Maybe this West Elm bedding in white or grey: goo.gl/FPWKN And these ikat sheets: goo.gl/6b6XE You deserve it! :)
@Agent Scully, you didn’t ask me but I’m going to chime in…
The natural latex mattresses need to breathe so if you want to keep your manufacturer’s warranty you’ve got to keep it up off of the floor.
They are too expensive to even mess with.
If the warranty required that I name mine and sing it a song once a week, I would totally do it!!
Hahah, it’s true! Our mattress is like a member of the family. A very very heavy member of the family.
xo,
s
Love the fact that you guys have been sleeping on a mattress on the floor too. We’ve been renovating the bedroom and don’t have our bed yet, so we’ve been sleeping on the floor of our living room for the past few weeks! Thank goodness our bed is finally arriving tomorrow!! We’re almost done with the bedroom and anxious to move in and sleep in our new bed!
*Correction* you hope it can handle 30 dead bodies + 2 live bodies + 1 chihuahua. Its great if it can hold the mattress but if you guys get on it and it breaks its pretty useless…. :)
True!
xo,
s
I’ve been following YHL since June of this year, and I think that I’ve read every post in your archive! I’m only fifteen, but I love love love home design and remodeling, and you guys are awesome. Your blog is great, and Clara and Burger are the cutest kids ever. Keep it up!
P.S. I’m a big fan of the flooring in your new bedroom.
Aw thanks Kate! So glad you’re digging the blog.
xo,
s
I have this same bed in yellow. Bought it at the same time we got our mattress there, and it came to be $60 after the mattress purchase! Cool, eh? WE do love it’s style, but it is a bit uncomfortable to get out of like mentioned before. You almost need a stool. I wish the mattress could sit higher than it does, especially w/o a box spring.
Hey Lindsay,
Perhaps ours is a newer version? The mattress can be positioned to sit higher (at four different levels). So far it’s very comfy and both me (short) and John (tall) can get in and out of it easily. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Love it! I’m excited about the potential dark wall color too.
First, I LOVE your blog!! So excited to see what you do with the new house! I love your duvet cover, do you ever see anything similar around anymore?
I can’t think of any off the top of my head but maybe check West Elm or Overstock for something similar or eBay for the same one being resold? Good luck!
xo,
s
ooo! Can’t wait to hear how you like this bed! I’ve been eyeing it for awhile after buying the Leirvik two years ago and being 5′ 9”, I often hit my feet against the bars on the footboard. I love the sleek simplicity of this bed and that it has no footboard! I can definitely see myself adding some of the gauzy (and practically free) Lill curtains to create a calming space to sleep :)
So excited to see the new bed. Slightly disappointed that you didn’t go to Ikea yourself – I was looking forward to seeing the new sofa :). Merry christmas!
it looks great, but yes, i think it’s extremely odd to compare the weight to 30 dead people. makes me wonder if you’re leaving some things out on your posts ;) jk!
inspiringpretty.blogspot.com
I have always loved this bed, mostly because it is so close to my maiden name of Edlund. Great choice!
Would love to hear how you like it too… we have been eyeing the same one for a year.. and was also considering an Anna White one also.. but now… I just don’t think we will ever get around to it…..
hope your loving the new home.
I love this bed! We are looking to buy a new bed, so I looked this up on the Australian IKEA website, and its $599!!! Considering the aussie dollar is buying about 99 US cents that is a total rip off. Its double the price for the same thing. Guess my search continues…
Hi!
Have you thought of adding some support to the under side of the frame? I once watched my dad cut down some 4×4’s to solve a similar problem. I don’t think he attached them to anything, he just used them as little pillars to support the weight.
Keri
Hey Keri,
Ikea actually sells extra steel support beams, which we purchased along with the bed. Worked like a charm!
xo,
s
GreenInOC
Thank you so much for the information! I guess I’ll have to wait a little bit longer to buy the mattress, as it will be natural latex. Sigh. I guess that’s the price when one wants to upgrade to a bigger bed.
We have a pure latex mattress also, ours has bamboo fabric covering it. I’d never thought to compare it to the weight of 30 dead bodies, but I totally get you! It is way heavy! Ours always sags. It’s way too soft, shame after spending so much $$$ on it. Do you have that problem? Ours is on a handmade wooden base.
Thankfully ours doesn’t sag and actually is really firm (we were able to pick the softness and went with something stiffer since we like a firm mattress more than a super cushy one). We actually love everything about our mattress except for the fact that it’s so heavy!
xo,
s
Love the mood board you put together. I also love the bed frame.
The bed looks fab. I see in your mood board you have the ikea malm dresser. I am begging you not to get one of those. i just threw out two of them. The drawer bottoms are basically fancy cardboard that sags if the clothes are too heavy. Then the drawers wont close because the bottom sags. I have earned with ikea you have to pick and choose.
I have always wanted a canopy bed. The object of my affection can be seen here: http://www.notcot.com/archives/2007/05/reeves-louis-be.php
I’ve looked at the Edland and wondered how sturdy it would be. You’ll have to let everyone know.
I could have sworn that Target carries a comforter very similar to your duvet. Next time I’m in the store I’ll have to check because I can’t find it on their website right now.
Oooooh pretty. Love that bed.
xo,
s
Maybe this is the one I’m thinking of but I thought it was more similar to yours.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/ny/1-17-dwell-target-3.jpg
i’m shopping for a canopy too but holding out for a modern looking hardwood frame which seems nearly impossible. I know you guys are careful in Clara’s room… aren’t you worried about off-gassing in yours? I think the ikea frame has particleboard…
Hey Neena,
We do what we can to not bring particleboard into Clara’s room, but since our room is a ways away from hers and a lot of our new bed is actually hardwood and metal we try not to stress about it.
xo,
s
Just thought I would let you and all your readers know that a regular metal bed frame and box spring would work fine for your bed. Our guest room has a water bed we were given from my husbands parents that is over 1000 pounds all filled up and it sits on a regular box spring and bed frame and has since they bought it over 10 years ago. So you guys have nothing to worry about!