If you slept on a bunk bed, especially in the top bunk, as a child or during your college dorm years, then you’ve experienced platform beds — beds that typically don’t have box springs. Some people have been introduced to the platform concept via futons.

The platform beds gracing many bedrooms today often are sleek, low and make a design statement. And with many styles of platform beds to pick from, finding one that catches your eye probably won’t be difficult.

“When people think of a contemporary look, they think of platform beds,” Fresno, Calif., interior designer Michael Weil said

Instead of box springs, contemporary beds feature solid wood platforms or narrow wood slats that run across the bed frames to support the mattresses.

The mattresses can either sit just inside the bed frames, making them look like they’re tucked into the frame, or they can sit right on top.

The beds typically have both headboards and footboards, but some can be bought without one or the other. Many are made of wood, but they also can be metal and incorporate other materials, such as leather or glass.

The beds can have padded upholstery, such as on the headboard, or ledges around the frame to give them more definition. Other features might include storage compartments beneath the bed or in the headboard.

The cost of platform beds varies greatly, from $600 to $6,000, depending upon the manufacturer, materials and features.

— McClatchy Newspapers

Advertisement

Get your brain and body in shape. Food Wednesdays, Pulse Sundays and Sports daily. 13 weeks of everyday delivery for as little as 29¢ a day. Get the Tribune. Get a lot.