apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

no.

A bed on the floor isn't bad feng-shui...
...otherwise China and Japan would have slipped into the ocean by now.

But keeping boxes of clutter and old clothing under the bed? That's definitely bad feng-shui.

I love the way it looks, and I actually slept on a mattress on the floor myself years ago, but now it just seems so hard to keep clean. When I see bedclothes touching the floor - especially that last picture, where they're actually tucked *under* the bed against the floor - it just makes me wonder how you clean the floor. When you sweep, you'll inevitably sweep dust up into the bed, and when you mop, you'll get the bedclothes wet. And if for some reason you don't clean the floor, you're sleeping inches above a dirty floor. Do you move the bed and put it back every time you clean the floor? Am I being too OCD about this?

sorry, that just looks tacky and cheap.

We had our bed on the floor for about 4 years and it always looked like we had moved in the night before... but I'm not an interior decorator. I think it's possible to pull it off. Just not for me.

No here too.I have one and cannot wait to get a bed.
It gets dirty easily, from all the dust from the floor.
It's harder to make the made.
Everything aound it has to be low-key to make it appealing.
Lastly,it's harder to get on and off the bed.

Sadly unfinished.

Beds on the floor are for the young who's knees and backs don't snap, crackle, and pop in the morning...

Personally, I thank God every morning that I don't have to haul myself off the floor to get to the bathroom.

no thanks.
i did this when i was 21 and had just moved out, but i'll never do it again.

I think it's a great idea for a kid. Love the last photo with the little flowers sprouting up.

I like the idea of a mattress being able to air out. So having it sit directly on the floor just doesn't seem that hygienic.

I like it much better than 99 out of 100 real beds I see. But that's just me. I lived in Japan when I was in my teens, and fell in love forever...

The floors do need to be very clean, of course. But I consider that an added benefit.

It's one thing if your toddler is transitioning into a twin size bed and you have it on the floor so they don't fall onto the hard wood floor(like in the last pic) but its really something for college kids to do. Just get a cheap 25 buck bed frame and get the dam thing off the floor.

I love the unpretentious look of a mattress on the floor but would never do it long term. I just sleep better with a little breathing room. Like others have posted, it's much more difficult to make the bed, clean the floor, and have it look decent overall. Besides, I'm unreasonably paranoid of bedbugs and a mattress on the floor offers no hindrance (they can't climb slick surfaces like metal).

I have a mattress on a boxspring on the floor in my apartment. It looks decent to me, but I plan on buying an actual wood frame once I can afford one. It is relatively low on my list of things to do for my apartment though.

I have a fitted sheet on the boxspring, and I just use my vaccuum hose to clean around the edge. It doesn't get too dirty though (I don't have pets or anything).

After living in Korea for awhile, I like the low to the floor and simple styles of furniture so even after the "post-college brokeness" stage, I still skip the bedframe.

It is easy to change the sheets because I can slide the bed away from the walls (its in the corner) on the hardwood, it provides a firm support like a platform bed but without any extra space taken up, it suits the minimalist look of the room, and it makes the room look larger and appear to have higher ceilings. Simple/plain bedding (like the Paris apt) that doesn't look sloppy reduces that college look.

As for cleanliness-- I don't wear shoes in the bedroom and the hardwood floors are very easy to keep clean. No pets helps. I have black sheets and comforter that show every speck of lint or dust but yet never seem to pick up any from the floor. I think it seems to stay cleaner than a bed on a traditional frame because it cannot gather dust bunnies under it and I cannot use it to store stuff I never use under it either.

When I moved into a new apartment last summer, my ex kept the bed. I bought a futon and put it on the floor, and I love it. It works perfectly for me. The floor is fairly clean, and frankly, even if your bed is raised up, your feet still go from floor to bed, whether its a few inches or a foot up, so I don't think it is any less hygienic (or gross) than a mattress on a bed frame..
Does it look "unfinished"? I suppose... but my life is unfinished, so why shouldn't my home be as well?
Is it "tacky and cheap"? I've been called worse!

I think its a great solution. The only thing I miss is the under-bed storage! Yes, my joints creak and groan when I get up in the morning... but middle-age is doing that, not the bed!

We had our Tempurpedic on a floor for a few months. There were carpet AND a bamboo rag under it. What do you know... it got MOLDY both on a mattress back and on a bamboo rag!! We called the Thempurpedic, thinking it was a defective mattress, and they replaced it, also we threw away the bamboo rag, and got a new one. Within a month we started having that very same problem! That was it, we got a box spring to let our mattress "breathe". And it was summer and we do not live in a humid climate!!
Besides, inevitably dust accumulates and flies mostly 12-15" above floor, so you're breathing it in while you asleep (6-8 hours or more!!!). Japanese may have a good feng shui but they also suffer from lung problems A LOT!
I would definitely NOT put my child on a floor and think that common practice to put kids on a floor (in day cares and such) is very very wrong!

"Besides, I'm unreasonably paranoid of bedbugs and a mattress on the floor offers no hindrance (they can't climb slick surfaces like metal)."

They can easily climb the walls and crawl over to a mattress that's against a wall...
...or drop drop down on the bed from a ceiling.

I like the look, it has to be just the right sized room, i would elevate it a little, not have it directly on the floor, though that is just me.

in the first picture i love that look, especially the wall color, how might one go about achieving that look of the wall paint? it reminds me of an old wall that has a nice worn look? almost very cuban or something? any ideas?

No, thank you. Not only do you gain storage space under the bed, but it looks soooo much more pulled together when there is at least a frame. A headboard is even better!

Laura
grafxnerd.tumblr.com

Relax, folks. Kids need germs and dirt sometimes. Just make sure you don't wear shoes indoors and keep the floors very clean. Asian people do this all the time and they're not dying of bedbug infestations and mold.

I don't really like the examples here, but I think this can work in the right setting. AT posted an example a few weeks ago that looked purposefully bohemian, spare and romantic rather than poor or tacky.

For grown-ups, I prefer a 'real' bed (i.e. not on the floor). The benefits are:
- looks like an adult room
- I can sit on the bed (it's chair-height), which is handy for various things
- it's easier to make the bed every day (less stooping).

That said, I like the look-and-feel in the first picture. The lovely blue seems so soothing, but if I were actually in that bed, I don't think I could use those shelves on either side of the bed. I'm average height, so reaching that alarm clock when it rings would require getting up immediately to turn it off. (Maybe that was the intention.)
And the fan would not be cooling me. Remember, fans cool people; not air. Why not just put the fan on the floor?

How spoiled are we?! :) Native American's still sleep on the floor and yes there are still plenty around...I am Native American. Some that live out in the middle of nowhere still sleep in hogan's on the floor! GASP! Plus having been in the Military, I've had my fair share of sleeping too close to the bugs. For all I know I probably swallowed a few, but pulling 22 hour shifts, after awhile you just didn't care where you slept. I'm still alive though, despite the "bugs" dirt and other creepy crawly things.

I do sleep on a pile of mattresses now though, kind of the princess and the pea type thing. When you first look at my bed it looks like it's off the floor, but truth is, it's a pile of fluffy-ness. I have cats (black) and a white comforter, yet, it looks fresh and very inviting, no black hairs, go figure. My daughter on the other hand prefer's one and a half mattress. She's funny like that, but she likes the Asian influence, so I plan to get her another mattress and design it with an Asian appeal.

um, the Chinese don't sleep on beds on the floor.

This is one of those things that I could do temporarily, but never permanently. While I'll occasionally throw a mattress down in front of the fireplace on a cold night, for the most part, I enjoy sleeping high up.

Even monkeys have sense enough to sleep in trees, it's a natural inclination to elevate your sleeping spot I think. The floor is dirty, the floor has dust bunnies, who wants their sheets touching the floor? ick.

The only place I would ever put our mattress on the floor is in a sleeping loft with angled ceilings. There was an apartment I had really wanted that had this, and I had a vision of a simple mattress on the floor, all white bedding, and simple low night stands and lamps. It was a small sleeping loft with skylights and wide pine flooring. I really wish it were still for rent, now that our lease is up. Otherwise, I have to be up off the floor. We had a malm bed for a year and sold it because it was too low for me, and got a hemnes bed with a new mattress and box spring, nice and high.

@glightly: Not one person said, 'Chinese'. A couple mentioned that sleeping on the floor is a traditional 'Asian' thing, though (including me). 'Asian' does not equal 'Chinese.'

@jacksonlalonde: Are you seriously suggesting that those who don't sleep high off the floor are not as bright as monkeys? How enlightened of you. I'll also reiterate my earlier statement that if you actually keep your floors clean, then sleeping near them shouldn't be a problem.

Really uncomfortable to get in and out of something that low to the ground. Mildew is also an issue with no ventilation under the mattress. I agree with all of the comments about cleanliness/bugs/dust and looking unfinished. A simple, low platform or futon frame can give a similar effect and much more healthful/comfortable for the sleeper.

I had a futon on the floor in college. I miss the simplicity. As for cleanliness, well, I have two cats hopping all over my bed most of the time, so I think there is probably not a lot of difference between it and the floor!

That said, when my in-laws bought my husband and I a big, soft bed on a frame for a wedding present, I sank into it and groaned in delight.

slowdown: lighten up will you. angry primate.

ZEN!! simplicity is the key to healthy living.

I'm cracking up over all the nastiness and trollishness being spewed in a DECORATING forum! Such passion for such a lowly subject (bed, floor, lowly, get it?).

In one of my homes I have a bed on the floor. But it's an ancient, crappy bed that I don't much care about. I like how it looks especially since the room is really really small and the only place for the bed is in front of the window (imagine the horror of that!) so I have no choice. It is not very comfortable but I'm not sure it's because of the floor, I think it's because it's a piece of crap. It's also hard to make. Again, not sure if that's the floor thing or the cramped space.

In my other home I have a regular normal bed on a platform frame. It's an expensive new mattress and it's super comfy. I also like how it looks! But it's a HUGE room and the bed doesn't have to be by the window. It's also a pain to make because I am always knocking my shins and feet on the damn frame. Ouch.

Keep calm and carry on, people.

My bed is on the floor....but the mattresses are so thick until it looks platform height. At first, it was because I hadn't bought a bed yet. Then, I liked the look so much until I decided not to buy a bed at all and went in another direction with the room decor. I really like it.

I notice that none of the rooms in the pictures have carpets, and that makes a difference. Unless one is an obsessive/compulsive vacuumer, tiny things live in carpets.

My housemate had a mattress on the floor for the first six months of his tenancy, and he found that he was being bitten during the night by something he never managed to identify. As soon as he bought a bed and moved off the floor, the bites ceased.

So, a mattress on the floor has an element of bohemian chic, but only if the floors are wood or tile, or if one's domestic hygiene is above reproach.

I didn't read every post, but I think many of you are missing a huge point here- the Asian (or Japanese/Korean for the Chinese person who claims no Chinese person sleeps on the floor) 'style' of having the bed on the floor wasn't really an aesthetic thing, it was a way of life. I think it's referred to as 'floor culture' nowadays in English. Traditionally, it was the floor that was heated (either through a smoke system or an actual fire that heated a stone-based floor that was dressed up with several layers of hardwood or soy paper which sort of resembles linoleum when when layered enough). Since the floor was the warmest part of the home in the winter, the bed (or plush sleeping mat) is on the floor. (The mattress or similar item would also be stored away each morning, hence no mildew) Tea ceremonies are conducted on the floor, and floor cushions are provided for added comfort and to protect sitter from getting too hot.. Meals are eaten from low tables with people sitting on the floor.. Reading was done sitting on the floor.. my grandmother goes as far as to claim that sitting/lying on her heated floor feels good on her body since the heat relaxes her muscles and joints.. (ok, now I sound like an infomercial..)
Similarly, in the summer, the floor would be the coolest part of the house (heat rises- and no, they wouldn't have a fire going in the summertime). Also, floors are treated with the utmost respect. Shoes are always left outside, and floors are washed daily. And it's not the western idea of washing floors- no dirty stringy mop on a stick that you dip into grey water and move around on the floor- the floors are washed and dried by hand with (yes, a person actually gets on their hands and knees and washes down the entire floor) and always with a freshly laundered floor washing cloth. Dust would never accumulate on the floor. We Asians take our floors seriously!

But if you didn't take care of your floors (and especially if you wore shoes in the house), putting a bed on the floor would be kind of gross. You may as well put it outside. Maybe with your monkeys. (Sorry, couldn't resist :P)

My mattress and boxspring are on the floor in my place out of necessity. (An old dog with arthritic hips.) Personally, it doesn't look as polished as a bed on a frame with a headboard but I like the more minimalistic look so it works for me. It also looks more finished than with the mattress on its own.

Thanks sharinly, very informative.
It sounds like there is a right way to do a mattress on the floor. But I know someone in college who found bugs crawling under her mattress because it couldn't breathe and whatnot.

I like it.

I had a mattress and box spring sitting on a regular old metal bed frame (the kind you can't see unless you get on you knees and look under your bed) which was attached to a beautiful woven sea grass headboard. After running into some financial difficulty, I had to sell my head board, and you know what? I love it! Simple and pretty. And yes, people, keep your floors clean whether your bed is on the floor or not. You shouldn't even have dust bunnies.

Amen to that, LilyC

I have a box spring/mattress on the floor combo and I really like it. The box spring is carefully wrapped in a bed skirt and the mattress is dressed with a simple comforter a quilt my mom made. I live in a studio and have found that forgoing a bed or a bed frame has helped give my main living area the look of a living room that happens to have a bed in it, rather than just feeling like an enormous bedroom as studios tend to when the bed is the room's focal point.

@sharinly: Thank you! That was a very informative and helpful post.

@jacksonlalonde: Coming from a "floor culture", I found a few of the comments that preceded mine (particularly yours) to be ignorant and culturally insensitive. Calling me names and telling me to "lighten up" in response is not making you look any more enlightened.

slowdown = angerball
Yes, I absolutely meant to insult your culture, windbag.

Don't monkeys eat the bugs they sleep with...in the trees? :)

I used to like having bed on the floor (no spring box, it makes a huge difference to me)... it was "cool", alternative and what not ;-) that's when I was a teenager... Later I still had mattress on the floor in some places, because I simply had no other choice. Now I am happy I have a bed frame. It looks better, it makes getting up and down so much easier (it's malm, it's a nice high - exactly like a chair), it feels more "grown up". Same as very low beds are uncomfortable to me, very high beds as well. My friend's got very high beds, and I feel like a child when I visit, as I had to climb up the bed (I am 5'4'').

For a few months I had to have my mattress on the floor after I moved here, and it was such a pain... bedding like a puddle around the bed, difficult to get up, always the unfinished look, even if nicely covered.

But I can really appreciate some great ideas with very low beds - some people can really pull it off.

I laughed out loud when I read the first comment!
I have slept on mattresses on the floor before but found it gross to be so close to the dust bunnies and such. Constant vacuuming!

Well, you can argue that having your bed on the floor would force you to be cleaner (smile) but all joking aside I think some people can really pull it off. When I was younger I did have my matress on the floor because It was a small room and it saved space ( plus I couldn't afford even a basic frame).

My current bed is bit high and took some getting used to. I had to climb into it the first few weeks I had it.

I agree with azure. I prefer to have my bed be aired out and not too close to the floor (or directly on the floor that is). I would hate to constantly vacuuming in order to keep the dust bunnies and dust mites away.

I love having my bed high up off the ground too. I'm short, but it just feels nice sleeping real high up off the ground. ^_^

We just moved our mattresses to the floor for crawling-baby safety and I love it. The room looks bigger, the bed is quieter, and its like rolling into a marshmallow pudding at night. We are taking extra steps to air the mattresses out regularly, though. It makes me wonder what other normal items of furniture we could do without.