apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Such a good idea for a small space, but I'd worry about it falling on me!

i love this! i checked out their website .....um not fluent in french and i didn't find an english translation (i wish i didn't have to say i'm not surprised)
so anyway - is it a hydraulic that makes it go up and down like an elevator?

It's an interesting idea. I'm still more in favor of just using a traditional Japanese futon that you can roll up and put away during the day, but this idea could lead to something more interesting in the way of an installation that you could use for something else useful during the day.

This was posted on another city's forum (NYC?) months ago.

I still like it.

Little flower--it says it's a counterweight system.

This system was profiled in the NY Times a number of years ago with positive reviews. At the time the company had a representative based in New York City, he may or may not still be there.

I have a book, "Living Large in Small Spaces", where a couple of the featured apartments used as similar system.

WOW!!!! apartment therapy- I am so SHOCKED at how ridiculous this is!!!! ONLY SOLD IN FRANCE?!!! go look at doublespacebeds.com why is something better if sold in france when we have something that is an american invention (america holds the patent for this!!!!) and it is 100% idea to parts to crafting made in the USA!!! why do all that non-environmentally sound shipping and package across seas when we have it here? i'm very very dissapointed in apartment therapy right now. especially bc i've seen that you ran an AD for doublespacebeds.com and didn't even point out the amazing device made by an american inventor and builder!!!

My question is how well would this stand up to years of...ahem...rythmic motion.

someone in my dorm (granted it was MIT) used to have a bed on a counterweight system that he built himself - it was also a much smaller room, so he just had braces on the wall opposite that the bed would rest on when in the down position, and then a huge marble weight that he joisted up or down when he felt like it.
we friends used to hang out on a hammock he had suspended under the bed while in the up position and had no fear of it falling on us - it was great!!
a rather simple DIY...

A jingoistic brain seems to have exploded.

In my opinion, Double Space Beds is not nearly as nice as the BedUP design. The BedUP is much less intrusive, and has a much cleaner look.

Doublespacebeds may be nice for some folks, and I'd prefer to have a USmade product - but I wouldn't want to be forced to live with 4 floor-to-ceiling columns in my small space. This is where the French system is unique.

gttim you go to harvard for that? ha. not jingoistic in the least- married to a mexican thank you very much- but it has been a feat for companies to stay within the US for every part of their development. Many of our "US" companies are now mainly creating goods in China and India. It's rare to see a company with scruples to try and keep every part of their planning and production in the hands of local workers.

I like it!

Love it for rooms with tall ceilings.

like the look of this one (bedup) a lot; don't like doublespacebeds.com as it looks really heavy and I don't even get the sense that one has saved any space at all.

though at 3700 Euros (including setup), it's a pricey thing...perhaps we should go and find sassy's friend from MIT for some diy pointers?

I think the bed is fantastic. If I lived in a studio, I would have it installed ASAP!

Also, I dont think it's fair to bash the AT writers for saying it is only sold in France. Clearly, they just didn't realize there was something comparable in the US! Instead of yelling at them via the comments section, why not NICELY and helpfully post a link to doublespaced.com.

This bed is AWESOME!!! I only wish they would sell it in the US... :(

No thanks, reminds me of the famous SF story about a piano:

http://www.gadling.com/2005/08/25/the-condor-club-worlds-first-topless-bar/

In the movie, American in Paris, in the apartment that Gene Kelly lived in, he slept on this same type of bed.

Not all of us live in the continental US; it's nice to see some featured creations on my side of the Atlantic. Though France is still pretty far.

It's a nice bed, but I second the question regarding it's hold up after some months of motion.. ;)

Sorry tzveyah, the version on doublespacebeds.com is clunky and butt ugly compared to sleekness of this one. I can't imagine it outside a nursing home.

One of the greatest things about being Americans is that we are free to buy from whatever Country we choose. Sure, many will drive the Ford truck and that's OK for them. But others will want to drive a Ferrari, and they can too. Thankfully....

p.s. The comment on the ethnicity of your husband seemed strangely placed.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/bedroom-beds/look-ceiling-retractable-bed-045100

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/good-questions/good-questions-a-bed-that-goes-up-to-the-ceiling-005167

(that is about the time I think it was posted the first time, read "Max" description of the bed in the comments section.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/at-europe/at-europe-paris-ceiling-bed-from-espace-loggia-036522

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/beds-mattresses/happijac-beds-that-go-up-down-005267

The Double Space Bed is a free standing unit, it can be placed and oriented anywhere in a room without mounting it to a wall or ceiling (it can even be placed in front of windows, as the sides are open), plus the bed can be moved (within the room) with a minimal amount of work. The ones from France have to be substantially mounted on a wall and ceiling, and like wall beds, this severly limits the placement of the bed to only walls that are free from windows, switches, vents etc.

The Double Space Bed can use any style of standard sized mattress (up to around 250 lbs, which will even allow for memory foam mattresses too). This allows you to use your favorite mattress and common standard sized bedding.

It has an industrial grade movement system that will last a lifetime, and is safe, simple and easyto operate.

The Double Space Bed does effectively double the usable space within the beds footprint, as the bed and furniture below occupy common vertical space. Unlike Murphy / wall beds there is no need to move furniture out of the way when the bed is lowered into the sleep position.

Finally, there are endless opportunities to make use of the space between the columns. The space can be used for book shelves, wall mounted art and flat screem monitors / TV's, cabinets etc.

As space becomes more and more of a premium, especially in urban areas, utilizing small spaces make a lot of sense and brings with it many environtmental benefits as well, including the reduction of energy and resource consumption for smaller dwellings. There are videos and prototype / concept images, plus information at www.DoubleSpaceBeds.com