Heavenly!! only thing it's missing is the mosquito net and a side table for a cold beer.

Honestly, I feel like I would fall out of this every time, just like a hammock. I avoid hammocks because it's hard to get out of one gracefully.

One thing I don't get-- wouldn't the mattress get soggy and gross if you left it outside? Does that mean you have to haul it in and out of the house and find a place to store it when not in use? Seems really impractical. And I could see it looking really white-trashy when installed in locations other than the charming wooded environment above. I don't think this would fit inside most apartments or rowhouses either. Not with extra space for swinging, anyway.

At the end of the year when Apartment Therapy compiles those "best of" lists, this can be on the "best bad ideas" list.

Honestly.

I don't think it's a bad idea, necessarily. Just maybe not super-practical. But practical is not what I'm looking for in ideas for my own little backyard retreat. I'd make a plastic cover to wrap around the entire mattress and put the fitted sheet on top. That way all you'd have to worry about bringing inside and washing would be the sheet.

I like this idea; HOWEVER, I would use foam mattress padding specifically designated for outdoor use (mold resistant/proof and allows water to literally drain right through), as well as appropriate fabric, like sunbrella.

i sort of like this, but i have three young boys who would be tempted to swing it too enthusiastically--someone would catch it in the teeth for sure.

tmoore: I had an outdoor bed wrapped in plastic like you said and it did not work at all. The plastic did nothing to protect it. It got all mildewy from the inside. And this was in L.A. where the weather isn't too crazy and it hardly rains in the summer. David's idea of using special outdoor materials is probably better.

Is it really such a bad idea? I was actually planning of making just such a hanging bed for a very sheltered/covered area of my garden. Also I thought that since there are so many cushions for sale for outside use, mould resistant (think outdoor lounging) - why wouldn't a special matress work? I'd like to hear your comments before I start this project!

One could also get a twin-size air mattress, tuck a sheet over it, and then it would be easy to bring inside when necessary.

Anything that requires that much coddling would be low on my list for practicality. Mildew for sure regardless of the covering. And schlepping air mattresses back and forth, too time consuming. It does look dreamy and fun, though. Maybe in a hot, dry climate? I remember this post from last summer.

Actually these were very common in traditional Indian homes and are coming back in fashion. Of course not half as ornate as they used to be, but the basic idea is the same. Here are some images of the really old fashioned ones. Most homes used to have them indoors.

http://www.rukmaniarts.com/wooden-indian-jhula/Cat_Index.asp

This image is actually Ana White's, through her web site which has a hundred or more DIY furniture plans. Her site is addicting, and she's an absolute genius.

http://ana-white.com/

Use marine grade foam for a mattress. It's made for cushions/seating on boats.

If only I'd seen this post at the beginning of the summer!