apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i have had mine for four years, and it still serves its function (well) during the act!!

we've had ours for 2 years and we haven't had any problems with it at all levels of activity ;)

I got mine a year ago and the center support legs always fall out even when I'm not doing anything that energetic.

Are West Elm beds (their furniture in general) solid wood, or laminates over something like MDF? Their online catalogs only say "wood construction", which is really dodging the question.

I bought the one in the picture (cept the low version) a couple of weeks ago and the structural design has changed dramatically. It's far stronger than the Crate&Barrel bed it replaced. Not a squeak or creak to be heard.

Mine works great.

Ours has been sturdy enough since we bought it in October, but the bed frame (in their deep brown finish) has developed large, unsightly cracks in the finish, leaving pine-colored streaks all down the sides.

I was thinking of buying one of the headboards and attaching it to my bedframe (which the West Elm site says you can do), instead of buying a matching platform, because I really have no inches to spare at the foot of my bed after adding the headboard. Anyone have any experience doing this?

janbrady -

Yes, I attached one of their headboards to what used to be called a Hollywood bed (a metal bed frame with no headboard or footboard), and the person likes it just fine. It's that wickerish woven kind.

Thanks, Curtis!

I have the daybed, which I bought off Craigslist, and by no means is it solid construction. The cloth ribbon that ties the slat supports together has ripped from the final slat causing them all to bunch up whenever the bed is made... and the whole thing squeaks.

I have the Overlapping Squares headboard and the frame that goes with that, and it does not have the breaking problem. However, as others say, it does squeak some. I think that's to be expected with furniture you put together yourself--it's obviously not a piece of solid oak or whatever. (For whoever asked, it is laminate over some kind of wood composite, I think.) I don't expect it to last for 50 years, but for the money (something like $500, I think, compared to over $1000 for any other bed-and-headboard combo we looked at), it looks great and I am happy with it.

To be more detailed about the breakage issue: I read those earlier threads before I bought my bed, and also called West Elm about it, and was satisfied that they'd fixed the problem. As I understood it, before there used to be long slats going all the way from one side of the bed to the other, with only one (or no?) support in the middle of the bed, so the slats bore a lot of pressure and would snap. They've changed the construction--now there is a long beam running down the middle of the bed with two supporting legs on it, and there are separate sets of side-to-side slats going from the middle beam to each side of the bed, so they're not bearing as much pressure.

There are some GREAT High Quality modern beds at Bobby Berk Home. http://www.bobbyberkhome.com/category/2/1/bedroom.html

I heard on www.iheartluxe.com that if you use the coupon code "iheartluxe" you will get 15% off, free shipping, and no tax. yeppee!

The wife and I have the low metal bed/headboard, and have slept, etc., on it quite soundly for the last 3 years. No problems with it whatsoever, though I concede that may be due to the fact that it's basically two big pieces of stainless steel screwed together. I do remember sitting on some of the chairs/sofas when we were in the Dumbo, NYC, store buying the bed, and thinking they were not so a.) comfy b.) sturdy. If I were in the market for something woody, I don't think West Elm would be my first stop ~ although they claim "wood construction," there's no way those woody-looking beds/dressers etc. are solid wood. Probably MDF or some other composite with a wood veneer on top.

Jenny in DC's description of the West Elm problem gives me pause. My Brocade home is made that way: 6 slats side to side and one beam down the middle for support. This bed hasn't been subjected to any vigorous use. I would hate for this turn out badly...

With something like a bed I would avoid any dubious construction method/material.

If you've not purchased furniture from Room and Board, I strongly encourage giving them a look. Their stuff is incredibly well made and if you like the style... then its perfect.
http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/category.do?method=get&id=45

I've had my Parsons bed for some 8 years now, with vigorouse use, and not a squeak, no movement, etc.
http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/collection.do?method=get&id=377436&cat=45

If you go to their stores and touch the furniture you can they are poorly built. West Elm copies the high end European "clean look" design but uses dollar store materials to make it (by the way everything is made in China for West Elm). The tables have a "hollow" sound when you touch them and seem to be built like a closet door. Thin veneers cover almost all their pieces. At the DUMBO store almost all the dining chairs were wobbly and a few of their desks too(poor assembly maybe?) Anyways they are too over priced for built it yourself furniture and I have heard from many a person of their furniture coming apart within months.

I wish I had read these posts before buying my West Elm bed.

I purchased the narrow-leg upholstered bed frame with matching head board (http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODf580&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1FRNBED&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1FRNBED)
on September 2. The left-side rail was defective; not all the holes lined up for assembly. West Elm said they would have a new left-side rail sent to me "right away." A week later, I called back to see about the status of this. "We have no record of your call," was their response. So I requested another left-side rail and called every day to follow up on this. I received a right-side rail instead. They're shipping me another left-side rail.

Customer service has been courteous. And they have made an effort to ship parts to me using 2nd day air. However, I can't help feeling frustrated because of their incompetence.

I dont't think that their prices are that high, I just don't like West elm generic designs. Prices in my book are fairly reasonable, and if you don't find what you want in their chelsea showroom, keep exploring. (the store is huge)!