apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

okay, this "client" thing is super weird if this is your new place!

i have this bed also. which mattress did you get?

any recommendations?

I'm not sure about this bed just yet. It's ok looking - but there is no WOW there for me. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how it looks when the room is all done.

The point of the bed is that it disappears - which is exactly what I needed when I moved into my tiny little bedroom. I couldnt have anything that was big, clunky, or visually dominant. The Min bed is perfect. It's high enough off the ground to store a bunch of stuff. The other thing is that my boyfriend and I can....you know... and the rubber pads under the slats keep everything quiet as a mouse. Unlike said boyfriend. ;-)

I thought it was a spanish company that made the bed? Stuo or Stua or something like that.

I could never pay $750 for this:
http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/120407housetour/IMG_9606
unless that includes the mattress.

Wow, yea. I agree. That's way too basic for $750 and it doesn't even include a mattress. I guess if it's really important you keep your bed "activities" quiet so your nabes won't hear, then maybe otherwise it's almost close to those free frames mattress companies throw in when you buy your bed and boxspring.

i have the bed and i love it. It's funny to me though that when I bought it (2 years ago) the price was $500 from dwr which i thought quite reasonable since you don't need a box spring.

It's funny how the price has multiplied 1.5 times since then.

All of the RELATED LINKS are broken...

The lines of my bed are similar, but mine is dark wood. I love it. However, I only paid $300 for mine, which is probably part of the reason I like it so much.

I have the Min bed and really love it, purchased it a few months ago during the DWR sale. It's great for a small space--minimal and light. I have one of the Sonno mattresses and have noticed that while it fits well, my sheets are now really tight when I put them on. Overall all though, I really like the bed.

P.S.
I'm still wondering about that rug--can you tell me the source?

I love the rug too. I don't know if I'd dare have a white rug in our place, with a kid and a dog. But it looks beautiful in the photos.

More pillows and a head board, please.

i'm all for minimalist design but this is kind of crazy to me... 750 for something that looks like a low profile orphanage bed? i don't get it...

"Only $750".

Hmmm...

For those bee-atching about $750, where are you finding a grown-up bed for anything less? Please share.

Maxwell has posted before about having a Sonno firm, and jeez it looks like their place...

did he ever share about the rug? can't search to check...

Love my Min Bed. I have it in the sand color, which I think is warmer than the aluminum.

Define "Grown-Up Bed"...
That surely doesn't look like a bed at all...more like a mattress holder. It actually looks like something you could score at Ikea for 1/3 the price AND get a mattress with it. I've seen plenty of REAL beds in that price range and even cheaper that include a head board, foot board and frame. And if the idea is to achieve a "minimalist look", why not just purchase a simple low bed frame (rails and wheels), and mattress and call it a day.
I'm sorry, the majority of products for sale at DWR are extremely overpriced, impractical, and overrated.

For demonstration:
what makes that $750 "bed" from DWR any better than this combination:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10112549
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10075660

Is the wood superior? Is the Ikea name not spectacular enough?

p(too), I think most are saying that $750 for that bed is too much. I will gladly pay over $750 for a bed, but it will have a headboard and footboard.

p(too), I'm sure you would balk if Target had the gall to sell this bed for $750. But because it's DWR, it's okay. Whatever.

Even as a $150 bed from Target, I would put this in a guest bedroom. This is definitely not master bedroom material for me.

I'm sorry "patrick," I agree with all of the belly-achers. I see this bed everytime DWR sends me a catalog, everywhere online and I have never understood why what looks like a regular bed frame with wood slats should cost $750. The bed has NO style (minimalist or otherwise).
This reminds me of the bed frames with the white wheels on them that I grew up with and which were the basis for every bed in the house (from twin to queen) (see the link below for a picture).

Once you put a mattress and bedding on the Min Bed, the frame basically disappears, so you are paying $750 for a frame that no one will notice. Sounds a lot like a regular old bed frame to me. The one in the link below is only $45. Add the Ikea wood slats and you're back in business!!

The Min Bed is not a bed, It's a BED FRAME.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_08216902000P?vName=For the Home&cName=Mattresses&sName=Bed Frames

P.S. I don't need a headboard or a footboard, but for $750, can a brother at least get some drawers underneath or somethin?!

Well, as long as we're all complaining...yeah, I think $750 for THIS BED is totally ridiculous.

My suggested $410 replacement (which I think is actually more attractive):

VINSTRA bed frame (the cane headboard is detachable if desired), $349
SULTAN LIARED slatted bed base (queen size), $60

The finish on the VINSTRA bed is super-glossy and gorgeous. When buying an IKEA bed, the key is to get the better quality LIARED slats (they are sold separately, so you can pick which ones you want) rather than going with the cheapest ones (LADE) that are included in the order by default.

Give them a break people. It's their bed and if they want to spend $750 for it let them. I want to see more of the apt. though. I'm now totally convinced it's theirs!

People can spend what they want on their beds.

Related: my secret source for beds is LL Bean. I've ordered an iron one and a spindle one for my kids and have been very happy with the quality and price. Real solid wood, handcrafted and shipped from Maine (at least the wood bed), great prices. Not at all modern or cool, but if you're in the market for a bed, I suggest looking at their limited selection.

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=4060&catalogId=1&storeId=1&langId=-1

The orange rug was apparently from The Rug Company. Maybe the white one is also? Check the site.

"Matilda," They started it, they posted it. LOL

Matilda, I think what's bugging people is that we've been told the client is "on a budget," and then we're presented with the necessity of paying $750 for a basic bed frame similar to those sold for under $100. It's the kind of decision that makes perfect sense to designers and confuses ordinary people like me.

I am also unimpressed with this bed. At first I thought it had been purchased from Ikea, as it required assembly and resembles a model I saw there. There are many nicer non room dominating beds available in the NYC area for about the same price. I hope in the long-term you will be happy with your choice. As for your future purchases, I suggest you thoroughly research the item and potentially less expensive copies and derivatives before plunking down a large amount of money. By the way, any piece of furniture of that cost level, should be assembled by the store, not by you.

The Min is on my short list, so I'm glad to see the good reviews. Other than bashing the price, I haven't heard anything negative about the feel of this bed, and personally I detest headboards and pillows, so this would work for me.

As for price, generally speaking any and all consumer items are available in a ridiculous range of prices. How people decide "this is worth $750 to me" where another person can't go above $300 and a third cheerfully pays 2 thou is not worth hashing out for 30 posts, is it? Admit it--you own something that is "overpriced" according to someone else (even if it's only soap) and you would defend that purchase zealously.

The price is not cheap but how does it relate to similar products is what I ask myself when looking for things.

Is there anything cheaper that has similar design and quality? I seriously doubt it.

For one, the construction of the wood "boxspring" is probably quite expensive in and of itself.

In terms of the price and the clients' budget, I doubt that the clients were forced at gunpoint to buy the Min bed. Most mature adults will ask about alternatives if they think that something isn't "worth it" to them.

Sure, the bed is a little expensive, but the frame is made of aluminum (not Ikea plastic or fiberboard or particleboard), and the corners are rounded, reducing the risk of abrasions and contusions, which I'd be worried about with that dangerous-looking Sears bed. Because the construction is solid, there are no West Elm-style disasters waiting to happen if the users of the bed are particularly active. The item is made in Italy, so exchange rates are at least partly to blame for the increase in the price. Also there's the matter of shipping. If you don't think it's worth it, that's fine. Disclaimer: I own one, along with the discontinued adjustable split headboard, which is fantastic. I like the design. I also have the Sonna mattress, which we laid on at the store and really liked (I also appreciate the Coolmax feature). And, for what it's worth, I also own a few Eames chairs (two LCWs, also a soft pad chair), which are ridiculously overpriced if you think chairs' only function is to serve as a seat, but I love the design, and that alone makes them "worth it" to me. I often eat out at restaurants where's I'm vastly overcharged relative to the cost of the ingredients, I buy wine than costs more than $2 even if they don't contain more alcohol, and most of my clothes and shoes were purchased at places other than the Salvation Army or yard sales. I try not to buy counterfeit goods, even if they're virtually indistinguishable from the genuine item at a much lower cost, because it's usually unethical and often illegal. Yes, I'm incredibly stupid, and I waste a lot of money, but I'm reasonably content.

I agree with cmcinnyc that almost everyone has differing standards of value. I hope that most of you will stop trying to impose your standards on others unless asked to do so.

Peace, and happy holidays!

i have the min bed. and believe me, i live on a budget.

basically, if you have a good relationship with your DWR studio executive, they'll give you a heads up when it goes on sale. I got mine 30% off with no shipping.

the thing with the min bed is that it is remarkably SOLID. i mean, you could jump up and down on it or house a grossly obese individual on it and it won't flinch. the aluminum is powder coated and I've bumped various things against it and there isn't a scratch. i've had it for almost a year and it looks brand new.

it's the perfect bed frame because it is a bed frame that gives the appearance of not having a bed. :)

If he started with... "We bought a bed for $150 at IKEA..." the line of comments would have been "Can we trust IKEA? Don't their things fall apart? IKEA is crap!"

Sometimes there seems to be no winning.

And some of the IKEA alternatives proposed here are apples-to-oranges.

There also seems to be a frequent assumption that something minimalist should be cheaper. It simply ain't so. And there are relatively few alternatives for minimalist looks in certain categories, and this certainly seems to be one of them.

I'm not automatically defending all things DWR, but I really hate the constant "where do they get off charging so much money" bashing of a company that has introduced an alternative aesthetic to the US, at a pricepoint (whether you agree or not) and in-stock availability that did not exist before them.

So let me rephrase my question... "Other than IKEA, where do you find a grown-up, minimalist bed for less money?"

And why are people balking at an expense for a piece of furniture where we spend one-third of our lives?

Another point... this apartment is (as stated in the original post) being fast-tracked.

Perhaps research into alternative (cheaper or comparable) beds revealed 8, 10, 12 or 18 week waits. Time is money.

Time contraints, budget and taste are always an interesting little bit of alchemy to calculate and everyone has different priorities among these things. Plus, quite often time IS money.

Being "on a budget" doesn't necessarily mean they're eating macaroni and ramen noodles every night, and I'm sure that if they've decided they can afford to have Maxwell design and manage this, they've conveyed something of their priorities to him.

As I stated before, once they put the bedding on that bed, it's virtually not even there anymore so why not just buy the bed rail from Sears (youngho_yoon) if it won't be seen. And FYI the bed frame at sears is not dangerous.

Us readers cannot help it if we feel like the "bed" in question does not look like a bed per se but rather more of a bed frame.

And to answer your question (patrick) here's an alternative...
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=400&f=2082&viewall=1

orangejuice, with a Hollywood frame (which is what the frame from Sears is called, and you're right it's not dangerous), you need a box spring. I have one ($80, extremely sturdy), but we prefer a higher bed. I think if you're looking for a low profile, this is a really nice choice.

Sorry, that bed looks nothing like this one. But at least thanks for attempting to provide an alternative.

Please, I love IKEA, CB2 and Target (and all are represented in my home as we speak) as are DWR, Room & Board and even Repertoire and Moss. To me, it's all about the mix. And as Curtis notes, expense is all relative, as are priorities of home and style.

And things like finish and solid construction do not come across in photos.

The repetitive "I could get it cheaper" chorus just gets old to me, sometimes, and I still maintain that a three-digit price tag is not bad for a bed that you will have (potentially) for 20 years...

Maybe we all just need to see this bed/frame in person to really appreciate it and its price point. Perhaps the pics don't do it justice. I'm walking over to DWR right now to check it out. If I am wowed, I'll retract all of my statements.

yawn..

The corners of the Sears bed look pretty darn sharp to me, since there seem to be alarmingly protruding metal pieces at each corner with 90 degree angles without any apparent radiussing, so if I were walking around the bedroom at night with the lights off because I didn't want to wake my wife, I would be extremely concerned about hitting my ankle against one of the corners at the foot of the bed. I've done that with the Min bed, fortunately without injury. That's why I think the Sears bed looks dangerous to me if used without a boxspring or surrounding frame, which seems to be how you're suggesting that it be used since you talked about just putting some wooden slats on top. Anyway, I didn't say that it IS dangerous. I said that it LOOKS dangerous, and I hope my explanation makes it clear why I think so. However, if you've set up a bed like this before and also hit your ankle in the dark against those protruding metal parts without any injury whatsoever, then I'll be happy to admit that it ISN'T dangerous. What do I know?

In terms of bedding, many people sleep with only a sheet or a light blanket on top during warmer seasons, and these are often tucked under the mattress at the bottom and the sides, so yes, for many people, the frame would still be visible even when used with light bedding. For an example, look at the third picture above in the original post. The bedframe is pretty visible to me.

It's a minimalist aesthetic, hence the name. For many people, the minimalist look is too...minimal and hence not worth the money, since they can get fancier-looking things with more bells and whistles. Or else they can things that look clunky or are made out of cheap materials for less. That's cool. Anyway, I'm going to say "live and let live" and call it a day.

DWR Bethesda only had a sample. It was the corner component. While I am now wowed, it does appear to be a fairly sturdy piece. The pics definitely don't do it justice. I still maintain that $750 is steep, but, to each his/her own. I would be willing to pay $450 max on this piece...but that's just me. If this bed were to be used in an open studio layout, I could understand why someone would feel justified in the $750 price point.

oops...meant to say I am NOT wowed still...

I am just like Patrick. I have the Titan Media stand from DWR (10% sale, very nice, almost worth the price, but the design had me and nothing else could compare) as well their Innox square table and a couple Aero chairs (used a gift certificate, honestly way too expensive and would rather have gotten a knock-off). Have a small sectional that I paid $3400 that was regularly $5600, as it was a discontinued floor model from a small Spanish designer (OE Intl.) That was more than I wanted to spend, but I absolutely fell in love with it and it's a superb fit for my place, impeccable quality. Have some shiny lacquered cubes from CB2 that make a coffee table ($320 total), a reading lamp and nightstand from Room and Board (about $500), a bookshelf from Ikea that was $70 (it just _works_), and an Arco repro from China that's like $500. Oh yeah, and a Tate bed from Crate and Barrel $1300) with a linens/coverlet set from ($300)... and a a Talalay latex mattress from SleepEZ ($1200) (sorry guys, it blows away the Sonno/memory foam stuff).

Everything that I bought was researched to the hilt. Seriously, if you added up all the time looking online, going to showrooms, discussing with my fellow design buddies, it prolly took at least 200 hours of putting my place together over the past year and a half. As I live in a loft where everything is exposed my criteria is first design, then value, then cost. For instance, I considered beds that cost $3000. I also considered beds that cost $300. But the cost really wasn't _that_ big of a deal as I plan to be here for 5 years. In the end, you have to go with what works. $750 is _not_ that much for a bed... I mean geeze, how much is rent for a 700 sqft place in NYC? That's _way_ budget. As much as it disappears, it still has presence. Now the value may be off. But it's likely low volume and fairly high quality for what it is, imported, hand finished, etc, etc.

Have to admit my first reaction was $750 for that? But then I thought about every Sears-like bedframe I've ever had, and not a single one stayed solid and squeak-free for very long. And I am a tosser and turner, so the instability and noise was really bothersome and certainly did not foster restful sleep. I'd say this is a quality issue. Since I have no idea whether the quality of the visual Ikea equivalents is on par with the Min, or how long the clients plan on keeping the bed, then I can't exactly evaluate the choice fairly.

I don't know.

I finally saw CB2's furniture in person and not that impressed with the quality.

That said, I think it's worth the price.

or you could be a real romantic like the set up in my loft and just leave the mattress thrown on the floor caddycorner with no direction, big fluffy blankets big pillows and a large skylight over the bed, stack of magazines next to the bed, stainless turbine fan in front and I am working on getting a large square tuffed ottoman from somewhere..Restoration has a gorgeous one for $1k..Rather put my $$ there.

Sometimes I want to drop $1k on a frame but not worth it...But again every space is different.

CB2 quality is poor. West elm went downhill fast. Boconcept is about 2 or 3x to much for the style. DWR just ok, C&B is C&B so eh, Room and Board is your best overall choice. I was not impressed with Muji by anymeans however, they have bed on their site which looks gorgeous for $550ish. All work. Partial open back. Nice curves..Real shame my boys over at Nuevo on Greene St are gone. That was the spot!

And what was the typical pricepoint there?

I bought the Min queen bed last year and was disappointed. Several holes were poorly drilled so I had trouble getting the screws to fit properly. The bed was fine at first, but it seems that moving it to a different spot in the bedroom pushed it past its limit. Activity as mild as my 15-pound dog jumping on the bed causes it to creak. Not terribly loud, but enough to be annoying. Of course this happened after the return period was up. If you do order the bed, make sure everything fits tightly from the beginning or get a replacement from DWR.

If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't buy it, even though I got a discount.

I paid $1500 for my bed. It's circa 1880. Nice Frank Furness style carvings on headboard and footboard plus burled walnut panels on headboard and footboard. I spent another $500 or $600 (I forget how much exactly) for a mattress and box spring. I figured the bed was worth $1500 because it had survived, quite well, for 125 years.

The bed above has a nice modern look. It also looks comfy and inviting. It's not necessarily my style but it sure looks nice in that room. I would be happy to get into that bed after a long day of working or an exhausting day of shopping.

I have this bed. The problem is you have an annoying gap between the mattress and the wall which makes it uncomfortable for reading in bed. It took forever to put together because the holes did not line up. DWR suggested I drill them out.

Don't look now, but DWR raised the price ... OWWW! (and I was waiting for the next sale/free ship to buy it).

Someone I know has this bed, and swears by it (I talked him into getting it). If anyone in NYC has one, is unhappy with it, & wants to sell, email juetron (at) g mail (dot) com.

I dig this bed.

After much hemming and hawing, I decided to go minimalist given the size of my bedroom. Easy assembly, STURDY, and even though I didn't spring for the Sonno (not a big fan of memory foam, I feel like I'm sleeping in quicksand) my mattress feels great and I sleep *very* well. Though some of the other DWR stuff makes me scratch my head for the $$ charged, I'm very happy w/my purchase. But as many have said, people have different things on which they choose to spend their money, and the aesthetics and workmanship alone may not justify the price tag for some.

Technically you could just put your mattress on the floor and sleep just fine (and I've done that before), but I enjoy the heck out of my min bed and I'm happy I bought it.

i want that bed!!!!
i tried it at dwr in palo alto awhile ago.
congratulations on your new home!