solid construction that also allows the mattress to breathe. I recommend any of the case study beds available from modernica, dwr, hive, etc. very sturdily made & great minimal design. with luck you could also find one on craigslist.
http://modernica.net/bedroom/

I would try Crate and Barrel or West Elm.

This is a great question, seeing as how most people would respond, "A modern platform bed? Ikea!" The problem with Ikea, is their construction is not as quality as with other places.
In wood construction on a platform bed, you want to look for solid wood and high quality joint construction. No glue or flimsy tacks, but screws or nails.
In buying any piece of furniture - flip it over! Look underneath, literally at the nuts and bolts. Make sure it is not squeaky/creaky/ wobbly.

http://www.bludot.com/modern-bedroom-furniture.html - quality modern pieces.

Hannah McCoy
hannahmccoyinteriors.com

I have the Zen platform bed from Charles Rodgers. The bed is gorgeous and solid. The prices are cheaper than Crate and Barrel and I think better made as well. Instead of slats in the middle of the bed, they have an upholstered Platform. Best part, they don't squeak.

http://www.charlesprogers.com/solide-platform-bed-p-392.html?cPath=31_155

I got my platform bed from Charles P Rogers and I still love it 3 years later. Their customer service and shipping was great!

I bought a used(-but-only-for-staging-a-house) Crate & Barrel platform bed on Craigslist and I love it! It's super-sturdy and comfortable.

However, I wish it came with a platform, like NewbieDesigner's bed above. The slats are strong, but they squeak... under certain conditions... It can, um, really kill the mood.

Agree that a good quality platform is waaaay better than one made cheaply and held together with glue and staples. I'd rather pay more up front for quality that will last rather than save several hundred only to be unhappy with it and throw it out in a couple of years. I also agree that it is important that the mattress have air circulation to ensure long life and prevent mold. There's nothing worse than a moldy mattress. My old roommate built his own platform bed and it looked very nice but it was all flat board with no circulation. When he moved out we saw what was under his mattress and it was disgusting.

I bought a metal platform bed from CB off craigslist... I don't see it on their website, anymore, and I don't remember the name of it. I definitely like platform beds better - just for the style, if not anything else. But the bed is very wobbly. Maybe because it's used? It does squeak a little, and sags in the middle. It only cost me $100. Some day I'll buy a wooden platform bed, much like the Charles P Rogers one mentioned above!

ericasullivan...try rubbing bar soap into the wood-on-wood parts that are squeaky. Best buck you'll ever spend.
I've heard half and half reports on the IKEA platform bed, Mandal. Some appear flimsy, others are reported as solid. Perhaps it has to do with the way the hardward is tightened? Or maybe not, uh, put to the test so much. It depends on how high you want/need the bed. I need mine (in my next digs) to be extremely low so have no choice but to go with that one. If I had more head room I'd be looking at Crate & Barrel's wooden one w/drawers. It's gotten good reviews.

Just looking at all of those tucked corners makes my legs twitch.

After looking around quite a bit, my dad decided he wanted to make us a platform bed with slats. This is what we learned: to be sure to keep your bed from sagging in the middle and keep your warranty valid on your mattress, be sure that the bed includes support in the middle of the slats as well, at least 5 supports including legs. Also, a solid wood frame is the best, but make sure the slats are not. Most solid wood is too flexible to be sure your bed doesn't sag.
Hope that helps!

@ veslabeachgirl --

Ooh, thanks! I've used soap on my dresser draws before but somehow I never thought to do it on the bed!

I also have a bar of beeswax somewhere. That might do the trick, too.

Agh, on my dresser *drawers*, not draws. :)

Wooden slat beds aren't a bad thing as long as there is a vertical support beam through the middle! I just finished designing one that is basically two solid platforms (for ease of moving, but for strength since it doesn't collapse) with locking mechanisms for moving it.

I'm pretty excited about not having to fit my box spring places!

I love my new Min Bed Design from Within Reach Designed by Luciano Bertoncini. I love the detail in the rounded corners and that it's solid enough to support my tempurpedic with no box spring.

This type of bed, although it looks very nice, depending on the person it can be a bit inconvenient, because of its height. Have a few things in mind before geting one, such as having to get up and down from it and having to make it everyday... sex isn't as fun as well

If you have even basic woodworking skills you can also make one. A really basic platform is dirt simple construction, one of the easiest things you will probably ever build. The most expensive part for mine was the hairpin legs, the wood costs for the frame itself was laughable.

Search on AT for pallet platforms: I'm sure I saw a how to on how to build one out of free pallets. We just ditched the metal frame altogether and are using the box spring as our platform for now. This was mainly to accommodate our dog's spinal injury (and our own unwillingness to quit spoiling him-plus he keeps my feet warm). The huge unexpected benefit was no more bed squeak/creaks.

Ikea can make sturdy beds if put together well. The problem arises if you move the furniture often, and forget disassembling and trying to use it again.

I don't think Room & Board's been mentioned. They're all platforms, and the construction is solid.

Not sure of the quality of current Ikea beds, but I've been sleeping on one for about 10 years, during which I've moved about 5 times.

It is starting to go so I've started looking around for another bed, but considering it cost about $300 for a queen, I'm pretty satisfied.

I bought mine on line from a site with a store based in CA. It is solid teak, and I got the rice mats as inserts above the support beams. With the memory foam mattress it cost me under 2K. I had to put it together. But it is solid and I paid no tax... I always get compliments (get your mind out of the gutter haha)

I just got a hold of the Worth bed from Modloft...its really nice because it has nightstand platform that you could pop in. If I ever feel that I needed more space I could leave them out and store them.

This is also my first platform bed and at first its weird, but you get used to it.

check it out here: http://www.modloft.com/product.cfm?id=HB39A-K-WEN

I swore I wouldn't go ikea for my new bed frame, but I was having a hard time finding something I liked, and really needed to get my new mattress off the floor (they do need to breathe!) so in a pinch I bought the CHEAPEST wood frame IKEA had and combined it with the CHEAPEST slats they sell. Total price? 59 euros. I thought it was the ugliest thing I'd ever seen til I painted it, and I have to say, its simplicity is growing on me. As mentioned above, the biggest issue I was foreseeing was that it would be rickety or wobbly or in some other way crappy. But I can say without reservation, the thing is solid: no squeaks, no wobbles, it doesn't even "walk" on slippy wood floors. The thing is just damned sturdy (and yes, it's been fully tested...ahem). While I'm keeping an eye out for something better, I may just paint it red (it's white now) and see if I can get an extended term out of it.

I love my vintage Danish teak platform bed imported by Scan (I'm guessing)---purchased off Craigslist for $700. It has the wide headboard with attached, floating nightstands.

Night and Day furniture makes great affordable ($300-500) hardwood platform beds in a lot of different colors and styles. I own a platform bed frame and a futon frame from them. I have moved (read: taken apart, moved, reassembled) with the bed frame 3 times now and it remains very sturdy and very beautiful. They also come with a 10-year warranty. You could ask them about dealers in your area.

http://nightanddayfurniture.com/

Most important to us when buying a bed...something that won't turn into a shin or toe-buster in the middle of the night. The platform bed in the picture looks cool, but I'd probably break my toes about once a week on it. That doesn't really answer your question, though...

I got a good storage platform bed at Gothic Cabinets in Brooklyn for less than $800. The bed is solid wood and sturdy. I love the drawers under the bed and how modern it looks
http://hotelrhoscho.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-bedroom-happiness.html