The arrangement of a berth is one of the most important issues in organizing a living space, as a comfortable rest becomes the key to a good mood and well-being for the whole day. The modern market is filled with many models of comfortable beds, but not every one of them boasts its high aesthetic and functional performance. The leading position here is occupied by the podium bed, with the help of which you can correctly plan the atmosphere of a small room or create a completely unusual image in a spacious room. In addition, it can be supplemented with a number of additional functions that make it an indispensable piece of furniture. We suggest you familiarize yourself with the best ideas for arranging a podium bed, as well as visit the photo gallery, which presents a variety of models.
Advantages and disadvantages
Equipping the interior space of the rooms, it is necessary to take care of both the aesthetic attractiveness of the housing, and its convenience, functionality. In the rooms of bedrooms, living rooms and nurseries, as well as studio apartments, the installation of a podium bed has a lot of advantages, which are the following characteristics:
- A bed with a base-podium can become a spacious storage for clothes, linen and other household items, eliminating the need to purchase additional furniture. This issue is quite relevant in small-sized apartments, where there is a struggle for each additional square meter of usable area;
- Using the podium bed you can effectively zoning the space, which is especially true for studio apartments. The room, divided territorially by a bed on a hill, will retain a feeling of spaciousness, since here you will not need to install additional partitions;
- The multifunctionality of the podiums and the possibility of organizing mobile beds on them allow you to get additional space. The space of the podium in the daytime can be used as a platform for children's games, meeting guests, creative work, etc.
- Aesthetic appeal is an important factor that plays one of the main roles in the design of today's interiors. The design itself looks quite attractive and original. It can well be supplemented with built-in lighting or a chic canopy, creating an atmosphere of comfort.
It is worth noting the fact that the manufacture of a frame podium with a bed with your own hands makes it possible to fill it with all the necessary functional elements, while reducing the money for the purchase of cabinets, cabinets and other furniture. As for the shortcomings, here we can distinguish the stationarity of the structure, which will not make it possible to easily move it if necessary. As practice shows, the construction of the podium is difficult for elderly people and people with joint problems, in particular, to sit on the podium and get up from it. Also, before purchasing, it is worth considering the height of the ceiling and the area of the room so that the bed does not occupy all the free space.
Types of Catwalk Beds
To date, designers have invented many new models of beds with a podium, which are able to perform various functions in the interior. From the point of view of functional accessory, the entire range can be divided into three types:
1.Performing technical functions - beds with a base, which helps to hide unwanted communications or room defects, may have additional storage systems in the design;
2. Decorative - able to become a real decoration of the interior, its accent element, participate in the division of space into zones and its adjustment;
3. Combined - combine the characteristics of the two previous types, often possessing a roomy storage system, additional lighting, retractable mechanisms.
Each of the species has many interpretations, which we will consider in more detail below. They have individual design features that allow you to choose the right option for a particular family.
Bed on a monolithic podium
In this embodiment, the bed podium is formed in the form of an integral structure. The installation of such catwalks plays, for the most part, a decorative function - monolithic catwalk beds were installed in majestic castles, and they served for a long time because of their high strength. In modern apartments, this installation has some disadvantage, which consists in its large weight, because the installation uses concrete, so the structures are suitable for private houses.
Traditional frame bed
The most simplified version of the organization of the bed-podium, when the bed is located on a frame basis. The design is designed to perform the functions of decorating the interior, aligning the asymmetry of space. There are no additional storage systems, so such models have a lower cost, but, nevertheless, look no less impressive. They can be supplemented with headboards and bedside shelves.
Multifunctional Podium Bed
The construction of the bed on the frame podium gives an excellent opportunity to organize a spacious storage system. As a rule, such designs include rather capacious drawers, niches and shelves, the volume of which completely allows you to refuse to purchase an additional cabinet.
A good design technique is to mask the storage compartments when they cannot be detected immediately, and the room is filled with free space and air. Often, podiums are equipped not only with lower drawers, but also with side systems, which allows you to place clothes, linen and other necessary things: books, equipment, etc. In the inside of the podium, you can place a dressing room or safe, access to which will be made through the hatch by the bed, to find out which will be difficult enough. Beds on a frame podium are usually made to order, taking into account all the wishes of the owners for internal filling.
Extendable Catwalk Bed
This design can be called the most functional and appropriate for small rooms. The bottom line is that the berth "hides" in the bowels of the podium and is advanced, if necessary, using rollers. This is an excellent option, which is worth paying attention to large families or those living in tight housing conditions. The retractable bed system allows you to almost fully use the podium space for the necessary purposes - you can place a game, work area on it or install a soft sofa, turning the territory into a living room.
An interesting fact is that such an idea to “hide” an extra bed comes from the Middle Ages, when under the beds of representatives of the rich nobility there were additional sleeping places for assistants who spent the night with them. Of course, the old designs did not differ in high mobility and aesthetic indicators, unlike the current ones, but nevertheless, the concept of their organization was reflected in modern catwalk beds.
Mobile podium bed
In this case, the podium and bed are separate elements of the bed.On the territory of the large step, in the evening, a thin mattress with bedding is laid. In the daytime, all this can be easily removed into the cabinet, and the podium itself is used for other purposes.
Balcony Type Podium
It is quite realistic to arrange a comfortable berth on the territory of the balcony or loggia, if you first take care of additional insulation. For a balcony, it is better to install triple glazing, as well as insulate the walls and floor (sometimes a heating system is carried out here). Assembling a balcony podium is easy on your own, having previously made accurate measurements. The frame is formed of metal corners, furniture board and plywood. In this case, you can make an additional cover to have access to the interior of the podium. A soft mattress is laid on top of the structure. Such a podium will be a great place for a good rest.
Round podium bed
Modern round podium constructions look quite impressive. In this case, the berth can be rectangular or have a rounded shape. Most often, these beds are installed in spacious rooms or bedrooms with a non-standard layout. The bed becomes a kind of center around which a further situation is formed. This piece of furniture is so unusual that it will certainly concentrate on itself.
A bed is installed either in the center of the room or closer to the center of the longest of the walls. In long narrow bedrooms, this option looks disadvantageous, since a round bed will serve as a partition. The solution may be to purchase a round podium with an additional headboard that allows you to set the bed in a corner, along a wall or in a niche.
Podium bed with integrated lighting
A particularly original solution is the organization of a sleeping place with lighting, which will give the atmosphere a certain mystery and eccentricity, creating the effect of a “soaring” bed in space. To make the backlight, use spotlights or LED strip. In addition to the fact that such a catwalk bed looks pretty beautiful in the evening, the additional light also serves as security, illuminating the edges of the steps. If the storage system is located in the podium, with additional illumination it will not be difficult to find the necessary thing in the evening, not including the main lighting.
Catwalk Bed Design
In addition to choosing the degree of functionality and aesthetic perception of a podium bed, it is important to pay attention to the style of the interior. For example, in the classical style, the bed can and should have a fairly rich look, which is achieved with the help of a luxurious upholstery of the frame and the headboard. In most cases, classic designs decorate the interior, so storage systems, if any, are masked.
Especially interesting are the beds in the loft style, the catwalks of which are made of rough, unprocessed wood. The color of wood may be different, but necessarily natural. Since antique furniture is especially appreciated in this direction, it can have elements of aging, peeling paint. To ensure a comfortable stay on a wooden podium, it is important to choose a comfortable modern mattress.
In eastern directions, for example, in the Japanese style, low podium beds with a mobile bed arrangement are preferable. It uses national tatami mattresses complete with comfortable pillows. Furniture does not have to be expensive, rather, it is characterized by rigor and simplicity with no decorative elements.
A high-tech catwalk bed can have the most daring and unexpected forms. This technological direction involves geometric strict or streamlined forms in combination with non-standard design.
Bed-podium - photo
Many options for modern podium beds are presented in our photo gallery, where you can see for yourself the convenience of a particular model in order to make the right choice of bed for your room. It is important to pay attention to the possibility of proper arrangement of furniture in the interior, its ability to divide the territory into zones, and also become an excellent decoration. Enjoy watching!