Mattress on Floor, room design (X-posted in The Family Bed)

[TopHat]

Not sure where this would go.

We're moving in a couple of months and we're thinking of getting rid of our box springs and frame before the move and just having our mattress on the floor because we sleep with our 22 month old and in the summer, we'll have a newborn.

I'm curious- if you have a similar set up, what does it look like? Can it look nice or will it always look like you're living in a dorm? If anyone has pictures of a nice-looking room with a mattress on the floor, I'd be interested.

[flowmom]

Our family bed used to look like this. We recently stopped "officially" cosleeping, but when we did I loved having a mattress on the floor. The children loved it too and the mostly empty bedroom actually had a ton of play value with the kids jumping, nesting, building blanket forts, playing with pillows, etc. Good memories.

[Danidama]

Originally Posted by flowmom

Our family bed used to look like this. We recently stopped "officially" cosleeping, but when we did I loved having a mattress on the floor. The children loved it too and the mostly empty bedroom actually had a ton of play value with the kids jumping, nesting, building blanket forts, playing with pillows, etc. Good memories.

Absolutely! I took apart our bed frame and recycled it and donated our box spring when dd was a baby because I was just so tired of it being so high and not kid-friendly in the least. Plus I stubbed my toes on the wooden corners of the frame countless times in the dark, yowch.

I love minimalism for all the peace of mind it gives me, and a mattress on the floor fits in perfectly with that. It never occurred to me to just go ahead and have the bed on the floor until I read Leo Babauta's article about a minimalist home (http://zenhabits.net/2007/08/a-guide...nimalist-home/), and I was all, Of course! It is wonderful and fun and cozy and easy and I wouldn't have it any other way. We used to have a queen bed on the floor and for almost two years we've had a king now, and it is so, so nice. The bedroom is just heaven to me. It's safe to jump around it, roll around in and I love it. Our dd clearly does too.

All I've got in the bedroom is the bed, a Big Agnes double sleeping bag (best Ever) and pillow on the floor next to it (it just gets played in usually, and it's just kind of there), two meditation cushions, a lamp on the floor in the corner and my dh's alarm on the floor next to that. This is the biggest bedroom I've ever had, so there is a lot of space for all of that. We'll have a much smaller bedroom in a cabin soon, and we'll have to have the bed raised onto -something- because of the -40 degree weather in winter, but I love having a mattress on the floor in our apt building here.

[jennlyn]

I believe the reason for having a platform or slats under a mattress is not only for support, but for air circulation around the mattress. I would think just having it on the floor wouldn't allow for that and if not having air circulation would allow for any moisture build up it could cause your mattress to get funky. Unless you're thinking of a futon that can be picked up, moved around and aired out.

[TopHat]

Originally Posted by jennlyn

I believe the reason for having a platform or slats under a mattress is not only for support, but for air circulation around the mattress. I would think just having it on the floor wouldn't allow for that and if not having air circulation would allow for any moisture build up it could cause your mattress to get funky. Unless you're thinking of a futon that can be picked up, moved around and aired out.

We'll look into that. We have a memory foam mattress which isn't supposed to be on a box spring anyway (it's bad for the foam) so we have a layer of plywood in between the box spring and the mattress. Pretty much the only reason we have the box spring is for height.

[EarthyMamaofDaisy]

A long time ago I saw a picture in a magazine of a bedroom with the mattress on the floor, and a sheer canopy hanging over it. It looked really beautiful.

[fresh_veggie]

Originally Posted by jennlyn

I believe the reason for having a platform or slats under a mattress is not only for support, but for air circulation around the mattress. I would think just having it on the floor wouldn't allow for that and if not having air circulation would allow for any moisture build up it could cause your mattress to get funky. Unless you're thinking of a futon that can be picked up, moved around and aired out.

Definitely true - this is why Asians who have floor mattresses store them during the day - if you just leave them in one place in a humid environment, they will get moldy/musty.

[GearGirl]

We use a very low Ikea style frame from West Elm, without box springs, just the slats. It is the best of both worlds to me, not on the floor, but very low. I wouldn't want a mattress on the floor for many of the reasons posted, but a futon that was folded up, maybe placed down on mats would be cool!

[TopHat]

Hmm. I don't know if I could get a low frame for our Cal King mattress- I don't know if they make them in that size. Maybe we'll keep our box springs and not the frame. However, our mattress is 14 inches thick. We'd be already pretty high off the floor without another 4 inches (especially with a newborn). Hmm..

[tree_hugger]

I found this pic on a blog that I like (the blogger is a MDC mama):

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lLBGcgm1ek...ybedwestst.jpg

I think it looks so nice and cozy!

[accountclosed3]

i don't have pictures! but, i think it looked nice.

be sure that you put some boards under the mattress--it needs to be able to breathe. just a number of 2x4s is fine.

the main thing is to make the bed each day and keep the furniture very simple.

[RoundAbout]

I agree with the air circulation. Right now my son's mattress is on the floor but during the day I lean it against the wall - it airs it out and gives him more play space. His is full size though and easy to handle - might be harder with a queen or king.