What are Minimalist Beds?

Minimalist beds are characterized by sleek lines, plain but sumptuous fabrics, and an Eastern aesthetic. These elegant designs include bed frames such as platform or box beds and coverings such as block-printed quilts. Modernist, Japanese, or contemporary bedrooms would welcome minimalist beds.

People describe minimalist beds as simple, chic, and modern. The actual bed frame has clean lines and a simplified construction. A rectangular or wedge headboard and a plain box sit atop short, square legs. There is usually no foot board. Platform or other contemporary beds allow a single mattress, without a box spring, to sit low to the ground.

Popular materials for the minimalist bed frame are wood, steel, or iron. You will not find scrolls, cut-outs, inlay, wrought iron, carving, or elaborately stained wood on such a bed. Blonde and dark timber will be sealed with a clear coat to reveal their natural color. The joints will be rectilinear and straight-forward, without noticeable tenons. Some minimalist beds will have neither a headboard nor foot board, but sit on the ground without legs.

In the morning, you should be able to straighten minimalist beds in a few minutes. A minimum of sheets, blankets and pillows emphasizes function over frills. Ruffles, throw pillows, florals, bed skirts, embroidery, piecing, and lace do not belong on a minimalist bed. Two or three pillows in straight-edged shams are enough for sleeping.

The coverlet should be a neutral, muted, or rich color without distracting patterns or motifs. Often a bedspread will be textured, but not printed. Silk, organic cotton, ultrasuede, or hemp make soft, comfortable covers. A good color palette would be undyed linen with a few blocks of lime green or velvety red. Such a design favors accessibility over opulence.

A truly avant garde minimalist bed would be a bamboo mat covered in a single sheet and blanket. During the day, you roll up the bed like a scroll and tuck it away to provide more floor space. At night, the unrolled mat gives a sleeping surface that is firm, cool, and good for posture. Futons, too, qualify as minimalist beds, as they combine a sheet with a mattress.