The main advantages of the catwalk beds, options for the best designs
Planning a bed is the main task when creating an apartment. How to make a room functional and as useful as possible, if there is not much free space? The original furniture design of the bed-podium, a successful solution to many emerging issues. Designers did their best - the variety of models presented allows you to create a comfortable, stylish and harmonious room.
Convenience and practicality of design
The model has an unusual design - it is presented on a small hill. This solution is of interest to buyers of completely different age categories. Not every bed boasts an abundance of free space and storage space.
The podium under the berth perfectly combines not only the storage function, but also the gaming component. On the large surface of the podium, you can arrange a platform for games with children. The convenience of the catwalk bed will help the hostess keep the apartment in order, because voluminous bedding and many toys can be neatly folded inside the structure.
The main priority of this type of furniture is saving space and storing things. On this property of cabinet and upholstered furniture, buyers from small small-sized apartments pay special attention. Due to its structure with a wide selection of mechanisms and functions, the podium bed is one of the most popular. The design of the podium bed in a beautiful design gives the room an individuality and a certain charm.
Benefits
Original podium beds can completely change the appearance of a room for the better. Such designs have several advantages:
- They divide the area of the room into separate zones - the space of the room is visually divided into sections, there are no clear boundaries, and the effect is unusual and interesting;
- Practical value - in one product at the same time many functions are included: storage of things, a place for relaxation, various communications are perfectly hidden under it;
- Easy assembly;
- Frees up additional space, giving the opportunity to play with children, relax or receive guests;
- Decorative qualities - the room is transformed and acquires a stylish and beautiful look.
The podium can be of various sizes and configurations. For each room, it is thought out individually. For example, for narrow rooms it is better to apply the design of the podium with wide drawers and one or two steps. Steps are installed near a window or against a wall. The width of the steps can be 80 centimeters, and inside to design open compartments, then the staircase to the podium will become an original chest of drawers. The sleeping bed is installed on the podium, and for better lighting at the head of the bedside lamps are attached.
Of course, it is impractical to mount high podiums in small rooms, this will not look very attractive. Another thing is a room with a large area - there is where to turn around. As an option, a podium with a height of 50 centimeters to 1 meter is being constructed. The bed is no longer installed, and the orthopedic wide mattress will serve as a berth. In the podium, pull-out boxes or a folding table are mounted outside. Such multifunctional podiums are very popular and are very popular.
There are options when the sleeping bed is on the floor of the room, and the podium is mounted so that part of the bed protrudes from the structure and represents a small soft seat. The podium in this case is a hood, and the soft bed can be pulled out, forming a berth at night. Upstairs is a working area with a table, computer, bookshelves, shelves and stands.
In small apartments with low ceilings, the height of the podium is recommended to be no more than 20 cm. An increase in the height of the structure will create an uncomfortable feeling of lack of space between the podium and the ceiling of the room.
To date, the most acceptable way to create a catwalk bed is the classic version, in which a sleeping bed or a dense mattress is installed on a strong and reliable catwalk. And at the bottom are built-in cabinets and drawers.
For children
Getting to the layout of the children's room, it must be borne in mind that the child wants to play with his favorite toys, he needs to relax and do homework.
To perform these and other tasks, zoning of the premises is carried out. For this, classic and pull-out beds are used. The classic version is presented in the form of a children's bed on the podium with a working area in front of it. Following the second option, it is very easy to place the zones: a play area opens at the bottom and a work area with all accessories at the top.
What if two children live in a studio apartment? The hall turns into a nursery. In this case, the podium in the nursery at the edges is equipped with two traveling berths, and steps are mounted between them. The working area remains on the surface of the podium, on it you can place a sofa for adults. A roll-out bed in assembled form frees up a place that is enough for two kids to play.
It is only necessary to design a podium with a higher height, in which extendable sections for storing linen are mounted. Niches can be made in the stairs on both sides, which you can use as you wish. In the niche you can place books, stationery, photographs.
In addition to the upper desktop with a computer, one more practical construction can be envisaged - to attach a folding table for two children to the wall of the room. It turns out one multifunctional room, where adults and children can peacefully be. The need for a catwalk bed should be determined jointly by all family members.
For the bedroom
To equip the bedroom in a small room, the podium bed is set as follows:
- Permanent place device;
- Transformation of a sleeping bed by means of special devices.
In the first case, a podium is installed in the room with a permanent berth, a mattress and bed linen. This method is suitable for rooms of a large area, in which two adults can freely fit and less found in small bedrooms. The bedside frame is used to install racks and shelves. Each item in the room has its own place.
The second version with a retractable bed is optimal in a bedroom with a small area. The bedroom with the podium turns into a transformer room: in the morning this is not the cleaned sleeping bed, and in the afternoon and evening - the game room and the study. The option with temporary extension of the bed is very convenient in small apartments with a large number of residents. This method loses in terms of order, the bed extends and retracts, which reduces its operational characteristics and quickly incapacitates. However, he also has the right to life. Examples of photos of the podium beds for a small bedroom in large numbers are presented on the websites of manufacturers of upholstered and cabinet furniture.
Variants of models and their place in the interior
The main role in choosing a podium bed model is played by the overall interior of the apartment and directly the style of the room in which the furniture will be located. There are quite interesting options: a podium with drawers, a loft bed and a royal canopy bed. It is important that in the interior the bed on the podium does not sharply diverge in color and image with other elements of the room. The product looks visually better, matching the color of the flooring of the room itself. They will acquire a single image that smoothly transitions from the surface of the floor to the podium bed. The following types of models are distinguished:
Bed mounted on the podium
The podium under the bed is made in the form of a monolithic base. The surface of the floor and structure is covered with the same material or may vary in color to highlight the berth. The main task of the monolithic podium is the aesthetic perception of the bed raised above the surface of the floor. The whole structure looks very good in large rooms with high ceilings.
The disadvantage of such models is their heavy weight due to the concrete, which is used when pouring a monolith. However, the durability of the design will be a plus. During the reign of kings, such podiums were installed in majestic castles and palaces.
Bed on a frame podium
It is assembled easily and quickly, the frame is made of wooden beams or metal profiles. There are models with a combination of both. Inside the design, drawers are installed to store things and various items. When creating such a podium, it will be necessary to pay special attention to point measurements and calculations for planning compartments and opening drawers inside the structure.
If you plan to manufacture a frame podium, then in advance you need to think about the design of additional retractable and folding sections. They will help get rid of bulky chests of drawers and cabinets, and things will be hidden from prying eyes.
Traditional design
This is the same frame-type podium bed, but without all the additions and improvements in design. Drawers and integrated shelves cannot be seen here. The frame is simply sheathed with sheets of chipboard and carpet, after which it is ready to install a bed. The traditional frame podium is the most affordable due to its low cost.
Balcony type
The bed-podium is placed not only in bedrooms, it is compactly arranged on the loggias and balconies, despite their small area. To feel comfortable in such places, the outer walls and floor must be insulated, and the glazing is performed in double, or better in triple form. In the base of the floor you can arrange a heating system. Doing a podium on a balcony with your own hands does not present great difficulties:
- First of all, it is necessary to think over the future design, make the right measurements;
- From the furniture board or plywood, podium elements are cut according to the taken sizes;
- A frame is being assembled, the basis of which is a metal wide corner and is fixed to the walls of the loggia or balcony;
- All furniture panels are attached to the corner. The podium cover can be made non-removable, but for greater convenience, it is worth a little money on lifting mechanisms and you get a podium with a lifting top, inside which you can fold various things and objects;
- A small opening should be made in the lid to lift it.
The podium is ready, it remains only to put a soft mattress on top, open the balcony wide open and enjoy reading books and drinking tea in the fresh air. An excellent performance of the podium will be the option when the balcony block between the room and the balcony is completely removed, and the entrance staircase is done from the side of the room itself. A catwalk bed that opens to the eye will be his magnificent continuation.
Retractable
A podium with a pull-out bed is the most appropriate way to save space. If the entire structure in the room is planned for a small child, it must be borne in mind that the child is developing, and his growth will increase. Therefore, the bed should be immediately made of great length, as for an adult.
In order not to scratch the surface of the floor, special wheels are fixed at the base of the bed, on which the sleeping bed extends. Wheels are best used rubberized, rather than plastic, which when reused over time can break and crumble. Rubber wheels are softer and will allow to roll out a bed silently. It is better to use wheels with high quality rubber, then the furniture will last much longer.
The advantage of such beds is the presence of open space. A working corner or a play area for children is arranged at the top of the podium. In the cabinets of the upper floor you can place books, toys, household appliances.
Additional functions
The main duty of the podium bed is to save space and the ability to store various things. Modern models of furniture are presented in various variations, equipped with all kinds of mechanisms and tricks, providing multifunctional designs.
In the interior, the beds on the podium are divided into the following categories:
- Technical
- Decorative
- Combined.
Each category performs its functional duties. The technical podium in the apartment is mounted to hide from the eyes of any communications in the room and storage of clothing and other things. Decorative designs are used to design and visually identify areas in the room. Combined podiums are installed to combine certain tasks, for example, a traveling bed can be used to store things and for games.
You can visually increase the space of a one-room apartment using a mirror mounted on the side or at the head of the bed. Do not forget to use decorative techniques to decorate the room so that it does not look boring. Use green building materials as decoration. Lifting devices must be selected of high quality from trusted manufacturers so that the furniture lasts a long time and does not deliver unpleasant moments.
There are a considerable number of ways to combine the functions of a podium bed. The main thing is to determine the purpose of the design. The model can combine a sleeping bed and shelves for things, while being a bedside table. The stairs to the podium are steps and an object for storing items.
The bed-podium can be equipped with lifting devices, sliding mechanisms. Often there are mechanisms for transforming the bed. In modern beds, designers began to use two mechanisms at once, which ensure the bed is pulled out of the podium and at the same time raise the mattress for access to stored things. This is very convenient, especially when there are two or more children in the family.
Adults can comfortably sit on the top of the podium, and small children will fall asleep in their pull-out beds, made in bizarre fairy tale images. A podium in an apartment with large drawers built into the bed will help maintain order.
Another interesting idea is a podium with a bed on the windowsill. It will be nice to relax here and watch the scenery outside the window. From prying eyes, you can protect yourself with reflective film on the windows or a Roman curtain.
The use of the catwalk bed is limitless. Of course, in small apartments the fantasy is a bit narrowed by the area, but in spacious houses and apartments you can come up with the most unusual images that can breathe calm and comfort into everyday life.