You may be the most outgoing, social person who’s all up for spending as much time around people as possible or the type of person who could get away with less sleep than the rest of us without any serious health impact, but you still need your alone time for rest. This explains why the bedroom is such an important part of our homes—it’s our sanctuary where we can go whenever our energy requires some recharge.

And few elements have as much say in this as the bed. You may try incorporating various items to inject the space with more comfort, like a fluffy pillow and breathable bedding or a plush rug and cosy window seating surrounded by natural lighting and plants, but there would still be something missing unless you chose your bed carefully. This is crucial if you want to make the most of the room and get some quality shut-eye.

Now, while there are all sorts of frame and base styles to choose from, it’s the sleek and modern divan bed that’s gained a great deal of attention in the UK lately. The solid and durable base, the stylish bed feet, castors, and wheels, plus the range of fabrics (including practical anti-slip) and colour options certainly have something to do with this popularity.

What Is a Divan?

It’s a luxury bed that’s much better than your regular bed in many ways, to put it in basic terms. It’s a sturdy base made from a wooden structure used to place a mattress on, and it can be designed to offer ample and versatile storage, as well as aesthetic appeal in the form of upholstery. It also has a lot to offer when it comes to versatility considering the base itself is available in three different options: platform, sprung, and reinforced.

The platform top model is among the most popular on the market because of the sturdy and firm feel it provides thanks to the wooden base wrapped up by the strengthened carded top panel which leads to an increasing dose of comfort perfect for everyone, especially people dealing with back pain. If you’re among those wondering “Is a divan bed better for your back?” this is your answer and hint to go and buy yourself one.

The sprung divan base only differs from the other two alternatives in the unit of springs added over the strengthened carded top panel, and as such gets the signature soft feel as the springs act as the mattress themselves, creating a nice padding outcome where you can place the mattress. This does result in a higher price than the rest, but it’s worth the investment if it’s softness with the right dose of firmness you’re after.

Lastly, we have the reinforced divan base which is quite common on the market too and is a desired pick because of the enhanced wooden frame that provides double the support. It’s similar to the platform but much stronger thanks to the extra wooden slats across the base top, making this kind of bed great for back, spine and joint support as much as weight support. The weight capacity it can hold up differs based on the size it’s in, whether it’s a single or double, a queen or a king size divan base model.

What Is the Purpose of a Divan?

Unlike the traditional counterpart, this is a bed that can provide you with an equal amount of advantages, both form and function. These of course come from the specific design, which makes the divan bed beneficial in terms of:

Minimalist Aesthetics

It doesn’t matter if you’re after a modern interior décor in the bedroom, looking to pull off what the Scandinavians do so well, or if you just like to take as little of the room’s space as you can, the truth is you’re going to love the divan for its base which is in the exact measurements of a mattress. Without a bulky bed frame that just takes up usable space without any particular purpose, you won’t get a bedroom that feels crammed.

Flexibility and Customisation

Think of the divan as a blank slate you can customise yourself with the ideal choice of mattress for your needs. There’s another option for customisation that gives you a great deal of flexibility with the aesthetic and that’s the decision to add a headboard or keep the minimalist headboard-less look.

With a range of upholsteries to pick from for the divan base that would match the headboard or not, you’ve got just the control you require over the look and feel of your relaxing retreat. And then, there’s a third way of customising the bed which is by counting on the versatility with where you can add it without worrying about taking up too much space. Due to the minimalist frameless aesthetic, you can fit this sort of furniture even in a loft, or a room with a sloppy ceiling.

Bedroom Storage and Organisation

There’s no doubt the storage feature makes the divan so popular as putting clutter out of the way is something many of us could get help with in the bedroom. Having the chance to put the mess away and organise it properly, keeping the floor free of any unwanted items, is sure to benefit your sleep and life quality as a whole.

You’re also in luck if you prefer to have more say in how much storage you get since there are different types of bed bases with drawers available in the stores. In addition to the standard made from a lightweight wood construction plus upholstery, in options of two on one side, two on both sides and two at the end of the base, you also have the continental design which is based on drawers just a tad bit smaller in width.

Although not that common, it’s possible to find divan designs with a large end drawer too, perfect for people who simply don’t have the luxury of too much available space on the sides because of a limited traffic area (when the bed is close to the wall) or a closet nearby. In a compact home where every inch of space is important, you might also highly benefit from the introduction of a divan ottoman bed design that offers the storage advantage of an ottoman and can be accessed by lifting the base.

What To Look for When Buying a Divan Bed?

Keeping in mind there are different divans to choose from, it’s advisable to know what it is you’re looking for. Before taking a look at the options online or in-store, it’s necessary to measure up to get the exact size you require, which would help you decide on the size of the base as well as the drawer configuration.

This would give you an idea of the type of mattress you should pick, as well as the type of base considering there are two choices in terms of height: the standard and the low height. Space-wise, you’d also come to see if you can fit in a headboard or not, which is a welcome feature for the charm and functionality it provides.

If you have the green light on it, then decide whether to get a floor-standing or strutted model. Once this is taken care of you can move on to the aesthetics such as the choice of fabric and the colour of the upholstery. Enjoy your shopping and prepare to be amazed by the positive effects this bed has on your life!