Is the bed-podium a luxury item or a practical element of the interior?

The idea of ​​arranging a sleeping place on a hill originated in Japan. In ancient times, the Japanese used the space under the mattress to store clothes, utensils, weapons, various valuables. Nowadays, the podium bed can also be used to equip storage systems. But its functions do not end there - a berth on an elevation can act as a zoning element, visually change the shape and size of the room, reorganize the space and simply serve as the main element, the highlight of the interior. If you plan to make a podium or purchase a ready-made solution for arranging a berth on a raised platform, then our large-scale selection of interesting photos can help you make a difficult choice and be inspired by design ideas.

The bed-podium stands apart in its segment of types of cabinet furniture, it differs from standard items of furniture. It is a structure created on a special frame, complemented by load-bearing elements. As a rule, the creation of this frame is carried out using lags located at a certain distance from each other. The distance this completely depends on the expected load on the podium, because in many respects it will fulfill the functions of the floor, feel the same load. There are many options for the execution of the podiums themselves, their shapes and sizes. The functional components of the sleeping places created on a hill also differ. Let us dwell in more detail on the main variations in the design of the podium bed for the modern interior of a bedroom or other room.

In general, all podium beds can be divided into two large groups:

• traditional structures in the form of a frame made of wood, sheathed with decorative material (plywood, panels, carpet and even fur), on top of this design is a mattress;
• the second option is connected with the possibility of incorporating various niches into the frame, which can be used depending on the needs - storage systems, arranging a roll-out berth, etc.

Regardless of the choice of the type of construction of a berth on a hill, such structures have a height of 20 to 50 cm - it all depends on the design and functional background. Interior items such as podium beds can be entire complexes of various components - a sleeping place smoothly goes into a working place, combines a rest area and seating, the entire structure is equipped with storage systems, lighting is built in, communications are hidden inside the box.

Also, all the podiums for the organization of a berth can be divided in terms of functional affiliation into:

• technical;
• decorative;
• combined.

Technical podiums help to hide various communications, and also serve as storage systems for various modifications. Decorative structures are responsible for zoning the room and focusing on the bed (they can distract from the unsuccessful architecture of the room, the irregular shape of the space). Combined designs involve the combination of not only functions, but also entire segments. For example, the podium can be used as a platform for arranging a workplace or dressing room, and the bed can be located in the bowels of a wooden box and put forward if necessary. Also, the upper part can serve as a sleeping place, and at the bottom there will be a complex system of storage places. At the moment, all the options for using the catwalk bed are quite popular.

The choice of the type of podium bed design and its design will depend on the following criteria:

• dimensions, shape of the room and ceiling height;
• the amount and size of the greasy place that needs to be equipped;
• the need to connect functional zones or vice versa - the delimitation of segments;
• the need for arrangement of storage systems;
• the need for arrangement of additional places for rest and sleep, work areas;
• interior design style, selected color palette;
• financial budget.

The opinions of designers regarding the installation of a catwalk bed are mixed. Half of all specialists relate to those who believe that a sleeping place on an elevation is suitable only for spacious rooms. After all, a considerable difference in the height of structures significantly changes the image of the room, it is striking. Opponents of this position argue that the podium helps save space and is great for small rooms of irregular shape, for example, for long and narrow rooms with a high ceiling. But one thing is obvious - the bed-podium is incredibly functional, practical and always becomes the focal point of any interior. In addition, a sleeping place on a hill will always be warmer than its traditional counterpart located on the floor.

So, the following points can be attributed to the advantages of catwalk beds:

1.Visual correction of the irregular shape of the room. For this purpose, you can use the podiums of various modifications. In some cases, even the use of platforms with rounded edges or in the form of a sector is appropriate.

2.The bed-podium perfectly zones the space - no ambiguity. The sleeping and resting area will be clearly expressed. With the help of such zoning, it is possible to fix the inconvenient layout of the room.

3.The multifunctionality of the sebaceous space located on an elevation is connected, first of all, with the possibility of arranging a large number of capacious storage systems. Depending on the size of the berth (a single or double mattress is located on an elevation), the space of the podium can be transformed from a spacious chest of drawers to a full-fledged wardrobe. In this case, a system with a hinged floor (rare) or drawers, swing doors (the most popular option) can be used.

4.A podium bed helps save space. In a small room, where there is not enough space for a bulky wardrobe, and there is also no possibility of arranging a separate sleeping place (bed) and rest area (sofa), the design of the podium will help to perform several functions at the same time.

5.A wide selection of performance variations, both the podium itself and the method of arranging a berth. Podiums of various shapes and sizes (and there are also ready-made options for sale), with various contents and a choice of performance materials, can satisfy the stylistic needs of any interior.

6.The ability to decorate the platform with a berth at your discretion. Someone decides to build in the backlight (spot or ribbon), who need a soft coating of the podium (you can use carpet, faux fur), while others need a unique design of the whole structure.

If you have the initial skills of working with wood, free time and some tools, you can assemble a podium bed without involving professionals. But only if the proposed construction will not be too complicated in terms of technical equipment and design. First you need to determine the height of the podium, based on the height of the ceiling in the room. It is also necessary to determine the location of the future structure (to avoid injuries, the bed-podium should not be located at the entrance, in particular, this applies to children's rooms).

Next, you need to draw a design drawing (in any way convenient for you - on paper or in a special design program).At this stage, it is important to finally determine the filling of the podium - whether it will be just an elevation for installing a mattress or will there be a large storage cavity inside or a lot of small drawers.

As a rule, for the construction of the podium, sheets of chipboard, a wooden beam and ready-made furniture panels are used. It is important to correctly calculate the thickness of the beam, based on the height and weight of the podium. It is generally accepted that the total load of the frame and platform should not exceed 400-600 kg per square meter of area.

Here is an example of making a podium with a tire of 2 m, a depth of 1.5 m and a height of 0.5 m. It has three drawers on the front side and a niche for organizing storage systems with hinged covers in the area of ​​attachment to one of the walls.

The algorithm of actions will be as follows:

• a frame is constructed from bars with dimensions of 50x50 mm, the parameters of which correspond to the size of the bed;
• between the wall and the logs a gap of 1-2 cm is left for laying high-quality soundproofing material;
• vertical support posts are added to the structure;
• fix the upper lags and struts;
• after the frame of the longitudinal and transverse ribs is finally assembled, they proceed to sheathing using chipboard (or OSB), usually the thickness of the sheathing sheets is in the range from 15 to 18 mm;
• sheathing is done on the front and top;
• in places of installation of niches piano loops for future covers are mounted;
• with the help of ball guides, lower drawers are installed (it is necessary to be able to fully extend);
• the final design of the podium (many choose carpet trim);
• installation of a berth.

So, the arrangement of a podium bed in one of the rooms of your home will be justified if;

• You want to create a unique interior with a pronounced focal point;
• You need to visually change the irregular shape of the room;
• you need to zone the sleeping segment in the combined space;
• your home is located on the ground floor and the floors are not equipped with a heating function;
• You do not have the ability to install a spacious storage system in a small bedroom;
• in the children's room it is necessary to leave as much free space as possible for active games, but it is necessary to arrange one or two berths and several storage systems.