Under our bed, we keep a large metal flat file for drawing storage. This location allows us to store plenty of flat materials without letting the flat file's footprint take up space elsewhere in the apartment.
It puts the bed at a slightly higher-than-normal elevation (about 30"), but it's not uncomfortable or out of the realm of higher typical bed frames..
The bed frame itself is anchored into the wall at the head of the bed and rests on the files at the foot of the bed. It's just a standard metal bedframe, which has been modified slightly (the legs have been cut off) to allow it to float.
The added bonus is that there are no bedframe legs touching the ground and marring the floor. We have encountered many wood floors marred by the wear and tear of bed legs over the years.
So, what's under your bed?
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nice. my bed is super low for some reason. once i bought one of those under bed storage things from container store & even it was too tall.
i also like the slant of the hardwood.
this is a GREAT idea and i am going to steal it!
Nice...where do you get the file cabinet?
Would these flat files be suitable for storing bed linens, or are they too shallow?
I know someone who has done the same thing and is looking to sell it if anyone is interested. it is a wood platform bed constructed around flat files. Its a fabulous idea. contact me if you are interested.
brancadeneve27@gmail.com
Isn't it bad feng shui to store stuff under your bed? I know a small apartment often dictates otherwise. Maxwell, what does Karen Kingston have to say about it?
Abbe
Feng Shui is a crock, so don't worry about that.
feng shui may or may not be crock, but i know i love keeping absolutely nothing under our bed. i feel lighter, cleaner and for me, it ties into the less is more approach i aim for.
Abbe, I don't think that's Maxwell's bed, this is one of the other contributing bloggers. And I would think that as long as the things under your better aren't visual clutter that everyone can see, it'd be fine Feng Shui, or flow, or whatever.
Archie, just because the Chinese have a different word for "furniture arrangement", doesn't mean you need to insult it. Clutter is clutter no matter what culture you're from.
I store my suitcases, duffel bags, etc under the bed. I don't have anywhere else that such big things can go and not be in the way. I also put things such as out of season comforters and sleeping bags and other big, bulky stuff. Which means it's turned into a favorite kitty spot. They love to climb on top of the bags protecting the soft stuff and nap.
A plan file under the bed is brilliant! Where else am I going to find room for such a thing?
As for the feng shui of keeping stuff under the bed, traditional Chinese beds were high, built-in numbers that you needed a stepstool to get into, sometimes with built-in cupboards underneath.
Like most of you I too have limited space to keep necessary stuff so I store under my bed. However, it's a queen and the frame has that middle leg which makes storing under there limited.
Suzanne, what's elevating your bed to allow you to store suitcases? just how high is your bed?
i bought plastic risers to bring my futon up to normal bed height. now i keep 6 or 8 bins of stuff under it. since i live in a tiny room (it's a piece of paper - 8 1/2" x 11") i need all the storage i can get.
Mat, I'm afraid Feng Shui is a total crock. Unless it's currently sitting on your wind-pipe moving your sofa will not improve your health.
I like the files, they remind me of my Father's office. I've been trying to find a nice modern storage bed but to no avail. Everything is either $5000 or just not good looking.
Not all Feng Shui is a crock when you consider how many pints of sweat you sweat every single night. It has to go somewhere. If you have a good mattress, an a bed that has some ventilation instead of a flat plank, and nothing under the bed, you and your mattress will be in better health. Everything needs to breathe
I love those file drawers. One could easily use that idea and keep other parts of the bed open underneath so things breathe.
feng shui says keeping sharp items under the bed is bad; and recommends storing softer things like blankets instead.
i keep soft storage bags of comforters and throws under my bed (which is raised with those $10 risers from target). my cats love to cuddle up under there too.
weird. we have a flat file cabinet that is going to have to be stored under our bed. still trying to figure out how we wish to address the whole situation. rae...does your friend have photos of what they're trying to sell (so i can steel some good ideas?)
Matt,
Be careful not to insult ancient cultures. Feng Shui is much more than you may realize and are being closed minded. Don't think the American Pop version, go look for ancient Chinese texts. You will be surprised that the pop version does not resemble the ancient practice at all. In fact the ancient version is largely mathematical. That being said, I have looked at your flikr blog, and for someone who thinks that Feng Shui is a crock, you nonetheless have an intuitive grasp of some its principals.
bbt,
I have only close up shots of the bed, contact me via my email address brancadeneve27@gmail.com and I will forward you what I have
Peggy, MAX is the guy you want, not I, Mat with one t :)
Max, the key is using what works for you. I'm not trying to preach that I've got my "elements in order" or anything out there like that... I'm just saying that culturally, China has been aware of the importance of a clean and organized living space for a long time. Sure, in our modern times some of their methods may seem obtuse or ethereal, but that doesn't mean you can't get something from it.
I'm all for arranging furniture so that it looks nice and flows well, but don't try to tell me that there is a mathematical formula or scientific method to it. There just isn't.
Mat ~
Yeah, I know it's not Maxwell's bed; I just know he's a big fan of Karen Kingston who wrote "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui," and I figured he may see this thread. Archie and Max, you guys crack me up; open your minds and see the correlations between good design and Feng Shui. You go, Peggy!
Janel over at AT:Chicago just posted the following you all may be interested in:
http://chicago.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/top-ten/top-ten-bedroom-feng-shui-tips-found-on-the-web-017526
How come we don't hear about more people looking back to Greece and Rome and designing their space using the Golden Ratio?
Living cleanly and with organization is not something that is limited to the Chinese. I would never say that someone should not organize their space well. Feng Shui is just another Western fetishization of Asian culture and philosophy. It's something many people have co-opted in search of a rule set for arranging space, with a very marketable mix of Appeals to Tradition and ever trendy Asian culture.
Using what works is great, but don't slap an "ancient" title on it for legitimacy.
Abbe,
So according to that post I should orient my bed to the North if I've got the sniffles. But I should orient it to the South if I can't sleep. And I should orient it to the West to "slow life down". What if I orient my bed to the South West, will I an exceptionally deep and restful sleep, or will it be just kinda deep and kinda restful?
Does this change if I'm in Australia? Are we talking True North or Magnetic North? And what possible purpose could having a mattress 18" off the floor serve?
My mind is quite open, just not so open that my brain falls out.
Max,
It sounds to me like you've got a whole backlog of arguements against Feng Shui that you're not going to give up... And that's fine.
All I'm saying is that you should at least be respectful of the fact that some of us find it interesting and applicable, "crock" or not.
I have to admit that I'm amusemed with the dichotomy between your statements against Feng Shui as "Western fetishization of Asian culture" and the sliding doors into your bedroom (they look great btw), which to me, seem to be a western interpretation of Shoji screens. :)
I'm new to apartment therapy, but I saw this and thought it was brilliant, because I'm looking for a solution like this for my tiny bedroom. Does anyone know where I can find those metal file cabinets in New York?
Mat,
I've no problem with people enjoying Asian culture. Hell, I devoted 4 solid years of my life to Chinese martial arts. And I really enjoy learning more about my Chinese in-laws and what life is like back in China. I do have a problem with the fetishization that many people build around Asian culture though. For instance, I'd never call my sliding doors Shoji screens, because they are not. They are sliding doors. And I'd never claim that their particular arrangement caused Chi to flow through my house to balance the Yang qualities of my dining table.
People think because its "ancient" and "Chinese" that Feng Shui has some sort of inherent value. Would people eat it up as much if I said I oriented my bed North to bring it into alignment with Odin's one good eye, therefore increasing the flow of Mystic Mead from Valhalla to my condo? You'd probably think I was a loony.
It comes down to this- there are few unifying principles that transcend cultural aesthetics, and feng shui is just one of the ways people have tried to nail it down. I mention this because in arguing the negatives of feng shui, Max brought up the Golden Ratio, something that not only ancient greeks and renaissance mathemeticians studied, but is incorporated into chinese architecture because of the purity of its proportions.
I can definitely appreciate Max's point about the americanized, diet coke version of feng shui thats been so hyped up in recent years. But everyone is trying to tap into those underlying principles, that easy formula that'll make a room great. Until it becomes a lot more clear, people will keep reading about how to best angle their SoundDock to harness their chi.
So the original reason i posted- the under bed storage is a great idea, but did anyone else notice the beautiful art above the bed? I love those colors. Can you tell me about the artist?
Thanks!
Abbe,
According to the Japanese, only the dead sleep with their heads to the north. Something for feng shui dabblers to think about when having annoying relatives stay in the guest room overnight.
My bedroom has windows on the west and north walls and doors on the south and walls, and so is in direct contravention of tip "Chi tends to travel between the door and any windows, so avoid positioning your bed in line with this draught of chi". Therefore, the only way I can get around this in my bedroom is to hang upside down from the ceiling and sleep like a bat. I can't see the cat getting behind this idea, though.
Sweet dreams!
Max,
Design schools teach the Golden Mean/Ratio/Triangle, so that is taught--quite frequently.
Yes Lauren, good design schools do teach the Golden Ratio. They do this because as others have pointed out it is a commonly occurring ratio in nature and has been widely admired the world over. It is not shrouded in woo-woo energy flows and Mysticism Of the Ancient Orient. I'm also willing to bet the professors do not tell people to build with the Golden Ratio to promote healing or ward off evil spirits. Funny enough, I can't seem to find many books telling me how to improve my health, love life, fortune, or calm my ADD child with it. I guess they must be buried behind all those Feng Shui books.
Max,
At this point you're just trolling. All I was asking of you is that you be respectful.
Whatevs
Mat, sorry to confuse with Max. Max you are too funny. Perhaps it is not feng shui that is a crock, but the "western fetishism" that is a crock.
Mat,
I'm not trolling. I just feel very strongly that in this day and age we should be moving beyond superstition (even if that superstition is packaged in a very palatable way). At its heart, Feng Shui is simply geomancy. It deserves no more respect than dousing, spoon bending, remote viewing, and faith healing. As soon as someone performs a set of tests that prove the ridiculous claims of Feng Shui I will accept it. Until then I encourage people with an interest in it to simply educate themselves about good design and leave the mystical energy flows alone.
while i enjoy reading books and articles about feng shui as a statement of what someone considers a nice layout, it is not a science.
Penn & Teller had an episode where they invited 3 Feng Shui practicers to a house, and asked them for estimates and suggested layout there were entirely and completely 3 different answers:
http://www.tv.com/penn-and-teller-bullshit!/feng-shui---bottled-water/episode/238525/summary.html
and on topic: i think the idea is great. now, where can i find cheap risers outside of U.S., i.e., Canada? no target here..
In a small apartment I think underbed storage is perfectly fine and practical. I skirt my bed and use boxes and suitases (also a good spot for luggage between travels) to store extra linens, curtains, & costume items (never know when there's going to be a good masquerade party).