Buying Guides

How to choose your dream bed

When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, making sure you have the right bed for your space is crucial! Having an environment in which you can well and truly relax and get comfortable is key in not only achieving a good night’s sleep but also feeling productive, sharp and happy during the day. With so many different types of beds out there, it can be challenging to find the right bed for your bedroom in terms of style, practicality and comfort. We’ve put together this guide to help you find your perfect bed.

What size bed do I need?
What style bed do I need?
what shape headboard would suit my room?
What fabric bed should I choose?
Do I need extra bed storage?
What mattress do I need?


What size bed do I need?

Avery ottoman double bed in Deep Turquoise cotton matt velvet

There are a range of different sized beds available, and finding the right one for you will depend on how much space you have, as well as how much room you need when sleeping! Children will often just need a single bed, whereas an adult will most likely opt for a double, queen, king size or even super king bed (the more room to stretch out, the better in our opinion)!

It’s important to consider the shape and size of the bedroom when looking for a new bed. Having a bed that is too large for the room can make the space difficult to move around in, but equally having a bed that is too small can impact the quality of your sleep.

We’d always recommend measuring out the space you have, and marking the potential size of the bed on the floor with masking tape. This will help you visualise the bed in the bedroom, and give you a better idea of what size bed you will need.

Single Bed

A single bed in the UK is 90cm x 190cm. Primarily designed for an individual person, a single bed is the perfect choice for children, teenagers and guest bedrooms – particularly where space is at a premium.

Double Bed

A double bed in the UK is 135cm x 190cm. Designed to fit two people, or one person very comfortably, a double bed is a great option for small bedrooms that will usually be for one person, but two occasionally.

King Bed

A king size bed in the UK is 150cm x 200cm. The king sized bed is perfect for couples, as it allows enough room for two people to sleep very comfortably each night. It’s also a great option for larger rooms, to act as the focal point in the space, but be wary of putting a king size bed in a room where space is at a premium – the room may feel smaller as a result.

Super King Bed

A super king bed in the UK is 180cm x 200cm. With plenty of space for two people, the super king bed is wider than the king size bed, but still the same length, making it the perfect way to make a statement, and add a touch of luxury to your bedroom.

Sofa bed

Another consideration for guest rooms, spare rooms and where space is at a premium, is our range of sofa beds. The comfy sofa has been designed to open up into a bed when needed, making it perfect for occasional overnight stays. There are a range of available sizes in our sofa beds, from Loveseat sofa beds which are perfect for individuals, right up to three seat sofa beds, which will open up into a comfortable bed for two people.


What style bed do I need?

Audrey double bed in Canary cotton matt velvet

Having a bed that suits your interior style is so important, and there are a range of different style beds to choose from to ensure your bed complements the bedroom, and creates an environment in which you can truly relax.

For some, a relatively sleek and minimal bed is the perfect option for your home. With smooth lines and simple legs, beds such as our Lucy bed or Thea bed can work beautifully. Choosing beds with such a simple style means that you can add layers of colour and texture through bed linen, cushions and other accessories in the room.

Other people may prefer a more traditional bed in their bedroom. Our Emilia bed has been designed with a beautiful oak exposed frame, bringing an element of French elegance to the room, whilst our Avery bed has just a subtle detail of buttons running along the width of the headboard.

Alternatively, we love seeing homes that make a statement with their bed! The bed is no doubt the focal piece in the bedroom, so creating something that looks stunning, as well as being extremely comfortable is a no-brainer. For a statement bed, our Knightsbridge bed with footboard is the perfect choice – featuring a scrolled button-tufted headboard, turned legs and deep tufting on both the headboard and footboard.


What shape headboard would suit my room?

Bella double bed in Dove Grey smart velvet

When searching for the perfect bed, it’s important to give some thought to the style of the bed, and the headboard too. The headboard is often the focal point of the room, and there are a range of different shapes and styles to suit your home. You can opt for a statement headboard, such as our Audrey bed or Bella bed, or go for something a little more subtle, such as our Thea bed or Avery bed.

Choosing a headboard with curves is a great way to add a soft element, which can add a cocooning feel to your space, whilst choosing a headboard with sleek lines and angular corners is the perfect option for contemporary, minimalist bedrooms.

Another thing to consider when buying a bed is the height of the headboard. For rooms with high ceilings, a taller headboard can work really nicely, making a statement but not impacting how the room feels. However, if the bedroom has low ceilings, it is worth considering shorter headboards – the taller headboards can make the ceilings feel much lower than they are, resulting in the room feeling smaller too.


What fabric should I choose for my bed?

Thea double bed in Plum smart velvet

Once you’ve chosen the shape, style and size of your bed, it’s time to think about colour. All of our beds can be upholstered in any of our fabrics, and there are over 100 to choose from! We’d always recommend ordering some of our free fabric swatches to get the best idea of how a fabric will look and feel in your home. Order your free fabric swatches here!

Neutral beds

For many, the bedroom is a place to switch off and relax, a real sanctuary, and this is often reflected in the colour scheme of the room. For a neutral bedroom, we have a number of neutral fabrics to choose from, including Taupe brushed linen cotton, Flax pure Belgian linen, and Pumice house basket weave.

Statement coloured beds

In some cases, the bed is the perfect way to bring colour and life into the room, making a statement by choosing a bold coloured fabric. Our bright and bold velvet fabrics can transform a bed into the focal point of the room, whether you opt for our Olive, Peony, Dusty Rose or even Canary cotton matt velvets – bring a little colour into the bedroom with our statement coloured beds!

Blue beds

Blue is an incredibly calming and relaxing colour, with ties to the ocean and is the perfect way to create a relaxing bedroom. Whether you’re looking for a rich, deep blue bed using fabrics such as our Prussian Blue and Scuba velvets, or a lighter, calmer blue bed, such as our Uniform house herringbone weave, or Heather Blue smart cotton, we’re confident that your bedroom will become a place to switch off and dream of calm seas, with the help of our blue beds.

Natural coloured beds

Creating a bedroom full of natural textures and colours is a great way to refocus the mind towards things that truly matter. By opting for a bed in a natural tone, such as Stone, Clay or Frost, you can create a space that is inspired by nature, resulting in a calm atmosphere full of natural colours and textures.

Textured beds

How a bed feels to touch is also quite important when considering what fabric to upholster your bed in. A cotton matt velvet that is soft to touch can be quite relaxing, and add an extra element of luxe to the bedroom. Opting for a more natural texture, such as a brushed linen cotton, or pure Belgian linen, can add a different relaxed, laid back feel to the room, whilst fabrics that have a subtle pattern running through, such as our herringbone or basket weave house fabrics, can be a great way of bringing subtle texture to the space that isn’t overwhelming.


Do I need extra storage?

Avery Ottoman Bed in Neptune smart velvet

Beds take up quite a large amount of space in the bedroom, so sometimes having a bed with extra storage in can be extremely useful. Whether it’s for storing clothes for the summer or winter, having a place to put your bed linen away, or just creating a less cluttered environment, beds with storage are incredible useful.

Divan beds

Divan beds consist of a bed frame with hidden drawers that sit within the bed frame, below the bed itself. Having a divan bed in the bedroom is the perfect way to combine style and practicality, allowing you to have a clutter-free bedroom to relax in. Our Continental Drawer Divan bed base is available in single, double, king and super king bed sizes, and can be combined with our range of headboards to create the perfect divan bed. The beautifully hand-crafted sprung divan bed base provides incredible comfort and longevity for your mattress, whilst the underneath storage has been cleverly designed so you can use them with ease, without having to compromise on also having bedside tables (or keep moving them out of the way).

Ottoman beds

Ottoman beds are incredibly clever beds that provide hidden storage. An Ottoman bed is designed with a hydraulic hinge that allows the bed to be lifted up from the end of the bed, revealing a hidden storage compartment beneath – perfect for clothes, bed linen, blankets and much more! Three of our most popular beds, Thea, Avery and Rosalie are available as Ottoman beds, in single, double, king and super king sizes to ensure they suit your bedroom. We’ve also introduced an Ottoman bed within our new Jack Wills Home Edit – Charlie is the perfect space-saving bed for modern living.