Beds - know what you want

Shopping for beds is far easier if you know what you want.

Unless you like to wait for inspiration, the most time and cost-effective way to choose a new bed is to know roughly what you want before you go shopping. This may involve a little bit of research on your part, but it will save you a lot of time in the long run.

What's your style?

Will you be looking for contemporary leather bed bases, or do you have a period home that you'd like to fill with the right style of furniture? It is possible to mix traditional and contemporary, as long as you do it carefully, but most people prefer to stick with one style or another. Whether you want to bring an authentic French room to life with an upholstered bed and painted furniture, re-create the Mediterranean with wrought iron beds and deep colours, or use the beauty of wooden beds to bring a strong traditional feel to your room, you need to define your style before you spend any money.

Where to look?

There's certainly no shortage of resources when it comes to choosing beds. From homes and interiors magazines to TV make-over programmes and online resources, a few well-spent hours can help you to define what it is that you're looking for in your home. Don't be put off by expensive designs - there's bound to be an affordable alternative available somewhere - just clip out or copy the picture of the beds you like and see if you can find a "high-street" version.

Tried and tested

Don't buy a bed until you've tried it out. Alongside knowing what you want in terms of style, you must be happy with what you're buying in terms of comfort. Test all the beds that you can - paying particular attention to the ones that really appeal to you in terms of design. Ask about the best mattresses for the beds you are interested in and make sure that you actually lie on the bed before you buy it.

Bed Next Day sells a range of traditional and contemporary single, double, king and superking beds, most of which are available with next day delivery. Brands include Silentnight, the Original Bedstead Company, Sprung Land and Sealy. Take a look at the beds available on our website, www.mattressnextday.co.uk and order online today, or call 0844 3911 222 if you have any questions.