WE FIRST featured platform beds at our Weekly Newsletter, but have since collected so many more images that we thought it was time for a comprehensive guide. A platform bed is a modern and minimalist bed frame characterised by its low-profile design and solid, flat surface that supports a mattress directly without requiring a box spring. Typically constructed from materials like wood, metal, or upholstered fabrics, these beds sit closer to the ground and feature clean, sleek lines that appeal to contemporary interior design sensibilities. The platform bed’s minimal, low-profile design creates tranquil horizontal planes that work beautifully across bedroom styles, serving as a statement furnishing that balances versatility, simplicity, and elegant function.
Platform beds have roots that extend back quite far, but they became particularly fashionable in the Western world during the mid-20th century. While similar low-profile bed designs existed in Japanese and other Asian cultures for centuries, platform beds gained significant popularity in modern Western interior design during the 1950s and 1960s, coinciding with the rise of mid-century modern design.
Architects and designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, who were influential in the modernist movement, helped popularise minimalist furniture designs that emphasised clean lines and functional simplicity. Platform beds perfectly embodied these design principles, offering a sleek alternative to the more ornate, higher-profile bed frames of previous decades.
The trend was further amplified in the 1960s and 1970s, when minimalist and Japanese-inspired design aesthetics became increasingly popular in North America and Europe. During this period, platform beds symbolised a break from traditional, more elaborate furniture styles, representing a new approach to interior design that valued simplicity, functionality, and a connection to global design influences.
By the 1980s and 1990s, platform beds had become a mainstream option in furniture design, appreciated for their versatility, modern look, and practical benefits. Today, they remain a popular choice for those seeking a contemporary and streamlined bedroom aesthetic. Their enduring appeal underscores the timeless nature of minimalist design, which continues to influence modern living spaces around the world.
