Our range of Japanese style low beds have been popular choices for our customers for as long as they have been part of the collection. In this blog I’m going to take a closer look at the bed bases that make up the cornerstone of this range – the Kyoto, Kumo and Kobe beds – detailing how they differ, the bedside table and storage options that can be paired with them and which mattresses work best with these designs.

Lets start with the most popular of the three: the Kyoto bed – available with or without a headboard. The tallest of the group, the Kyoto measures 27cm from the floor to the top of the beds slats where your mattress will sit. It is 62cm to the top of the headboard if you choose to have one (more on this later). The Kyoto is the only Japanese low bed that is tall enough to accommodate under-bed drawers. Kyoto under-bed drawers measure W 90cm x D 60cm x H 16.5cm and you can fit up to four underneath a bed base that is double size (135x190cm) or above. The under-bed storage options available mean that you can make the most of the space in a smaller room or loft. The Kyoto is a minimalist, low base but gives you the option to employ a practical storage solution.

We designed two bedside tables specifically for this bed base: the Kyoto drawer table and shelf table. These tables are perfect for adding extra storage options to a room and compliment the dimensions of the Kyoto bed. They can also be used along with the under-bed drawers mentioned above – their depth (50cm) means that if placed in line with the headboard panel, the edge of the table will not block the drawers when they are pulled out from the bed. Our popular range of cube tables, especially the low cube would also work well with this base; as would the Ethnicraft Madra table, although the latter is only available in oak.

If you decide that you do not require under-bed storage and would like a very low, minimal bed base – the Kumo and the Kobe may be better options for you than the Kyoto. Based on the same overall design the Kumo measures 22cm from the floor to the bed slats and the Kobe just 14cm. These designs are particularly popular with customers looking for a bed to fit under eaves or a window frame. Like the Kyoto the Kumo is available with or without a headboard, as is the Kobe. We tend to find that customers looking for a very simple futon style base choose the Kobe without a headboard – the low clearance and overall minimal design meet the requirements of those looking for a low, simple bed.

As you will have noticed from their product pages, the Kyoto, Kumo and Kobe are available both with and without a headboard and this is a choice that is worth some thought. Do you need a headboard? Do you have the space for one? If you decide on a hard-wood timber for your Natural Bed Company bed I would always advise adding a headboard where practical – it is the best way to show off the beautiful grain and tones in the wood on a large scale.

If you have fallen for any of the three beds but want to pair the bed with a mattress that is over 22-23cm in depth, removing the headboard may be the best option. The headboard panel attaches to the bottom of the base so we cannot increase its height without compromising the strength of the overall structure. You could find that when the bed is dressed, a very deep mattress would obscure the headboard panel.

If you would like to take a closer look at the Kyoto bed, currently we have a king-size in oak on display in our Sheffield showroom. If you cannot come to visit, please do not hesitate to get in touch for further photographs of the bed or timber samples.