Here at Natural Bed Company, we get many enquiries each week from our customers regarding each of the beds in our range, but one base seems to generate many more questions than all the others – the perennially popular Kyoto bed.
Year on year, the Kyoto remains our bestseller (although the Malabar has been catching up in recent years), so it seemed like a good idea to take a closer look and go into greater detail on the options available to you when choosing a Kyoto; what you need to take into consideration before purchase and any changes that could be made to the overall design.
First, lets look at the first major decision you will have to make – would you like the Kyoto bed to be made with or without a headboard? This choice will rest on how much of your chosen timber you would like to see once the bed has been dressed with a duvet cover, pillows etc. If you have decided on one of our hardwood timbers, especially one with a dramatic grain or luxurious tones such as the walnut or cherry, then you are going to want as much of it on show as possible! However, if you wish to create a more minimal look in the room, then the removal of the headboard would only add to this.
It is important to check the depth of mattress you are going to pair with the base, whether you have decided on the bed with our without the headboard. For the former, a mattress no more than 22cm is recommended so as not to lose the headboard panel behind the mattress and bedding. There is no such defined limit for the latter, however, do take into account that the bed itself is only 28cm from the floor to the top of the bed slats so a very deep mattress could look out of proportion.
The Kyoto bed is the only base in the Japanese Style Beds range with sufficient space under the side rails to accommodate under-bed storage. The Kyoto under-bed drawers measure Width 61 x Depth 60 x Height 16.5cm and are available in all timbers in our collection. It is possible, to fit up to four drawers under any base in a standard double size (135 x 190cm) and above.
The under-bed drawers work as a great storage solution, but if you find that you require more, take a look at our range of bedside tables, especially the Low Cube Table and the specially designed Kyoto Drawer tables. If you decide on both the drawer boxes and bedside tables, the design of the Kyoto allows for the Cube and Kyoto tables be placed at the head of the bed without blocking the under-bed drawers.
We are regularly asked if any small changes can be made to the design of the Kyoto, with the most popular enquiry being whether the headboard could be made taller and if the leg struts could be increased in height to give greater under-bed clearance. We do try to be as accommodating as possible, but unfortunately in both cases here we could not make the changes requested. Adding an extra panel to the headboard would increase the pressure on the bolts that hold the panels in place, reducing its structural strength. In order to raise the overall height of the base we would have to add an extra strip of timber to the leg struts, again compromising the structure of the bed base. We give a 12 year structural guarantee on all our beds, and take great care in ensuring the design of the bed is both elegant and strong – we can only agree to alterations that don’t compromise either aspect.
If you like the look of the Kyoto bed but would prefer something lower to really add to a minimalist aesthetic, take a look at the Kumo and Kobe beds. The offer the same overall design as the Kyoto but with less clearance, with the former measuring 22cm from the floor to the top of the bed slats and the latter 16cm.
As ever, if you have any questions that have not been answered above do not hesitate contact us via email at counter@naturalbedcompany or over the phone on 0114 272 1984.