Highgrove Storage Beds & Ottoman Beds

Make better use of the space underneath your bed

The space underneath a bed is one of the largest potential storage areas in most bedrooms, and Highgrove gives you several different ways to use it.

You can choose the convenience of drawers or make much more of the area beneath the mattress with an ottoman base. Within both options there are different configurations, and understanding them before you start choosing can make the decision considerably easier.

There isn't one storage system that's right for everybody. The best choice depends on what you want to store, how often you need to access it and how your bedroom is laid out.

Choosing the right drawer configuration

Drawer storage is straightforward, easy to access and particularly useful for bedding, clothes and other items you want to get to regularly.

However, not all drawer configurations are the same.

A 2+2, sometimes called a Continental drawer configuration, combines two full-size drawers at the foot end with two smaller drawers towards the head of the bed.

Those smaller drawers are particularly useful when you have bedside cabinets. They don't need the same clearance as a full-size drawer, allowing you to make use of the space underneath that part of the bed without having to move your bedside furniture every time you want to open one.

A four-drawer configuration gives you four full-size drawers, with two on either side of the bed. This provides plenty of accessible storage, but you'll need sufficient clearance alongside the bed to open all four drawers properly.

An end drawer opens from the foot of the bed rather than the side. This can be a particularly useful solution where wardrobes, walls or other furniture restrict access alongside the bed but you have plenty of room at the foot.

Look at your bedroom before deciding on the drawers

It's very easy to choose the maximum number of drawers without considering whether you'll actually be able to use them.

Look at where your bedside cabinets sit, how wardrobe doors open, the position of radiators and how much space you have between the bed and other furniture.

Sometimes a different drawer configuration will give you less theoretical storage but make the storage you do have much easier to use.

Ottoman storage gives you much more usable space

If maximising storage is your priority, an ottoman base is well worth considering.

Instead of storing things in individual drawers, the mattress platform lifts to give you access to a much larger area underneath the bed.

That makes ottoman storage particularly useful for bulkier items such as spare duvets, pillows, bedding, towels, seasonal clothes and things you don't necessarily need every day.

The lifting mechanism assists with the weight of the mattress, but there are different ways an ottoman can open and the direction of opening is worth thinking about before you order.

End-lift ottomans

An end-lift ottoman is opened from the foot of the bed.

Inside, the storage has a north-south split, dividing the space lengthways from the head of the bed towards the foot.

An end lift can work particularly well where you have plenty of space at the foot of the bed but less room along the sides.

Side-lift ottomans

A side-lift ottoman is accessed from the side of the bed rather than the foot.

The internal storage has an east-west split, dividing the space across the width of the bed.

This can make side lift a useful option depending on the shape of your bedroom and where the bed sits in relation to the walls and other furniture.

It's worth considering which side you'll need to approach the bed from and making sure the opening direction works with the room.

Electric ottomans make accessing the storage even easier

Highgrove also offers electric ottoman bases, where the lifting mechanism raises the mattress platform for you.

This removes the need to manually lift the ottoman and can make accessing a large storage area considerably easier.

Electric ottomans have a north-south split, dividing the storage lengthways underneath the bed.

For someone who wants the capacity of an ottoman but would prefer the convenience of powered opening, an electric version can be a very practical upgrade.

Drawers or ottoman – which should you choose?

More storage isn't necessarily better storage.

If you regularly need access to smaller items, drawers can be extremely convenient. Pull one open, take out what you need and close it again.

If you're trying to maximise capacity or store larger items, an ottoman generally makes much better use of the area underneath the mattress.

Think about what you're actually going to store and how often you're going to need it. That's usually more useful than simply asking which option gives you the most space.

Choose your mattress before your storage

However useful the space underneath the bed might be, you'll spend considerably more time sleeping on the mattress than accessing the storage.

When we're helping someone choose a Highgrove bed, we'd therefore normally start by finding the mattress that gives them the right comfort and support.

Once we've established that, we can look at the storage options available underneath it and work out which configuration best suits the bedroom.

That way, you're choosing a comfortable bed with useful storage rather than a storage system that happens to have a mattress on top.

See the different storage systems working

Some of these choices sound more complicated written down than they are when you can actually see them.

Visit our Ash Vale showroom and we can demonstrate the different drawer configurations, show you how manual and electric ottomans operate and explain the difference between side and end lift.

If you're unsure what will fit, bring your bedroom measurements with you. We can look at the position of bedside cabinets, wardrobes and other furniture and help you choose a storage system that doesn't simply provide more space, but makes that space genuinely useful.