Divan beds are sold in two main configurations—as a standalone upholstered base or as a complete set with a coordinating headboard—and this choose-your-own ambience factor is what makes them such delightfully versatile bedroom pieces.
The base is a blank canvas, allowing you to create a bedroom focal point that aligns with your tastes. Can’t resist the siren song of sleek, modern minimalism? A divan upholstered in a crisp cotton blend or plush velvet with clean lines and a low profile fits the bill perfectly.
Or maybe your decor persona leans more towards the cosy and traditional? Then, a divan bed with a button-tufted base wrapped in a soft chenille or velvet upholstery could be your dream bedroom anchor.
Headboard Delight
While divan bases can be showstoppers on their own, the option to add a headboard takes the customisation to new levels.
A headboard allows you to change the aesthetic of your boudoir at will, from clean and contemporary numbers with simple stitching to elegant, upholstered affairs with winged sides. High headboards like the Urban Beds Chesterfield (pictured above) provide the most dramatic style for glamorous bedrooms.
Sleigh beds are another popular divan style for a traditional and homely vibe – check out the Giltedge Westbury, which also has handy drawers.
The Space Optimiser
In addition to their stylish good looks, divans are incredibly space-savvy with a neat, compact footprint.
Most divan bases match the width and length of your mattress for a streamlined fit that maximises every square inch of floor space. Standard bed frames have legs and sides that can protrude, so they take up more floor space overall.
Divans also work well when short on bedroom length because you can ditch the headboard and save around 10cm in length.
Storage Supremacy
Divan beds take storage space optimisation to the next level with genius built-in storage options like drawers, slidestores, and ottomans.
The best part? Most divan bed drawers can be configured on the sides or foot of the bed, depending on your floor plan. If you need both, you can upgrade to a divan with all-around drawers for storage supremacy.
Ottoman beds offer even more storage space, utilising the entire underside of the mattress as storage. Now that’s smart!
Mobility Masters
Lugging a bulky bed through tight doorways is nobody’s idea of fun. That’s where divans truly shine, with their split base designs allowing you to manoeuvre each section separately for easy transport upstairs and around sharp corners.
Some divans, like the Giltedge Four-Way Split (pictured below), even separate into four mini pieces for extreme portability – talk about a game changer for room reorganisations.
You can also get divans with slider feet (best for carpets) or castors (ideal for wood floors) to make manoeuvring a breeze.
Mattress Compatibility
Divan beds are compatible with all mattress types—foam, hybrid, open coil, pocket springs, natural fillings, etc.
The only thing to consider is the divan base type because slatted and solid platforms change the way a thinner mattress feels. Mattresses over 25 cm thick are fine on a solid platform, but thinner ones do better with slats to reduce pressure.
Slatted bases have the additional benefit of enhancing breathability underneath the mattress to help you sleep cooler in summer.
Summing Up
Divans are the most versatile bed frames because they are available with or without a headboard, and the base takes up no more space than the length and width of the mattress, which is perfect for maximising floor space.
Additional benefits include them coming in two or four pre-built parts for easy installation and greater manoeuvrability than standard beds.
Throw in some built-in storage like drawers or an ottoman base, and you have the ultimate multi-purpose solution for sleep and organisation.