Lately I've been wanting to switch from my bulky western mattress on a box spring to a Japanese floor bed (shikibuton) but I want the best of both worlds of having the natural cotton mattress as well as a bed frame. I love the look of the Tarva frame and I'm wondering if I could fit some tatami mats onto the luroy slats, and then place my shikibuton on top. It all sounds perfectly doable but I'm not sure about the dimensions. So here's the details:
A queen tatami mat (shown here from J-Life International) is two 80" x 30" mats placed side by side.
The "mattress size" given on the Ikea website for a queen sized Tarva is 79 1/2" x 59 7/8", which I'm assuming is the internal dimensions of the frame from side rail to side rail. The 7/8" short on the width doesn't worry me but the 1/2" short on the length may make it a difficult squeeze. I'm unable to go to a real life Ikea to take measurements myself but does anyone have this bed who can confirm the measurements for me? I think this is a cool idea but I want to make sure it'll work before committing to it.
Videos
After a five month wait, our tatami room bed frame has arrived! This is the King honey oak platform bed (regular height) with Mado headboard. I was really impressed with the quality and sturdiness of the frame, as well as the ease in putting it together. It did truly take longer to unpackage it from all the layers it was packed in (not a bad thing)! I do see this as a buy it for life purchase, so the wait of a few months in the grand scheme of things wasn’t that bad.
Pictured with Leesa natural hybrid mattress, Quince bedding (mostly).
I’d been looking to replace my metal bed frame with one where the bolts didn’t work their way loose from everyday use when I got bombarded with ads for frames with Japanese or Scandinavian joinery. I know the quality of this joinery, but was cautious about the many Internet companies bombarding social media so I did some more digging and found this company.
I’m so glad I did. First, the bed arrived ahead of schedule - even with back orders/supply chain issues around the world.
Second. Each part of the bed was packaged so well. Shrink-wrapped pieces, further protected in styrofoam and boxes. I think it took longer to unwrap all the pieces than to assemble the bed. Every single piece that came out was beautiful - each surface was sanded smooth and sealed - even the interiors of the notches where the side rails and head/footboards interlock. The 2 rolls of slats were also finished. No unfinished plywood threatening to splinter here.
The pieces interlock for a tight, flawless fit, providing a strong and stable support for my mattress, nothing to wiggle loose. And because the feet are wide, the bed also moves easily across the carpet, making it a breeze for one person to reposition it.
And as an added bonus, the upholstered headboard from my old bed, slid perfectly on the ledge behind my mattress like it was meant to be there. It’s snug & no longer moves about as it did on the frame it was made for (bad fastener design). I’m thrilled because I didn’t want to lose my soft headboard but was so tired of the squeaky metal frame and how the bolts liked to work their way loose from normal use of the bed. Now I get the best of both worlds. Thank you!
This bed is even better than I expected and at several hundred below competitors‘ pricing (and with more styles to choose from.). It really is stunning.