My old bed - just a little too big for the room. There was maybe a foot of clearance on either side of the bed. Maybe.
I'd been thinking about getting a queen to replace this king for awhile (well actually, as soon as I set it up in the new house over a year ago). Let's not get into my reasons for getting such a ginormous bed in the first place (and I'm sure not going to talk about how despite not really wanting even one king-sized bed to begin with, I've actually purchased two in the past dozen or so years). My main hesitation was making another mattress mistake. See, the mattress above was super comfy in the showroom, but ended up being too soft in the real world. Plus, it's just too darn big. The hotel bed that I slept on in Madison was so comfy that I fell asleep on my stomach and woke up hours later without my back hurting (that hasn't happened in years, so I stopped sleeping on my stomach!). I went on a quest to find that mattress. Turns out it was a Serta Concierge Suite Plush, which is made for hotels but you can order one online. Here's what Serta says about that:
These mattress sets are not available at retail stores as they are built specifically for the hospitality industry. The following prices include the mattress, box spring and delivery to your home: Twin Set $900, Full Set $1100, Queen Set $1300 and King Set $1500 (not including sales tax). These mattresses are custom and made to order, so returns will not be accepted.
Shipping includes environmentally safe disposal of old bedding (except in states where removal is prohibited) and GOLD service delivery, which includes; two person delivery, unpacking, set-up and debris removal. Delivery to your home will take up to 3 weeks.
$1300 was a bit more than I wanted to spend, especially since I don't want a box spring. Getting a queen box spring up my stairs might be a little impossible, too. Sam's Club has it, but the Firm, not the Plush (close, but less quilting something-or-other on the top). Also, it came in a mattress/box spring set only, but it was cheaper at $1124.
I did a little more internet stalking of this mattress and found a flyer with the specs. Then I looked at every Serta mattress style I could find until I found one that had nearly identical specs. Perfect Sleeper was close, but there are many trim levels and I couldn't seem to get good information about which one had what. Then I hit on US-Mattress.com. It had a display model, mattress only, and the specs were just about dead-on. It was the closest mattress I could find. To top it off, I found an internet coupon for 25% off. Score!
Serta Concierge Suite Plush | Serta Perfect Sleeper Regal Suite Pillowtop |
800 14 3/4 Gauge Continuous Wire Unit 9 Gauge Border Wire Posturized Center Third Perimeter Edge™ Foam Encasement Head-to-toe Helicals | Coil Gauge: 14 3/4 Coil System: High Profile Continuous Coil Border Rod Gauge: 9 Perimeter Edge Foam Encased Edge Support |
(1) Layer of Pillo Fill Plus FireBlocker® 7/8” Zoned Convoluted Foam 1” Quilting Foam Patented Advanced Comfort Quilt® | Temperature Control Pillo-Fill Fiber FireBlocker Fire-Safety Certified 7/8" Zoned Convoluted Foam 1/2" Quilting Foam Advanced Comfort Quilt |
1 3/8” Zoned Convoluted Foam FireBlocker® Insulator Pad | 1 3/8" Zoned Convoluted Foam FireBlocker Insulator |
C O I L D E N S I T Y Approximate Mattress Height 12 1/4” Queen 800 | Coil Count Mattress Height 11 1/4” Queen 800 |
Serta $1,300 Sam’s Club $1,124 [including unwanted box spring] | US Mattress $851.00 Coupon discount (-25%) -212.75 Subtotal $638.25 |
Now having found the mattress, I needed to find a bed frame. I also have this thing about not liking box springs and not being a fan of having to climb up into bed, so I prefer a platform bed as opposed to a traditional bed frame. But which platform bed? The one I was replacing turned out to be taller that I thought it would be (when you were on the bed, you'd be even with the window in my room. The cats loved it, but me, not so much). I looked around a bunch. I found some that I liked, but of course, I have a color preference (light natural wood, nothing dark) which eliminated some acceptable frames right off.
It looks like this, sans tatami mats and headboard. I may get the headboard at some time in the future, but it seems fine like it is. It's solid rubberwood and the pieces are cut to fit each other. There are only three screws in the whole thing (there's a center beam that is attached at the head and foot by screws and a support block for the beam that attaches with a screw), the rest of it just slides together. Yes, the sustainability of the wood is likely offset by its having been imported from Indonesia, but what can you do? For having traveled thousands of miles, it arrived in perfect shape.Of course, I had to do more internet sleuthing to find the best price. One place had a decent price, but it got some negative reviews and had some issues with customer service. I ended up getting it from tatamiroom.com and I'd order anything from them again (they have some really cool stuff, too). I ordered it on the 16th and it arrived on the 23rd.
The mattress was a different story. I ordered it on the 7th and it wasn't delivered until the 26th. The delivery guys were late, which was annoying, but when the one dude hoisted an entire queen mattress onto his shoulder single-handedly and carried it to the door, it was almost worth it.
I've sold a couple of things on craigslist and found my dining room table there, too. I wasn't sure that there was a market for a five year old mattress and platform bed, but it turns out there is. I had two people interested within a couple of days and felt a little desperate when they flaked out on me. I checked into mattress disposal and donation. Some nonprofits will take donated a mattress, but you have to get it to them or they pick it up for a pretty large fee. Minneapolis will pick up a mattress if you leave it out for the trash, and while free, it seemed really wasteful, since it really was in pretty decent shape. I got a call Saturday morning from a woman who wanted to look at it, but offered a little less cash that I'd advertised it for. Seeing as I was looking at donating it for a fee, I was happy to take what she was offering. She and her husband and cute redheaded toddler came to pick the whole thing up a couple hours before the new mattress was delivered.
Since a queen mattress is nearly a foot and a half narrower than a king, it seems like I have much more room in my room now! No more hitting my shins on sharp bed corners. The sheets are way easier to fold (how could I have forgotten that?). Best of all, it's really comfy. More than you ever wanted to know about mattress shopping and my way of shopping in particular, isn't it?
