I don't know if they exist in the mainland UK but there's a chain here called Restore, they take in old furniture and do it up to sell on again, I've seen some absolutely incredible bargains the few times I've been in. Usually been looking at tables and chairs and the like so I don't really know what they do with beds but they always have plenty of them. Edit: just looked them up online, seems to be a Northern Ireland thing sorry!
Score 1 for the missus, she wants to wait for something to pop up on gumtree. Which makes sense, but it seems to mostly be argos furniture and ikea, which I feel is either bad quality or in the latter the wrong size. I'm gonna chip away at her though!
Some Argos stuff is definitely cheap but I've never had a bad bed frame from them before. The one we picked up on Gumtree weighed a bleeding ton (and a half) which itself speaks of good quality wood, and the structure of the bed is excellent. Like any other solid wood bed, a total bitch to assemble, but once the bolts are tightened the thing is like a fortress.
I was going to suggest that if you find a wooden framed bed lacking in rigidity it's an afternoon's work to add some discreet bracing here and there.
Have you tried this site? http://www.preloved.co.uk try searching on i.e. double bed, or whatever size it is you're after. It is a national site but there are some ads for the London area. Heck you might even be able to get her into leather
I'd try an avoid the argos stuff - certainly the cheaper end - snapped a double one of theirs in half before by sitting down on it (I weigh 11 and a half stone, so it's not exactly a lot of force!) Minor update on my Benson's bed - which arrived today, just built it and it feels solid as anything - think it's the HipHop model... it also appears to be silent
What he said - get yourself some 6x4 or something similiarly strong and get cracking! Saw + Drill + screws and you have yourself a bed (for the "thing" that the mattress sits on - can't remeber the english word for this - use something not quite as chunky if you want to save on money). Built a bedframe for a friend at uni with basic tools and £40 worth of wood! At home I have a bedframe that my dad built in the 70's made from cherry wood - that weighs a ton and is probably stronger then the house itself!
You guys overestimate my manliness! I'm a computer engineer, yet I struggle with flat pack furniture, let alone a fresh build!
...in that case you should delete your bit-tech account, never come back and hang your head in shame!!! did you never play with lego/building blocks when you were a kid? why not ask for help here in the modding section? you could make it to precisly the size you want it, and even have a "rubbish tip" underneath for your better half! (as that is what under-bed storage is clearly designed for!)
Yea Ikea stuff isn't too bad, but the different sizes won't work with the mattress I bought. Have found a possible bed on gumtree, pine, no frills, sturdy. Seems like we could have a winner.
Making a bed can be as simple or complex as you like... Mine's pretty damn simple, three sections of 50x100 (standing 100mm tall) running the length of the bed one central, and the others offset from the edges by 250mm. On top, running perpendicular and screwed into that are six 50x50 sections running the width of the bed offset from the edges by 250mm and spaced evenly. And finally five sections of 12.5x100 (laid flat) running the length of the bed, they're screwed in too.... I like a low bed.
Conwy.....lol, poor poor neighbors downstairs. Needed something more robust and less antique like. Get a bed that can handle action is the only recommendation I could give. As for determining if it'll stand up to a beating, hire some neighbor kids and bring them to the store, let them bounce up and down on the beds your interested in and see what reaction you get from the shopkeeper. Go from there.... Good Luck
Anything but a metal one im waiting on an argos one coming this week its wooden Metal ones eventually squeak and rattle, In my case bent in the middle >.>
