Podium bed in the interior: options for use in various rooms
The design with a podium is good because it is suitable for any living room. Thanks to it, you can not only create an original interior, but also visually correct the unsuccessful layout of the apartment.
Podium bed in the interior
For example, placing a square podium in a narrow part of a long room can create a more harmonious room overall.
Podium bed in the interior
And the corner design can make use of empty space in the corner.
Decorating the living room using a podium
In many apartments, the largest room can serve as both a living room and a bedroom. In this case, a great design find would be to “disguise” the bed on the podium. This technique is also relevant when the owners of the apartment really love their guests - another sleeping place will never be superfluous.
Podium bed in the living room
To create a sofa, pull out the bed halfway and decorate it with pillows. This will not only save space, but also money on the purchase of standard upholstered furniture.
Podium bed in the living room
Fans of original solutions will appreciate the use of the podium as the basis for the sofa. In the free space, the structures organize a storage system that can easily accommodate many things.
Podium bed in the living room
Steps can also be turned into drawers, coffee tables and cabinets. At the ends of the podium, niches and shelves are built for storing books and discs.
Podium bed in the living room
Using a podium, you can decorate an empty window, creating an impromptu area for sleeping and relaxing. This is an ideal option for those who like to watch what is happening on the street and appreciate comfort and peace.
Podium bed in the living room
The podium does not require expansion of the window sill; it will only become a natural extension of it. This technique will also hide unattractive batteries.
We decorate the bedroom with the help of a podium
Almost any interior design favors the use of a podium bed. This is a great option for decorating a bedroom in both classic and modern styles. Depending on your preferences, you can equip a permanent or temporary bed.
Podium bed in the bedroom
If you have a permanent place to sleep, purchase an orthopedic mattress, and you will be guaranteed a healthy sleep on the flat surface of the podium. This method allows you to create large double podium beds for comfortable accommodation of both spouses.
Podium bed in the bedroom
If you need additional space, then the ideal option would be a bed that will slide into the podium during daylight hours, freeing up the room. This sleeping option allows you to make maximum functional use of the usable area of the bedroom.
Podium bed in the bedroom
The podium can act not only as a bed, but also as a closet, which solves the issue of storing clothes, bedding and sports equipment.
Podium bed in the bedroom
If the ceilings allow, you can create a podium up to one meter high, which makes it possible to get an almost full-fledged wardrobe.
Using the podium as a dressing room
Decorating a children's room using a podium
It is in the children's room that there is an acute lack of space. A child needs much more space than an adult. After all, in his room he plays, relaxes, studies, develops, and for all this he needs his own functional areas.
Podium bed in the children's room
One of the most effective and efficient options for using a podium is a podium bed in a nursery.
Podium bed in the children's room
Most often, this design consists of a retractable sleeping area and a work area where you can create an area for studying or playing.
Podium bed in the children's room
The surface of the podium needs to be given maximum attention, because it will bear the entire load. That is why the materials for manufacturing need to be taken the most durable.
Podium bed in the children's room
The podium will be a great help for a family with two children. It is equipped across the entire width of the room, and in this way you can get separate pull-out sleeping places, above which there are independent areas for each child.
Podium bed in the children's room
If the ceilings allow, you can design a podium that will have many retractable systems: from drawers to a mobile retractable table.
The podium bed is one of the most ingenious ideas of designers. After all, it makes it possible to use the space of any room as competently and logically as possible. Tastefully selected textiles and an original headboard can make a podium bed a unique piece of furniture.
Room design styles for a teenage boy
Below we will find out which styles of decorating a room for a teenager are now in fashion among both children, parents and designers. The most popular may be the modern style, but nothing limits you from using such original trends as loft or pop art in a boy’s room.
Contemporary
In the photo: Contemporary style in the interior of a nursery
Soft lines, pleasant spicy shades, light furniture and a feeling of real comfort - this is the contemporary style that you see in the photo of the nursery above. This style is gaining momentum in the design of Moscow apartments today.
In this case, you get an elegant, slightly eclectic and very functional bedroom. It will most often use pastel shades, for example, yellow sorbet, mint, lavender and others.
In the photo: Children's room for a boy in contemporary style
The teenage boy's bedroom in the photo above is a perfect proof that modern contemporary design is best for decorating this room.
Plus, choosing a contemporary style is the most budget-friendly interior design solution, which may be important for parents. This style is also perfect for those whose child will soon leave to study at university or simply become a student, because the minimalistic atmosphere in such a room turns out to be more serious than in a typical nursery.
Neoclassical
In the photo: Children's interior in neoclassical style
Natural parquet flooring, chic decorative elements made of stucco, multi-layer curtains - do you think this is not suitable for the design of a boy’s room? But no! In fact, such an interior calms overly active children and puts them in a productive working mood.
Neoclassicism cannot be considered a budget solution, rather an elite one, but renovating an apartment in this style will be very impressive. Neoclassicism is not only durable due to high-quality finishing and furniture, but also will not go out of fashion. Such a children's room will then become a student's room, and then it can turn into a guest room or office.
Kinds
The main advantages of podium beds, options for the best designs
Depending on its purpose, a podium in the interior can be functional, technical or decorative. These are 3 main types, each of which solves a specific problem. The table will help you get an idea of the classification.
| View | Accommodation | Frame material | Finishing material |
| Functional | Living room | Foam blocks | Carpet |
| Decorative | Bedroom | Planed timber | Chipboard |
| Technical | Bathroom | Metal | Ceramic tile |
Universal designs are becoming increasingly common. They combine all the advantages and capabilities of their “competitors”. But whatever role the podium plays, it inevitably attracts attention. It simply obliges him to be beautiful. Thanks to ultra-modern and traditional finishing materials, you can create an elevation in any style: from intricately elegant baroque to rough loft. Details of each species are given below.
Zoning
Decorative podiums serve not only to decorate a room, but also to visually divide it into functional zones. They are also used to change the proportions of rooms, creating visual effects. For example, they help to “push apart” walls, “raise” ceilings, visually enlarging the entire space or its individual sections
Using a decorative platform, they focus attention on an interesting subject, or, on the contrary, distract attention from a problem area
The height of the decorative podium can be insignificant - only a few centimeters. This option is suitable for rooms with low ceilings.
Otherwise, you may feel like the ceiling is hanging too low, which will lead to discomfort. If the configuration of the room allows, you can build a half-meter platform, which can become the main piece of furniture and at the same time emphasize the unusually high ceilings.
For storing things
Podiums are an excellent alternative to wardrobes and mezzanines. Forming an airtight space inside, they are ideal for storing clothes, pastel accessories and other things. The standard locations for functional platforms are:
- living rooms;
- bedrooms;
- children's;
- kitchens;
- balconies.
A classic example of functionality is the podium bed. Using it in a small Khrushchev-era apartment, you simultaneously get a spacious closet, a comfortable work desk and a spacious sleeping area. At the same time, a significant part of the apartment remains free, the effect of clutter and clutter disappears. Using the platform as a storage area for household items is a noticeable increase in usable space. Another option is to place the main interior area on a raised surface, for example, install a TV with speakers on top. The internal space is carefully filled with household items, and cables are laid there.
A way to hide communications
When creating decorative and functional podiums in the interior, they are usually guided only by desire. Whereas the arrangement of technical podiums in many cases is the only way to hide objects that spoil the interior.
Under the elevations it is especially convenient to hide various technological elements, including electrical wires and pipes. This is an excellent option for old houses, where communication systems stand out especially sharply against the general background and can ruin even the most stylish interior.
Moreover, creating a podium will cost much less than a radical reconstruction of the premises with the replacement of unsightly water supply and sewerage units. The usual places for installing camouflage platforms are kitchens and bathrooms, through which several pipes pass. The need to hide cables can arise in any room. Therefore, the technical podium, even despite its mundane purpose, must also be aesthetic. This will allow it to simultaneously perform a decorative function: to give the room a modern look and individuality.
Materials for production
Interesting options for TV walls for the living room
Requirements that should be met for the material for making the podium:
- lightness is important to create a structure that does not overly load the floors;
- reliability - to withstand the weight of furniture and moving people;
- noiselessness - the material should not make creaks or knocks during loads.
Photo: timber podium frameExperts recommend the following materials for podium construction:
- A frame made of metal or wood with plywood attached to it.
- A monolithic podium made of expanded clay concrete will be durable. But such a heavy structure can only be done in a private house on top of a concrete screed.
Sleeping frame
Podium on logs. A 10x10 cm beam is laid on the brick support posts. Plywood is laid on top of it. Filling the voids with mineral wool or construction foam will help eliminate the booming sound when walking on the raised surface. The construction of foam blocks is lighter than concrete and has sufficient strength. Installation of large blocks is carried out quickly. The hygroscopic material absorbs moisture and requires sufficient waterproofing.
You can sheathe the front part of the podium:
- laminate using a special substrate;
- solid wood;
- ceramic tiles;
- linoleum;
- carpet
The choice of top depends on the design of the room and the load-bearing capacity of the frame.
Ideas for a small or narrow room
In a small room, the elevation is intended for zonal division and preservation of space. The formed second tier helps to neatly lay out household items and clothes.
The advantages of designs in narrowed and long rooms include the formation of a sufficient amount of space unoccupied by things. Roll-out beds are hidden in a niche and additional shelves are installed. The room will form not only a full-fledged sleeping place, but also a work or guest area located on the platform.
Common mistakes at work
Types of furniture for a small room, placement options
Let's look at the mistakes that beginners make when installing a structure:
- if the podium is located near a heating radiator, then it is necessary to provide ventilation holes inside it. They can be located on the partition between the stairs and the pull-out bed or in the vertical wall of the step. If it is possible to move the battery, then it is better to use it and hide the additional pipes in the frame of the structure;
- When installing a structure with a pull-out bed near a window, the risk that a child may fall out of the window increases. It should only be opened for slot ventilation. If possible, make a fence in front of the window from thin chrome pipes or kitchen rails. It is enough to secure 2-3 horizontal pipes at a height of up to 60 cm to protect family members;
- All side cuts and joints must be securely sealed and free of chips and snags.
Do not plan a very complex structure if you have very little construction experience. A bed with a podium is a fashionable and comfortable piece of furniture. The design allows for optimal use of the available space, organically integrating storage systems and communications inside the podium.
Order or make it yourself
Forming a simple, traditional DIY podium, without secondary opening or retractable structures, requires certain tools, high quality materials and a little experience. Before work, you need to make calculations with sketches and buy the necessary attributes.
It’s easier to order an industrial product, especially if you don’t have qualifications or have a lot of free time. By entrusting the creation of furniture to professionals, you don’t have to worry about its quality and safety characteristics.
Complex systems with many shelves, roll-out mechanisms and doors are definitely better to purchase rather than do it yourself.
Finished drawing
No. 1. What functions are assigned to the podium?
The rapidly growing popularity of podiums is explained by the versatility of this design. The elevation in the apartment can be used for the following purposes:
- masking communications if this cannot be done using other techniques. Often podiums are built in kitchens and bathrooms, allowing you to hide water and sewer pipes. Looking ahead, we note that in this case it is imperative to provide free access to communications;
- zoning of space, because the height difference allows you to clearly separate one functional area from another. Relevant for studio apartments and living rooms combined with kitchens;
- rational use of existing space. The podium allows you to divide part of the room space into tiers, and each tier can be used for its own purpose. On a hill you can place any furniture, set up an office or living room, and the space under the podium can be used to store a lot of things. With proper planning of the storage area, you can replace a good half of a massive wardrobe with just one podium, which means there will be more space in the room. Often the space under the pedestal is used to install a pull-out bed;
- space correction. The podium allows you to visually correct the geometry of long narrow rooms. To do this, it is enough to organize an elevation near a short wall, the contour of which will have a round or curved shape;
- podium - instead of furniture. If you put a mattress on it, you get a cozy full-size bed. We have already mentioned the possibility of organizing a spacious dressing room under the podium.
One podium can combine several of the above functions, which is especially appreciated by owners of small apartments. For example, a podium can be used to separate a work area with a desk from the living room, and hide a sleeping area inside, which does not fit in some studio apartments.
Nursery design for two girls (75 photos)
Arranging a room for two children is not an easy task, and if we are also talking about girls, the task becomes doubly complicated. In addition to beds and desks, little ladies will need quite extensive storage systems that can accommodate a wardrobe and various decorations. To all this will be added the question of color and style, when the girls will have to come to a common decision. To make things easier for you, dear parents, we have collected many recommendations that will help make a nursery for two girls beautiful, cozy and functional!
Use Cases
The podium can perform several functions at once. In addition to its aesthetic purpose, it will help divide the apartment into zones or hide wires and pipes.
Room zoning
Kitchen area. One option is to delimit a studio apartment or kitchen-living room into a kitchen area and a place to relax. The elevated area can accommodate a cooking workstation and a dining area. This will create the impression of two isolated rooms without overloading the space of the apartment.
Dining room (dining room). A small elevation in the dining area will create a cozy and private atmosphere in the room.
Sleeping area. The podium will highlight the sleeping area and can serve as additional storage space using drawers.
The work area in the apartment can be highlighted using a podium; it is recommended to place it near the window.
Gaming. In the play area for kids you can place a sports corner, a place for drawing or a soft corner with toys. Roll-out drawers can be built into the podium in which things and toys will be stored. In a teenager’s playroom, it is enough to place a table with a computer and a comfortable chair.
Podium bed
The platform for the bed replaces the frame; a mattress is placed on it and drawers can be recessed into the side parts, in which it is convenient to store a change of bed linen. A podium bed looks impressive in the interior of an apartment, and is more economical than a full bed. The base can be beautifully decorated creatively, for example, assembled from several bleached beams.
Storage space
The big advantage of installing a podium in an apartment is the opportunity to get additional storage space while saving space.
Depending on the height of the platform, the drawers can be retractable or hinged. A drawer can fit into a niche of almost any height; hinged drawers are more convenient to install at a high level.
The photo shows a bedroom with a multi-tiered podium, each of which has storage space.
Sofa podium
A stylish interior solution for decorating a living room in an apartment. The podium for the sofa is a raised platform on which the pillows are placed. The space inside the platform can also be put to good use.
Place to rest
The podium can become a real lounge area in the apartment. This can be a cozy place for reading, on which there are several pillows and a lamp with warm light, or it can become a full-fledged place for drinking tea in the form of a comfortable chair and an elegant coffee table.
Podium for flowers
The base for flowers creates the impression of a real winter garden in a city apartment. Multi-tiered podiums are suitable for low potted flowers. Full-length tall plants will look spectacular on a solid platform in a bright room.
The photo shows a modern living room in white. The base podium for flowers has straight, clear lines.
A way to hide communications
In modern life it is impossible to avoid a large number of wires in the apartment; a podium is an excellent and aesthetic option to hide them. The collapsible design allows you to easily access them if necessary.
The photo shows a high-tech apartment with a sitting area near the window. The podium serves as a stand for equipment and hides communications and wires.
How to accommodate three children: tips and tricks
Regardless of age category, gender and tastes, the design of a nursery for a family with three children should be comfortable for everyone.
- To equip a nursery for three, in an apartment or house, the largest room is better suited.
- If there is a balcony in the room, it can be combined with the living area and converted into a work area or dressing room.
- A large-width window sill will perfectly serve as a desk or computer desk and thereby save space.
- The design should use a gender-neutral color scheme with universal patterns and prints.
Equipment: what to choose?
Podium beds, even if they belong to the same type, can have many differences and features.
Important points include choosing the following parameters:
- logs;
- the presence of headrests and armrests;
- selection of material for the supporting structure;
- finishing material;
- canopy;
- presence of mechanical devices;
- the need to design steps.
When choosing, consider a number of parameters
If the podium will not be used as a place to store things, then you can choose a monolithic structure. In this case, the external design should take into account the design of the room.
A canopy with a free-standing podium bed looks good only in those rooms where the ceiling height is significant. For low rooms, it is better to separate the sleeping area using a curtain or curtain.
Advice When the height of the podium is 0.3 m or more, it is necessary to provide a step for ease of ascent.
For convenience, we make a step
What do kitchen professionals make from?
The most common material for the kitchen is chipboard. It is used both in inexpensive kitchens and in more expensive options. Now an improved version of chipboard is popular in Europe: it is more durable and resistant to moisture. This effect is achieved by the fact that they contain more glue and paraffin, which makes this material so durable. The highest quality materials are produced by the Lamatry and Egger factories: you can be confident in the quality of the chipboard material they produce.
Chipboard is an inexpensive material that can be used to create a designer kitchen option
Laminated chipboard is not the only material from which a kitchen can be made.
- Plastic. Quite inexpensive material, suitable for the average budget.
- Artificial or natural stone. This option is suitable for people who are really willing to spend a large amount of money and want to make their kitchen truly chic. Artificial stone is cheaper than its natural alternative, and even surpasses natural material in quality. For Provence style or many classic design styles, this material will be an excellent option.
- Natural wood. This material is also suitable for expensive kitchens: it is coated with various mixtures and varnishes to make the material durable. Wood itself is a fragile material, it can easily be damaged and cracks may appear. To avoid this problem, various companies use their own methods to strengthen the tree.
Not only the quality of the kitchen, but also the atmosphere depends on the choice of material
It is important to approach this issue as seriously as possible and not make spontaneous decisions
Characteristic features of the podium in the apartment
The standard design is recognizable: its height does not exceed 25 centimeters. If you need to make a larger podium, then it is “broken” into several levels. In addition to this rule, there are several features of the location of this element, which depend on its functional purpose.
Space zoning
Designers love to use podiums because they make it quick and easy to highlight a specific area. A small elevation draws an invisible boundary between the kitchen and dining, work and play, and sleeping areas
The thing is that objects that are higher than others attract people's attention. If you want to place accents correctly, then place on the podium what you would like to show
Increasing usable area
This parameter is especially important for owners of small apartments. The podium assumes free space at the base, where seasonal items or items that are not constantly needed can be hidden.
Changing room parameters
A podium can visually expand the space of a narrow room. To do this, designers use rounded and curving lines. If you need to give the correct shape to a square room, then it is best to use a corner podium, which will “soften” the original parameters of the room.
Masking communications
Most often, podiums are used for this purpose in bathrooms and kitchens. If you need to hide pipes and taps, then this design technique will easily transform the room.
Replacing furniture
The podium itself can turn into a sofa or even a bed if you simply put a mattress on it. You can upholster the structure with a soft, dense backing and cover it with fabric on top to get a full-fledged sofa. Also a very interesting solution is a built-in bed, which is hidden in the podium during the daytime.
Construction of a frame podium
Installation of a wooden frame
The podium, like the rest of the floor, must be level, because you will have to walk on it and install furniture. Therefore, before starting construction, it is necessary to mark the height of the frame on the walls. Using a laser level (this is ideal, although you can get by with a regular construction level), draw a straight line on the walls with which the podium will come into contact, corresponding to its height and dimensions.
Diagram of the frame for the podium under which the bed is pushed
The frame is made of timber. Depending on the size and presence of niches, the frame support bars can be attached to the wall or to the floor. For a small podium, it will be sufficient to attach them vertically to the walls using anchors. The smaller the distance between these posts, the stronger the structure will be (recommended pitch is 40 cm).
Support vertical posts are securely attached to the wall
Start assembling the upper part of the frame by laying horizontal beams on the posts. Connect the bars to each other strictly at right angles, using nails or self-tapping screws. Metal corners secure the connection points well, so if the podium is large, it is advisable to use them.
If the end of the podium should not be flat, but curved, then the frame should be made this way. To do this, a bend shape is outlined on the floor and vertical bars are fixed to the frame according to this guideline. The distance between them depends on the curvature of the end, usually no more than 20-30 cm. Additionally, the bars must be installed at those points where the end line changes its direction.
The distance between the frame slats should not exceed 40 cm
For sound insulation, it is advisable to fill the inner surface (if it is not used for niches) with mineral wool or polystyrene foam. This measure will reduce the booming sound that the empty internal space makes when walking along the podium, and will also serve as good thermal insulation.
Frame covering
The frame is sheathed on top with durable sheet material. To do this, you can use ordinary boards, USB or OSB sheets, gypsum fiber boards or plywood. Secure the sheets of the selected material to the frame bars with nails or self-tapping screws. Be sure to leave expansion joints (2-3 mm) between adjacent sheets, which, in case of possible swelling of the material, will prevent surface deformation.
If the interior space of the podium will be used and must remain free, then the frame is also sheathed on the inside. If there are no internal niches, the front side (end) of the podium is immediately sheathed.
The podium is sheathed with durable sheet material, for example, 10mm thick plywood
Finishing the podium
The final finishing of the podium can be done using a variety of floor materials, almost like a regular floor (except that self-leveling floors would be out of place here). Choose what you like: carpet, laminate, parquet, linoleum, cork, ceramic tile.
Usually, finishing the front area of the podium requires a special approach. If it has an even border, then it is sheathed in the same way as the top of the podium. If the border is wavy, then its lining will require a flexible material that can be easily bent. For these purposes, specialists use flexible plywood, metal profiles (brass or aluminum), MDF panels, and PVC skirting boards.
The carpet on the podium contrasts with the laminate in the rest of the room
Often the closed end of the podium is used as a surface for installing LED spotlights or neon light strip. All communications are hidden in the inside of the podium, preferably with access to them.
Now, after the construction of the podium is completed, walk along it, evaluate whether there are any deflections or creaks. If everything is in order, then you can install the furniture and begin to arrange the “elevated” corner of the apartment.
Prices
The price of podium beds depends on several factors, each of which should be taken into account.
- Size - it is clear that the larger the area and height of the structure, the higher the final cost of the product. Not only the consumption of materials matters, but also the reinforcement of the frame. If for a simple low structure a wooden beam is sufficient, then a high podium is built on a metal frame.
- Material - chipboard, fibreboard, solid wood, respectively, provides a different order of prices.
- The correct geometric shape in all cases costs less than a curved complex contour.
- Design - a pull-out bed will cost more than a box due to the complexity of the device and material. The more devices that need to be installed into the podium, the higher its cost.
- The company's rating, distance from the warehouse, installation conditions will also affect costs in one way or another.
Structures with an area of 6 square meters. m. and with one podium bed you can buy no less than 35 thousand rubles. A podium for boxes with a lower height - at least 30 thousand rubles. Products are assembled depending on complexity within 2–4 days.
In order to save money and if you have the appropriate experience, you can try to make a podium bed yourself.
