We go to bed to sleep, to dream, to read and to, um, do other fun things. Surely being in bed is one of the most underrated small pleasures afforded to mankind. In our minds it ranks right up there with a leisurely Sunday brunch, a meandering stroll through the park or an unexpected Ryan Gosling sighting in the East Village.
Ernest Hemingway had a point when he admitted “I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?” In considering the actuality of never getting out of bed, we thought we’d take a look around the virtual playground that is Google to see how we might be able to maximize days on end between the sheets. From a giant book with comfy-looking pages to a mattress roller coaster, click through to check out our roundup of offbeat beds and unusual sleeping experiences that may or may not have you taking Hemingway’s profound words to heart.
Book Bed by Yusuke Suzuki
Image credit: Yusuke Suzuki via life in the slow lane
The greatest book concept that we’ve seen since we took a look at gorgeous, innovative bookshelves.
Vertical Bed by Ernesto Neto
Image credit: ZEUTCH
Sleeping while standing up never looked so comfy!
Roller Coaster Bed by Los Carpinteros
Image credit: Los Carpinteros via The Science of Design
Hours of fun for the brave.
The Feel Deluxe by animi causa
Image credit: animi causa
The bed version of those life-changing wooden comfort bead seat covers in your grandparent’s car that you secretly loved. Or, just like sleeping on a bunch of grapes.
PrayWay Magic Carpet by Slavs and Tatars at The New Museum
Image credit: Michael Grace Martin
Surely we could spend all day and all night on a magic carpet bed.
Man in Bed by Peter Land
Image credit: designboom
Perfect for lonely nights, this bed comes complete with a giant built-in man cushion. Cool, but admittedly creepy.
Woman in Bed by Ron Mueck
Image credit: Beautiful Dreamer Art
The male version of a bed for loneliness that fulfills every guy’s fantasy of a woman who’s always there, but never steals the covers.
Sonic Bed by Music for Bodies
Image credit: Music for Bodies
As the designers’ site explains, Sonic Bed explores “our perception of sound, presenting an oversized bed as a polished wooden tank with steps to climb up to get in it. Visitors are invited to remove their shoes and come lie on and enjoy specially constructed pieces moving up and down and around their bodies. Subtle, dynamic, at times beyond hearing, Sonic Bed plays music to feel rather than just listen to.”
Loopita by Victor M. Aleman
Image credit: Industrial Design Served
Nifty. Need we say more?
The Blue Box at the Mavida Wellness Hotel & Spa in Zell am See, Austria
Image credit: Mr & Mrs Smith
The Blue Box experience at this Austrian spa “recreates life in the clouds by using a vibrating bed, color therapy and sound.” Hey, we live in the clouds all day every day anyway.
Suspended Bedroom by ECDM Architects
Image credit: inthralld.
A modern, indoor treehouse. Well done.
The Way You Sleep by Daniel Weil for the Hotel of the Future
Image credit: Pentagram
An entry in Condé Nast Traveller’s Hotel of the Future competition, The Way You Sleep allows guests “to link their hotel experience with the way they sleep at home.” Can we link our office experience to our bed at home?