The Spite House Story
One interesting incident demonstrates that Bedworks' modular Floating Platform Beds can fit everywhere that bulky boxsprings and spring mattresses can't:
The Spite House stands at 44 Hull Street in Boston's North End. It is a tiny house with a fascinating story. Legend has it that it was built around 1800, out of spite. The owner built it in an alley, to block the big home behind it that his parents had goven to his luckier siblings. You'll notice that the Spite House has no front door. You must enter by a side door down a narrow walkway [what's left of the alley] to get inside. The Spite House averages a mere 9.5-feet wide.
In 1980, the Spite House's then-current owner was looking everywhere for a new Queen-size mattress and bed to sleep on. He faced a insurmountable problem: no Sealy, Serta or Simmons set would fit up his narrow staircase. So he came to Bedworks. We suggested a flexible foam mattress with a 20 year warranty, and we crafted our Queen Floating Platform bed for him in three pieces, each no bigger than 27" x 62" x 3". Our platform bed and mattress fit up his tiny staircase, where no box springs or innersprings would. Now he finally could enjoy a good night's sleep!
The Spite House stands at 44 Hull Street in Boston's North End.
FYI: Boston luckily does not hold the record for the narrowest house.
The narrowest house in the world is in Brazil. It is only 40" wide.
Choosing Your Bed Height
How high should you sleep?
It depends on you. . . your age, weight and fitness, your joints, and how often you get up during the night, plus your aesthetic.
You can choose from a large range of Sleep Heights with the beds and mattresses we make at Bedworks:
Bed Deck Height |
Mattress Height |
Sleep Height |
Storage? |
8"H |
6"H |
14"H |
no under-bed storage possible |
8"H |
8"H |
16"H |
no under-bed storage possible |
12"H |
6"H |
18"H |
optional under-bed double dresser drawers |
12"H |
8"H |
20"H |
optional under-bed double dresser drawers |
16"H |
6"H |
22"H |
huge under-bed double dresser drawers optional |
16"H |
8"H |
24"H |
huge under-bed double dresser drawers optional |
A few young people combine 8"H bed decks and slender mattresses to create 14" -16" Sleep Heights.
But most younger people select Sleep Heights from 18" to 22".
There are several reasons why: Younger people usually sleep straight through the night, and their young joints allow them easily to stand back up from lower beds. And aesthetically, they often like the slender, sleek looks of a lower profile bed.
Middle aged sleepers' bodies usually allow them to have their choice: from 18" to 24" Sleep Height.
Older sleepers often select the 22" to 26" Sleep Heights. With these heights, they can easily pivot and get in and out of bed, without having to stress their shoulders or hips. The 26" Sleep Height can be achieved with any optional mattress topper, for additional firmness or softness.
Which Sleep Height is best for you? Here's an easy way to tell: Measure what height you are sleeping at now. Is it comfortable or difficult to get in and out of bed now?
To double check your Sleep Height results at home, try getting in and out of several wooden chairs of different heights.
All wooden dining, counter and bar chairs luckily have standard heights, which makes comparisons easier:
18"H Dining Chairs: Can you get up from an 18"H dining chair . . . without having to push off against its arms or your knees?
24"H Kitchen Counter Stools: Can you sit down easily on a 24" kitchen stool? How do you feel getting up from it?
30"H Bar Stools: Probably too high for most people. Each time you get out of bed, do you want to worry about landing on your feet or your nose?
Please remember one other important factor: When getting out of bed, the soft edge of a mattress at any height is difficult to push off against, unlike a chair arm or other firm surface.
If your current sleep height might need improvement, please ask to try several of our Sleep Heights when you visit Bedworks.