By the time I came to decorating my bedroom of my flat, having furnished the kitchen and sitting room from scratch and thus spent the vast majority of my ‘furniture for my first flat’ budget, I had to have a long think about what bed I wanted. With sadness I bade farewell to the wonderfully comfortable-looking ‘Pillow Talker bed’, from Loaf, that I had coveted and went on the hunt for something more affordable. That is how I discovered Dusk, an online retailer selling bedroom and sitting room furniture in a variety of styles, fabrics and colours, all at a very reasonable price.
The price is so reasonable, in fact, that I made the mistake of assuming that the quality would not be great, but with few other prospects and the thought of being bed-less looming large, I took the plunge and ordered its ‘Ascot storage bed’ – a simple-framed, inoffensive place to rest my head, even if it was not in fact the bed of my dreams. At £279, I prepared myself to receive a poorly made bed and be proven right. How wrong I was.
Dusk's ‘Ascot storage bed’: is it worth buying?
The bed arrived (quickly, I might add) flat-packed and ready to be assembled. As promised, it is not the kind of design that commands much attention in a space, which is what I wanted, though I think I had been too judgemental. The curved silhouette of the headboard works with the simple, boxy base, and the taupe fabric in which it is all covered is lovely and warm – it is a rather brilliant piece to anchor the room.
The ottoman storage element has been a life-saver. It is deceptively roomy and has allowed me to keep spare sheets, pillows, mini suitcases and other mess accumulated over time firmly out of sight. But the best thing about the bed? It is a brilliantly robust and sturdy thing, and I am a complete Dusk convert. Despite my lifting the top of the bed several times a week to access whatever it is I might need underneath it, the hinges have never given way. The slats which hold the mattress haven’t shifted either (a problem I have had with previous beds, and which has caused more angst than I could possibly describe) and the overall frame remains as fixed and supportive as it was on the first day it was assembled.
Fact File
| Ascot storage bed | |
|---|---|
| Bed type | Ottoman Storage |
| Assembly | Assembly requires |
| Sizes available | Double, king, super king |
| Dimensions (double) | W: 156 x D: 210 x H: 111cm |
| Delivery | £19.99 |
Delivery
For ‘medium’ pieces of furniture, the delivery is via Rhenus or BJS couriers and costs £19.99. You can choose your own delivery date.
Dusk's ‘Ascot storage bed’ verdict
If you are looking for a good bed on a budget, this one is certainly worth buying. So obsessed am I that now I am considering a move and upgrading my bed from king to super king size, I didn’t even bother shopping around. Straight to Dusk I go to see what new excitements it has in store. I was delighted to come across the ‘Surrey’ bed frame, which comes in a range of wonderful striped fabrics, though it's the chocolate stripe I’ll be having.
I had to tear myself away from the sofas and loveseats page, though the day will come where you will hear me wax lyrical about those too, I have no doubt.
