Sleep soundly with a sustainable, natural bed from Button & Sprung – a review [ad]

[AD – the bed and mattress were a press gift from Button & Sprung, a British manufacturer that specialises in quality handmade beds and natural, chemical-free mattresses. All images Cate St Hill]

You’ve seen my simple, botanical green bedroom makeover, now let’s take a closer look at the most important element in any bedroom – the elegant, natural beige Poppy bed by Button & Sprung. A beautiful, well-designed bed is not just the focal point of the room visually, it also serves to set the mood for rest and relaxation, helping us drift off at night so that we can wake up fully restored. There is far more to a bed than just a surface to lay your head at night – if we spend a third of our lives snoozing, we need to know that our bed is supporting that most vital of human needs: sleep.

Everyone has tales of uncomfortable beds, old, sagging mattresses, and aches and pains that can never seem to be resolved. When it comes to beds, no matter what the marketing tells you, there is no one size fits all; we all sleep in different positions and have our own unique physiology to factor in. But when you finally find ‘the One’ you wonder how you ever put up with sleeping all those hours and nights with a mattress that did more harm than good.

And I think I’ve found ‘the One’. I’ve swapped my toxic foam mattress – that I learnt was both bad for the planet and my health (read more about why we should all be saying no to foam here) – for a 100% chemical free, natural, pocket-sprung mattress and hand-crafted bed made in the UK. The difference was noticeable as soon as the delivery men had installed the new bed in place and carted the old one off to be recycled – I feel like I’ve gone from student digs to boutique hotel. And I’m never going back again. Now the only problem is I want to spend all my time in bed and never get out of it…

You might remember previously reading my tips for choosing the right bed for you. After learning all there is to know about beds at Button & Sprung’s London showroom and trying their mattresses for size in their stress-free Bed Room, I made some considered choices of my own. I’ve upgraded from a double to a generous king size bed (why I didn’t get a king in the first place, I don’t know…) and changed a hard wooden head board for a comfortable upholstered design in soft natural wool.

But there’s more than meets the eye with this natural bed; beyond the Poppy’s simple lines and refined details, the ottoman base also offers up to three times more storage space than a divan with drawers. Just wait until you see the magic that’s hidden beneath!

An all-natural, chemical-free mattress
First let’s talk about the mattress. Aside from the feeling of sleeping on a soft, squishy cloud, my new mattress has lots going for it underneath the chemical-free covering. As well as bespoke designs, Button & Sprung has nine mattress options to choose from, each with either regular or firm tensions (all come with a 10 year guarantee). I opted for the Drysdale regular mattress, which has four layers of all-natural filling and 4,800 pocket springs for support. It’s made of breathable cotton, anti-bacterial wool from Yorkshire sheep and soft flax for comfort and durability.

All of Button & Sprung’s mattresses are made in Yorkshire with natural fillings, such as wool, hemp, flax, cashmere and horsehair. When it comes to beds, natural materials are not only understood to be better for your health and environment (no toxic chemicals and carcinogenic ingredients that can be found in synthetic materials such as polyurethane foam or latex foam), they can also help regulate temperature and control moisture when you’re in bed.

The first thing my husband noticed was how cool the bed was compared to our old one; it doesn’t hold onto our heat and sweat in the same way. This makes for a much better night’s sleep; a cooler environment helps bring on sleep (I’ve heard that it’s recommended to go to sleep in a room a few degrees cooler than the rest of the house), allowing you to move through the various cycles of sleep more naturally without getting hot, tossing and turning and waking up every so often. I’ve certainly noticed a less disturbed sleep pattern and I barely notice if my husband has rolled over or is moving about, unlike with the foam mattress where you could feel everything.

Clever storage
Much like a tidy desk makes for a tidy mind, I find that having everything organised and hidden away helps me sleep better. A pile of clothes by the bed and messy bedside table don’t make for a restful environment. We have a wall of wardrobes, two bedside tables and a chest of drawers, but you can never have enough storage, especially in a small space.

The Poppy Ottoman bed opens up to reveal a whole base of storage. Twin pneumatic gas lift arms aid the lifting, you just have to pull up the fabric handle. It’s a bit like Mary Poppins bag of tricks, it can fit far more in it that you first imagine. We’ve used fabric storage bags and old cardboard boxes to hold seasonal clothes, extra blankets and a spare duvet. With our previous bed we had thin storage boxes underneath that could be pulled out, but this makes it so easy to see everything clearly. Already the idea of less dust and everything out of sight, out of mind, is making me sleep better.

A simple design in timeless beige
When choosing an upholstered bed, I wanted something that would stand the test of time and work with our home for the next 10 years. Button & Sprung have 15 styles of bed frames designed in-house and over 100 fabrics to choose from (their most popular colour being grey, no surprises there).

I chose Natural Soft Wool; it has a matte texture that feels lovely and warm to the touch. With the forest green backdrop and white linen bedding, it feels timeless and elegant. I think when choosing something like a bed, it pays to choose a neutral backdrop, then you can easily change up the accessories and styling to create a new look and feel whenever you wish.

A good quality, natural bed is an investment, but don’t we all deserve a good night’s sleep? When chosen well, a bed does more than help you sleep better; it also aids your waking hours too. We’re all wired and tired, overwhelmed and fatigued – to solve some of those 21st century problems and ease the tension, we have to go back to the basics and think about how our bedroom environment could work harder for us. Instead of just thinking about aesthetics, let’s put sleep back in the heart of bedroom design.

In my bedroom, I’ve tried to create a tranquil, restful environment conducive to good sleep habits. Black out blinds and linen curtains block out light, clutter is cleverly hidden away out of sight, while natural textures and materials appeal to the senses and help create a cosy, soothing, tactile environment. At the centre is Button & Sprung’s Poppy ottoman bed; proof I think that a bed can be both practical and look the part.