No Frame? No Problem. Here's How to Do a Bed on the Floor

The simple yet spacious master bedroom opens up to a private terrace.

In the master bedroom of this weekend home in California, the bed is tucked into a recess in the center of the room flanked by two low stairs and fronted by a teak headboard and cabinet. "Maurie told me he saw this in a 1977 issue of Architectural Digest and wanted to replicate it," says homeowner Stacey. The guest suite is an exact copy, but overnight visitors are treated to the original sunken waterbed.

The cabinet under the built-in desk opens to reveal a fold-out bed for guests.

The ultra-compact "sleeping berths" are a couple of steps up from the ground. Deep frame windows mediate views to the outside and the white walls bounce diffused light to illuminate the space as if it were a light box.

Australian firm Clare Cousins Architects proves urban living and functional family homes are not mutually exclusive. The firm smartly (and inexpensively) reimagined an 800-square-foot apartment to provide more than enough space for a young family. The new floor plan maximizes social areas and minimizes sleeping spaces through the creation of “micro” bedrooms that fit a single bed. The rooms were sectioned off with full-height, pine plywood joinery — a nod to Shigeru Ban’s Furniture House.