By Patricia Sheridan
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
HIGH POINT, N.C. — Not since the days of “I Love Lucy” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show” have twin beds gotten so much attention from grown-ups.
Whether it’s because baby boomers are downsizing or people simply want to maximize their space for house guests, it’s not just for kids anymore.
Once a favorite of television censors, the twin bed has worked its way back into the limelight as more manufacturers decide that two beds are sometimes better than one. They’re showing up not only in the youth furniture segment of the market but also as alternatives to queens or kings in the master bedroom.
Twin beds have several advantages over their larger counterparts, one being their ability to accommodate romantics and non-romantics alike simply by pushing them together or pulling them apart. They offer incompatible sleepers their own space while still allowing for company in the room. Sleeping apart but together also cuts down on sleep interruptions from a partner’s tossing and turning.
“We are seeing a lot more people using twin beds because it allows grandchildren, family and friends to utilize one bedroom,” said Adam Tilley, senior vice president of marketing for A.R.T. Furniture.
Kenian Furniture, a company known for its rattan and bamboo furniture, featured its Jardin twin headboard in a deep blue with rattan and leather bindings at the Fall High Point Market.
“Twins are our most popular headboards,” said company president Clell Smith.
The Jardin is part of its Paint to Order program, which offers furniture in 22 colors plus customer’s choices. Unfinished versions are kept in stock and painted in North Carolina. “The turnaround time is about six weeks,” Smith said.
David Francis was another company showcasing rattan and hardwood twin beds. Chippendale, Palm Springs and Chesapeake are some of the headboard patterns available, and the rattan beds with leather wraps come in a range of colors.
Hooker Furniture’s Sandcastle is a wood-paneled twin bed in creamy white that can be dressed up or down to suit your decor.
“Homes only have so much space, and twin beds make it possible for you to be able to open your home to more people who otherwise may not be comfortable sharing a bed together,” Tilley said.
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