You’re familiar with the saying: “Distance makes the heart grow fonder.” That’s how I feel about my bed. The warm and fuzzy feeling I have for my mattress probably stems from the fact that we don’t spend enough time with each other. There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day for me to squeeze in the amount of time I know we should be together. What makes this confession even more heartbreaking is the fact that my husband and I paid an obscene amount of money for that brand new king-size mattress and bed frame. And we aren’t alone.
According to a new study on household purchases, more and more people are shelling out big bucks for luxury beds. (For the record, our bed is not that luxurious, I think it was the size that affected the price.) Research shows that spending on beds and bedrooms is up 40 percent in the last five years, the most for any room in the house.
Consumer analysts say high-end beds are now the new status symbol. Even names like Sealy and Serta are catering to the luxury bed market. And with good reason. The study showed that homeowners are moving away from the kitchen (which up until now was the room most people spent money renovating ) and investing in the bedroom.
And the ultimate sleep accessory? A bed that retails for $50,000. It is considered the most expensive bed in the world—the Hasten’s bed is made with horsehair, wool and cotton. Never mind that it is worth more than both of our family vehicles… and then some. Bed retailers say you can rationalize it this way: sleep on that bed everyday for its warranteed 25 years and the cost is just $5.50 a night.
I barely sleep in my own bed and feel guilty about it. I can’t imagine how I would feel if I spent $50,000 on a mattress that I rarely slept on. What’s more, who says $50,000 guarantees a good night’s sleep?