Mattresses are being redefined again as greater attention is paid to both material and comfort, writes FUNKE OSAE-BROWN.

Ikechukwu was in search of a bespoke mattress with headboard. He wanted a custom-made size mattress with special shape. His choice was Devon-based Vispring King Size bed. A mattress he describes as “profoundly comfortable.”

Recently, lovers of comfort are going for exquisite mattress that enables them experience the perfect support of specially made and selected springs, and the softness of superb fillings such as real Shetland Isle wool, silk and cashmere.

These are the kind of mattresses that seek to redefine comfort. They are what can be described as made for comfort bespoke bed with a level of luxury that will transform the quality of consumers’ rest.

Bespoke mattresses are meticulously constructed by hand, to order, by men and women who have trained for years to learn their craft. These skilled technicians put together a unique combination of spring tension, mattress filling and fabric to create one-of-a-kind bed.

Side-stitching by hand, which is often used in manufacturing bespoke mattresses, is a skill that takes years to master. It gives each mattress an exquisite, tailored finish. But more importantly, it gives supportive strength to the mattress edges that lesser beds need a metal rod to achieve. It is this attention to detail that makes bespoke mattresses truly luxurious.

Furthermore, tailored beds are made from the finest natural materials. Ikechukwu explains that his favourite, Vispring, is made only from the finest natural materials. These materials include raw silk, warm cashmere, springy horsetail, strong coir and supple bamboo. Vispring does not use synthetic foam or glue in its mattresses, and there is generally 50 percent more upholstery in a Vispring bed than in most other beds.

Titilayo Adesanya, who had once worked as a supervisor in a UK store that stock made-to-order beds, says customers would ask for beds that can give them a good night’s rest, that is a bed that can make them dream. “It was when I was working at the London store,” she explains, “that I understand that customers want beds made from natural fabrics that create the ideal temperature for sleep. They want vents that allow air to circulate through the mattress, which will enhance freshness. They want beds with densely packed fillings, fine fabrics and careful stitching, which maintain the highest standards of hygiene and comfort. The most important thing is comfort.”

Historically, the most important change in the history of sleep has been the invention of the bedroom. Hence, sleeping in such supreme comfort is a life-changing experience, and is what most people will not trade for anything.

Abimbola Ojo, an interior designer, says history has shown that the rich always had a bed of ever increasing elaboration, comfort. “From the Victorian times, the bedroom has always been a subject of elaborate furnishing. Careful details are placed on the mattresses, the way they are made and the headboard. Recently, there have been some innovations with regards to beds and mattresses. These days you have pocket springs and foam. It was the invention of the bedroom that made them all possible.”

According to her, bespoke divans and headboards are also in high demand. “There is a growing demand for embellished and decorative headboard designs as the trend increases for personalised bed furniture. There has been demand for quilted headboard with Swarovski crystals.”

She also explains that bedrooms are in the spotlight as metallics are hot and bespoke is back. She says custom-made metallic bed is the most on-trend product of the moment. In addition, she says each bed and bed head are designed to the client’s specifications and then built by a master craftsman.

Decorating the head board is an intricate and highly skilled process in which the pieces are gilded with either 18ct, 22ct or 24ct gold or palladium (a rare and lustrous silvery white metal), covered with a hand-painted pattern, designed to suit the client’s taste. They are custom-made from Italy.

Ojo further says she recently ordered a seven-foot majesty mattress with gold-plated springs for one of her clients. “The client demanded a rare King size bed. We had to order it. Upholstery-wise, we have options for clients to choose from. There is a new fabric collection, which includes a range of warm-hued leathers, paisley wool and a rather natty David Hicks-esque, hexagon-pattern cotton/viscose. Clients can also provide their own fabrics and we get artisans who can produce it.”

Furthermore, latest bed and mattress constructions include Austrian Moosburger horsehair, Shetland wool, vicuna, mohair, silk, cashmere and bamboo, as well as 100 percent platinum-certified pure British fleece wool that is chosen for its bounce. Modern mattresses can be designed to be anything from extra soft to extra firm, and even both combinations in one bed for different sleeping partners’ requirements.

“Buying a bed is very personal,” says Adesanya, “hence, clients want their bed to be among the most discreet, yet important, furniture they will purchase.”