Could a handcrafted bed end the nightmare of sleeplessness?

A good night’s sleep starts with a comfortable bed. In fact, according to research by the Skipton-based Sleep Council, a good-quality mattress and base will give you an extra hour’s sleep a night.

But how can you ensure you get the bed of your dreams and, consequently, an extra 365 hours of blissful kip a year?

The key, it seems, is to go for the handmade option; a luxurious yet affordable way to make sure you sleep like a top.

Beevers of Whitby, a family-owned company specialising in furniture, flooring and beds, is one of the leading lights in the handmade sector, employing a small but highly-skilled team to painstakingly create bespoke beds and hand-stitched mattresses for export all over the world.

‘We use as many all-natural products as possible like cotton, cashmere and lambs’ wool,’ explained Derek Parker, who has been with Beevers for nearly 30 years and is now manager of the beds department.

‘We also make customised beds for any space; round ones or beds that taper to a point so they can fit snugly in a boat. We can even make a bed in two or four parts so it can be installed up a tricky staircase.’

Customers have all manner of bespoke options to choose from, including the number of pocket springs to suit their needs (anywhere between 800-3,000), the colour of the base (there are 50+ fabrics available), the size and shape of both the bed and mattress and whether they want to include any mechanical elements for adjustability or massage purposes.

‘A customised bed can take a day or two to make but an average bed can be handmade in about six hours,’ said Derek.

‘Each mattress takes hundreds of meticulous hand stitches to secure the shape and durability, but we have a very highly skilled team on hand to get the job done efficiently.

‘These are specialist workers, and we really feel we’re doing our bit to keep the handcrafted element of our industry alive.

It’s not just the hand-crafted quality of Beevers’ beds that sets them apart, it’s also the natural British products they source to make them.

‘We use British wool because, quite simply, it’s a better quality product,’ said Derek. ‘Unlike sheep in warmer climates, our sheep have to put up with cold weather in this country. They’re hardy and have thicker, more luxuriant wool as a result.

‘And it’s like it’s been designed purposefully to fill a mattress. Wool keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer – it’s perfect.’

If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, then surely the proof of the handmade bed is in the sleeping. In this respect, Beevers has all the proof it needs that its products are peerless.

The company recently supplied all the beds for Studford Lodges, a collection of five-star luxury hideaways in the North York Moors National Park.

It has since had an influx of new customers who slept like a log in their log cabin and subsequently decided to invest in the same bed for themselves at home.

‘It doesn’t get much more flattering than that, does it?’ said Derek.

Beevers is proud of its Yorkshire heritage – it’s been in Whitby for nearly 30 years and has further showrooms in Scarborough and Bridlington, as well as a store in Middlesbrough – and it’s also proud of its membership of the North Yorkshire-based National Bed Federation, which ensures manufacturers stick to a rigid code of practice.

‘The federation carefully audits all its members to ensure they achieve consistently high standards,’ Derek concluded. ‘Which is precisely what we do, each and every day, as we produce our luxury beds at affordable prices.’ w

For more information about Beevers, visit The Old Mill, Stakesby Vale, Whitby, YO21 1JZ, call 01947 604351 or go to www.beeversofwhitby.co.uk.