This is a long, winding post, so settle in. In a previous post about our side table, we mentioned that we traded our queen-size bed for a king. The reason isn’t just “because it’s bigger.” After more than 17 years together we were content with a queen, so why the sudden switch last fall? Ultimately it came down to one thing: our dog.
We also had to carefully plan how to fit the largest bed we’ve ever owned into a relatively small bedroom, and along the way we learned an unexpected lesson about how larger furniture can change the feel of a smaller space. And yes, we played around with some Photoshop mockups for fun.
When we told a friend we upgraded to a king, they were shocked that we’d been sleeping on a queen for so long. Over the years we’ve heard that reaction a lot, as if two adults sharing a queen is unusual. But we had always been perfectly happy with our queen, especially after years of sharing smaller beds early in our relationship.
To put it in perspective, my early days with Sherry involved a futon in the living room of a one-bedroom apartment that I shared with two other guys. Later I upgraded to a full-size bed, and when we moved in together our first shared place in Richmond felt like a luxury when we finally had a queen. Over the years, a queen never felt cramped to us.
So why change? When we moved into our current house, concerns about bed height rather than width began to matter because of our dog, Burger. As he aged, jumping up and down became harder. He loved being on the bed but was stubborn about using ramps or benches. Even though we helped him when we could, we worried about the strain on his legs and back. After Burger passed away in 2021, the issue resurfaced when Penny, our new dog, joined the family.
Penny is young, athletic, and fearless. She leaps on and off furniture with reckless abandon, and we wanted to reduce the distance she has to jump to protect her long-term joint health. At first we considered simply lowering our queen with a platform frame, but Penny’s sleeping habits were another factor. Unlike Burger, who curled up small, Penny stretches out lengthwise and often lies between us, which made the queen feel noticeably narrower. Add in the occasional poke of a cold nose and some claws, and the thought of giving her more space became appealing.
On a trip to Mexico last summer we stayed in an Airbnb with a king bed and finally understood why so many people love them. For the first time in a long while we slept without a dog stretched between us and it felt amazing. We returned determined to make a king mattress work in our bedroom, even though a king is 16 inches wider than a queen and we were worried about access to our closets along one wall.
Rather than give up, we measured carefully and improvised to visualize the dimensions. Turning our queen on its side helped because a king’s width (76″) is similar to a queen’s length (80″). That simple experiment and a few layout adjustments showed us the king could fit and still allow easy closet access.
The King Bed We Chose
We landed on the Tessu upholstered platform bed from Article. We liked how the headboard and frame are integrated, which gives the bed a solid, non-wobbly feel—important since both Burger and Penny liked to crawl under the bed sometimes. We chose the Taupe Clay color, a warm medium gray that pairs well with our room and keeps the look calm and versatile.
We appreciated that the legs are inset from the corners so they disappear under the duvet, and they won’t become toe-stubbing hazards. The lower profile helps the room feel taller and airier despite the increased footprint.
How We Got A Bigger Bed To Fit Into Our Smaller Room
The key to making the king fit was shifting the bed slightly and building smaller nightstands—Sherry’s ended up smaller than mine. That trade-off gave us enough clearance to use the closet comfortably multiple times per day. We also used the sideways-queen trick to simulate the king’s footprint and confirm the flow before buying anything.
Counterintuitively, larger furniture can sometimes make a small room feel bigger. Small-scale pieces can emphasize a room’s smallness, while a well-chosen larger piece anchors the space and gives it proportion. Our lower-profile king does exactly that—making the bedroom feel more expansive and comfortable.
Joining the “king bed club” feels luxurious. On weekend mornings all five of us—kids and dog included—can find a comfortable spot. Penny can roam without crowding us or waking anyone up. We also sold the old frame and donated the mattress; everything was picked up within a day of listing.
With the lower headboard exposing more wall behind the bed, we’re debating adding subtle color, texture, or a feature wall—options range from a muted pink or soft blue-green to grasscloth or a light wood slat wall. Sometimes we also love the simplicity of the white wall paired with bright art and the view from our glass doors, so we’re weighing the options.
We’ve already made another functional upgrade to the room that increases storage, and we’ll share that in a future post. For now, the main takeaway is: don’t assume something won’t fit in a smaller room without testing and visualizing it first. Turning our queen on its side and experimenting with nightstand sizes turned a dream into a reality. A larger, well-proportioned piece can sometimes make a small room feel roomier—an idea we’re excited to explore further in other rooms.
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