A bed frame with drawers is most often referred to as a captains bed. The origin of the term no doubt comes from the need for storage space in the tight confines of life on board ship. In the days of sail ships and the early days of steam ships, the crew often slept in hammocks that may have been no more than a piece of cloth about six feet long and four feet wide and were very common on early ships of war.



Since the crews quarters may have been located on a gun deck, the hammocks could be removed quickly to make room for the gun crews. The word hammock is said to be of Caribbean origin.

The officers on board ship very often had a cabin of their own or shared a space with a fellow officer. The captain of a ship always has a single cabin out respect for his rank and need for privacy. Officers, including the captain would have a mattress of sorts sometimes stuffed with linen rag or feather down.

Space aboard ship is a precious commodity so shipbuilders and sailors became very adept at finding storage space. Even the captains quarters may have been no bigger than a large closet and space for the bed was considered wasted if provisions were not made for storage underneath.

Drawers were often built under the bed to accommodate the storage needs that officers had. Most ship crews had few personal possessions but officers were allowed more privilege when it came to clothing and other personal items.

So the tradition continues in the modern age in the form of bed frames with drawers. Captains beds are ideal of a childs room or for small rooms that lack space for much in the way of traditional bedroom furniture such as dressers.

Early hard sided waterbeds often consisted of wood frame that sat directly on the floor. Later designs raised the frame off the floor with the use of a pedestal or riser assembly. It was not long before designers began to put the available space supplied by the riser to good use. Like a traditional captains bed, waterbeds could be found with drawers that were built into the riser, providing a significant amount of extra storage space.

By design, many daybeds offer another opportunity for additional bedroom storage. The clearance between the floor and the base assembly of the many daybeds that can accommodate different sizes of commercially available storage bins. The space can be easily concealed by a skirt that is included in many types of daybed cover ensembles.

More elaborate daybed designs can be found that incorporate drawers. Very similar to a captains bed, these daybeds provide a convenient storage for bed linens, clothing and other bedroom necessities.

Some retailers have begun to offer an easy to assemble bed frame there serves several purposes. These quality bed bases are designed to eliminate the need for a separate foundation or traditional box spring. These bases are smart in design and feature cross welded spring wire that offers more than enough support for the average mattress.

The other bonus is the amount of space that available under the base for storage. You can use inexpensive plastic storage bins or invest in optional trundle type roll out storage drawers similar to what you might use under a simple daybed.

The notion of adding storage under a bed is not limited to captains beds. Many bed frame designs feature extra clearance to allow for the placement of storage boxes. So consider a bed with drawers the next time you need to purchase a bed.