Suzie Wong Bed

Overview

The Suzie Wong bed is a 2016 design by Roberto Lazzeroni for Poltrona Frau. Its inspiration is romantic comedy films of the 1950s and the sumptuous alcoves of the 1700s, and its reference model is the classic boat or sleigh bed in a streamlined reading. The page shows the king size (mattress 193 x 203 cm) and the SKU 5604.

Image source: Poltrona Frau — Suzie Wong Bed · © Poltrona Frau and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

Construction

Beech, birch plywood and hardboard form the headboard, padded with polyurethane foam, flanked by two shaped lateral parts of moulded foam. On the sheet the sides are spruce plywood and the footboard poplar plywood, with moulded foam corners. Everything is upholstered in Pelle Frau leather. The feet are tapered and covered in leather with brass or gunmetal grey caps, or in solid ash stained wenge or moka.

Specifications

• King size, bed 207 x 236 cm (mattress 193 x 203 cm), low footboard: W 207 cm, D 236 cm, H 119 cm
• Footboards: low, at the level of the sides, or high

Romantic comedies and alcoves

The sheet traces the bed to romantic comedy films of the fifties and, further back, to the sumptuous alcoves of the 1700s. Roberto Lazzeroni imagines it light, feminine and almost twee; the page gives the classic boat bed as the starting point, streamlined with a modern twist, and the sheet calls the reference model a sleigh bed.

Feet and headboard

The page compares the tapered feet, covered in leather with a brass tip, to stiletto heels that lift the bed from the floor. The version with the headboard wrapped in quilted leather, embroidered with fine geometric stitching, is described as a reference to the details of tailoring and leather goods.