Small spaces: Narrow Staircase Challenge for Mattress

The staircase was a main selling point for the house we purchased.  One look at it, and we were sold.  However, the bedrooms upstairs were small, and we had concerns about whether or not some of our existing furniture would fit.

During the Open House, we couldn’t help but notice that the current owner’s bed never completely made it upstairs.  The box spring was still downstairs, propped up against the dining room wall.  Strange, isn’t it?  It was at least a full size, if not a queen size box spring, which clearly could not fit up the narrow staircase.  We knew we didn’t want a similar problem.

Remember the saying “Measure twice, cut once?”  Well, before placing an offer on the house, we measured the bedrooms and staircase several times.  Then we measured our furniture, over and over, to make sure certain pieces would fit.  We came to the conclusion that the furniture could fit in the rooms, but getting it up the staircase would be a challenge.

The Solution

So, how do you get a mattress and box spring up a small and narrow staircase?  One piece at a time:

Headboard – The headboard was easy.  It fit up the narrow staircase.  Once it was partially up, we flipped it up and over the railing, onto the second floor.  No problem.

Mattress – Although the master bedroom was small, we knew a queen size mattress would fit.  However, getting it up the staircase was another story.  We were reassured that the delivery men could “fold” the mattress, if necessary, to get it upstairs. With a little maneuvering, it went right up the stairs, and over the railing, just like the headboard.

Box Spring – The box spring, on the other hand, could not be folded.  So, we opted for a split box spring.  This means that the box spring comes in two pieces.  It worked like a charm.  The guys moved it up the stairs, and up and over the railing at the top.  Our queen size mattress sits right on top of the split box spring, and you would never know the difference.

Ah, the joys of owning an older home.  So glad everything fits! 🙂

Interested in reading more about small spaces?  Check out the following articles:

Small Spaces: desk ideas

Consider Portable Air Conditioner for Small Spaces

Storage for Small Bathroom

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