The question of sleeping well has never been more valued. With hoteliers and developers designing hotels and destinations specifically for sleep tourism, King Living – lauded for their expertise in modular furniture – hosted an intimate night of respite at Bunker Byron Bay, designed by FutureFlip. The 36-hour sleep retreat was organised to showcase and tangibly demonstrate their latest range of bed designs. The retreat embraced the phenomenon of living well, featuring reflexology massages, sleep consultations, an abundance of sauna sessions and gastronomy plated by some of Byron Bay’s most revered restaurateurs.
Set within dual houses that contrast yet complement each other dreamily, the first adopts a coastal aesthetic with neutral tones and textures in abundance. In contrast, the second house sits pencil-sharp against the sky, moulded from concrete and timber, and takes the notion of hygge to new heights with a yoga studio, sauna and cold plunge perched atop the house. The attention to continuity between spaces and levels is evident in both, with sculptural spiral staircases connecting the levels. The first house features a void that climbs from the ground floor to the ceiling, running adjacent to a mezzanine-level bedroom (it feels too grand to be called an attic), while the second house fosters connection between levels through sections of walkable glass flooring.
Following afternoon reflexology massages and sleep consultations to understand our individual idiosyncrasies with sleep, Perrier-Jouët flowed into our champagne flutes before we were seated for a three-course meal cooked by the revered chefs behind Three Blue Ducks. A notable evening was marked by a speech from Sarah Joyce, Head of Content & Communications at King Living, which resonated with everyone. The King Living team harkens and upholds the words of founder David King, maintaining the family-orientated identity of the brand, even amid global expansion. This sparked curiosity at the table, leading us to huddle around one of the newly released motion bed ranges to understand its point of difference — a spontaneous and unplanned moment. With satisfied bellies and happy hearts, we climbed into our beds, which had been customised to our preferences via a survey sent a week in advance. As someone who runs warm, my choice of a cool overlay ensured the perfect night’s sleep.
The motion bed range by King Living allows users to elevate the mattress head or foot independently, achieving the preferred comfort level for sleep, reading or relaxation. Precision-engineered hydraulics ensure exceptionally quiet and smooth movement, while a wireless remote control offers easy operation.
Related: Timeless design, endless possibilities by King Living
Complementing the new bed design releases is the Sleep+ Mattress Collection. After lacerating open a traditional mattress following an uncomfortable night’s sleep, Founder David King found the materials inside were tightly sewn together, lacking the flexibility to adapt and conform to the body. David became determined to design a customisable mattress that supported movement. The Sleep+ Mattress allows customers to tailor their mattress to their exact preferences. This modular sleep system, composed of multiple layers, can be adjusted to become firmer, softer, warmer or cooler, adapting to changing seasons and personal needs. David King explains: “Instead of replacing their mattress as preferences change, customers can simply unzip, reverse and add layers to customise their support and comfort.”
King Living’s fastidious proclivity to designing a vacillating bed range led them to launch the Split Dual Comfort Layer as part of its mattress offering. Perfect for couples, it offers the ability to cherry-pick different firmness levels on each half of the mattress, which come together in the centre for balanced support. For added versatility, the mattress can be flipped to swap the firmness levels to the opposite side, ensuring that each partner can enjoy their preferred level of support no matter which side of the bed they prefer to sleep on.
As the rain continued to patter down, it may have been the first time in a long while that I felt truly well-rested, cocooned in a bed designed with such precision. The experience was nothing short of restorative, a reminder that luxury rests (no pun intended) in the details.
Next up: Memories and art to fill each corner at CLO Studios’ Villa des Fleurs