the circular argument

Major European design names - from high-end Poltrona Frau of Italy to Sweden's ubiquitous Ikea - are producing variations on the theme. Some even offer revolving versions, while others are made from plush, pliant leather. Alberto Frias (www.albertofrias.com), a Nevada-based architect, has created the Transport Perceptual Pod for design-savvy individuals. Frias describes the bed (right; US$12,000) as 'a commissioned piece of functional art'. The fibreglass components are hand made, each bed is signed and numbered and all materials, colours and finishes can be made according to the buyer's specifications. Once inside, owners are treated to a 'sensual light, sound and space environment'. Extras include a temperature-controlled, water-filled mattress.

More conventional is the Lullaby Due bed (left) by Poltrona Frau (www.frauusa.com), which costs US$10,900, mattress included. The Lullaby was created by Luigi Massoni in 1968 and the designs were recently fished out of the company's archives and given a contemp-orary spin. Its semi-circular headboard has winged edges, giving it a sleek and modern look, while the headboard is upholstered in leather and available in dozens of colours.

German company Ruf-Bett International (www.ruf-betten.de) has the Circolo, a round bed that sits on stainless-steel legs and has glass side tables attached. Cranium Furniture (www.craniumfurniture.com) in Lincolnshire, Illinois, has the Sercio, a round bed that comes in a choice of 14 metal finishes, and includes the mattress, headboard, linens and bedding for US$3,500.

Cheaper still is the Sultan Sandane from Ikea (US$1,550; www.ikea.com), a simple round bed that easily sleeps two and comes with a wooden base spring mattress, steel legs and fitted sheets in 100 per cent cotton. It's not a space-age pod but it will take design buffs to the top of a new trend in sleeping.