Short answer: Our Ara bed comes in one brown. Espresso is a very dark brown upholstered in Performance Chenille, rated at 48,000 Martindale rubs, with removable, machine-washable covers. Crumble is a warm greige, not a brown, and our Sage, Cobblestone and light neutral options are not browns either, so Espresso is the one to choose if you want a brown bed.
A dark, warm bed is a good base for a calm bedroom, because deep tones keep the room quiet. The sections below cover what Espresso is made of, how to clean it, which frame and headboard to pair it with and how to set it in a restful room.
On This Page
- What brown option does the Ara bed come in?
- Espresso: the upholstered brown
- Which Ara frame and headboard suit an Espresso bed?
- How do you build a calm bedroom around a brown bed?
- Is the Ara bed easy to assemble?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our bedroom range
What brown option does the Ara bed come in?
We offer one brown on the Ara bed. It sits on a steel frame with 15 mm laminated veneer lumber slats, like our other Ara beds. Here is how it compares with the other dark and warm colours on the same page.
What brown option does the Ara bed come in?
| Colour | Fabric | Martindale rubs | Look |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | Performance Chenille | 48,000 | A very dark brown with a soft texture |
| Sage | Performance Chenille | 48,000 | A deep green |
| Cobblestone | Performance Chenille | 48,000 | A mid grey |
| Crumble | Aquaforte Velvet | More than 200,000 | A soft, warm greige |
Only Espresso is a true brown. Our guide to the best fabric for an upholstered headboard compares every Ara fabric.
Espresso: the upholstered brown
Espresso is one of three chenille colours on the Ara bed. We describe it as a very dark brown, and it suits a bedroom with plenty of daylight or warm lamps.
Chenille is a good all-round fabric for a bed. It is rated at 48,000 Martindale rubs, which is the number of rubs a fabric takes in a lab test before it shows wear. The covers on the frame and the headboard come off, so you can wash them instead of scrubbing the bed.
- Washing: machine wash the cover cold on a gentle cycle and air dry. Avoid bleach, wringing and high temperatures. Only the cover is washable. The foam, panels, steel frame and hardware are not.
- Pets: in our own assessment, Performance Chenille is Good for pets. Claws can occasionally catch the fabric, so it is not as scratch-resistant as our Aquaforte Velvet. Darker colours also tend to conceal dark pet hair better. Our pet-friendly sofa guide explains how we rate each fabric.
- Changing it later: compatible replacement covers are sold separately, so you can change colour without replacing the steel frame.
Seam finishes depend on the headboard and the colour, so check the configurator for Espresso before you plan around channel tufting.
Which Ara frame and headboard suit an Espresso bed?
Espresso is offered in Full, Queen and King, with the same published weight limits as our other Ara beds: 272 kg for Full, 363 kg for Queen and 408 kg for King. These are total loads, not per-person ratings.
Which Ara frame and headboard suit an Espresso bed?
| Choice | Espresso (upholstered) |
|---|---|
| Headboards | Round and Square, about 89 cm (35 inches) high; Pillow, about 93 cm (36.6 inches); Extended, about 102 cm (40 inches) |
| Frames | Round or Square, each with or without storage |
| Storage | Four drawers, two on each side |
| Cover care | Removable covers |
A Queen drawer holds about 65 L, a Full drawer about 53 L and a King drawer about 81 L. The drawers open from the sides, so leave room beside the bed.
For the cleanest silhouette, pair a Round or Square headboard with a regular seam. A Pillow headboard is better if you sit up to read, but it makes the assembled Queen and King bed about 11.4 cm (4.5 inches) deeper. Our Ara customization guide shows every headboard and frame dimension.
Our Ara bed starts from $1,585 AUD on our product page, and the price depends on the size, frame, headboard and storage you pick. We include a 30-day free trial and a 5-year warranty for manufacturer defects, as listed on the product page.
How do you build a calm bedroom around a brown bed?
Keep contrast low and let texture do the work. As general advice, not a product specification, pick two or three tones that sit close together, so nothing in the room competes for attention.
- Espresso: the dark, cosy option. Keep the walls and bedding in warm, quiet tones, and give the room daylight or warm lamps so the headboard does not feel heavy.
- Texture: chenille against smooth bedding keeps a quiet palette from looking flat.
- Bedding: keep it in one colour family so the bed stays the focal point.
For a living room that matches the bedroom, our guide to brown sofas and sofa beds covers Espresso and the other browns we offer, and our sofa colour guide shows how to choose between them. Free swatches let you see the fabric colours in your own light before you order.
Is the Ara bed easy to assemble?
The main frame assembles without tools. It has four steel sections joined by corner legs and hand-tightened screws, and the upholstered panels fold and clip on. If you choose storage, the drawers are assembled with the Allen key that comes with the bed. Some steps are manageable alone, but the assembly guide recommends two adults for the larger pieces, so plan for help. Our unboxing and assembly guide lists the boxes and the order to open them.
Our recommendation
Choose by how you want to live with the bed.
- Choose Espresso if you want a very dark brown, a soft texture and a cover you can wash.
- Choose a Round or Square headboard for a calm, minimal look, and a Pillow headboard if you sit up in bed.
- Choose Crumble, Cobblestone or Sage instead if you want a warm greige, a mid grey or a deep green rather than a brown.
- Add storage only if you have room to open the side drawers.
Order free swatches for Espresso first, because a dark colour looks different at night than it does on screen.
Explore our bedroom range
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.