Why our sleep experts loved it
After popping into my local Furniture Village showroom to try out the Dice Ottoman Bed Frame, I was left with a very positive first impression. The cube-effect geometric headboard certainly makes a statement. It’s modern and bold, but just as importantly it does not cross the line into gimmicky or cheap-looking. The effect works, and the ottoman itself felt like it would be a stylish focal point rather than a design that would look dated in a year or two.
On the pricing side, it is in that “mid-range” bracket that requires a little more considered purchasing decision than your bog-standard IKEA bed. At the time of writing, the Dice ottoman was typically in the mid–hundreds bracket with the double at around the mid-£800s and the king at just under £900 depending on fabric and any promotions, so not a budget frame by any means but certainly not designer prices either. Considering it is handmade in the UK by Highgrove and exclusive to Furniture Village, the value-for-money score is reasonably strong if you like the look.
Availability was a bit patchy on the size and colour options I wanted to try, there is a couple of weeks or more lead time in most cases and the online customer reviews were very limited but overall, my first key takeaway was that the Dice ottoman bed frame is a smart, modern choice that I feel will suit a lot of contemporary bedrooms.
Design & build The big feature of the Dice ottoman is, of course, the statement headboard. The bold geometric pattern of deep rectangles and columns gives a grid-like effect, so from the front the headboard almost looks like a series of padded cubes. In reality it looks more sophisticated than the online pictures do, especially in the richer velvet fabrics where the light catches the pile of the fabric. Overall it instantly makes the bed feel like a designer piece without being showy or overly fussy.
The frame is upholstered in a range of high-quality fabrics including chunky velvets and plainer weave cottons in shades like Onyx, Corn and Pacific, so you can either go relatively subtle and neutral or go all-out for maximum colour impact. The upholstery felt well-finished around the edges with no obvious puckering and the padded headboard gave a properly cushioned feel when I leaned back against it.
The base is a standard-sized ottoman box with wooden slatted mattress support platform and wood feet. The slatted support will help your mattress breath better and will also give it a slightly springier feel compared to a solid platform top. The wooden feet are quite small but nicely finished and do help raise the whole frame so it does not look quite so blocky.
The build quality felt OK for the price bracket. This is not a massive heavy-duty hotel frame by any means, but on the other hand it did not feel cheap or flimsy in the showroom. The side rails have a nice thickness, the headboard is solid and there was no creaking or rattling from the frame when I sat in different places along it. Furniture Village also offer a 20-year structural guarantee on the bed frame, which is reassuring.
Assembly & setup Furniture Village do offer a “Premier” two-person delivery service that will take the bed into your chosen room for you, and as standard for bed frames they can also assemble it for you as part of the service in most cases. Realistically if you don’t opt for this there will be some self-assembly with the usual business of attaching the headboard, side rails, foot end and the slatted support mechanism according to the instructions.
The part to take care with is the ottoman mechanism itself. The gas-lift is end-opening so the mattress comes up from the foot of the bed. The store signage and product info is actually quite clear that you should keep hands away from the moving parts when opening and closing the bed, and I would second that. It is not complicated, but you do need to follow the safety advice properly when putting the bed together and using it day to day.
The ottoman struts did not look particularly premium or heavy-duty when I looked at them in the store, compared to other cheaper ottomans that is. Not to say they feel cheap or weak, just that visually they are fairly standard looking components. I suspect the long-term durability is more about sensible usage and not overloading the storage than any obvious build upgrade.
Comfort & practicality The Dice ottoman frame does not change the feel of your mattress that much, but the slatted base does give a slightly springier, more cushioned feel compared to a solid platform. On the medium-firm hybrid mattress in the store the overall feel was still supportive but with a hint of bounce, while on the pocket sprung mattress it felt nicely lifted but not overly soft. The frame itself also felt stable with no obvious flex or noise from the structure when I sat on it or pushed my weight to one side.
The headboard is where the comfort comes into its own. The deep cushioning and padded panels make it comfortable to sit up in bed with one or two pillows for back support, which is ideal if you read or browse on your phone before sleep. The geometric pattern means you get a series of smaller padded zones rather than a single big flat panel, and in reality it actually feels more comfy than it looks, particularly in the softer plush fabrics.
In practical terms, the surrounding upholstered rails are fairly slimline, so you do not lose a huge area of mattress space to bulky side rails. The end-opening design does mean you need some clearance at the foot of the bed to raise the base up fully, so the frame suits longer rooms better than very tight spaces where the end of the bed is right up against a wall or radiator.
Storage The Dice ottoman is designed as a full-storage model, so the area under the mattress becomes a single large compartment. There is masses of room inside for bedding, out-of-season clothes, and those “we need a home for this” items that tend to clutter wardrobes and drawers. The panel at the base sits close to the floor so nothing gets dusty and the footprint of the storage space is basically the same as the bed itself.
To get access to the storage, there is a manual gas-lift mechanism at the foot end of the bed. Once it is moving the action feels fairly controlled, but as with all manual ottomans the effort needed to lift it will vary according to the weight of your mattress. With a standard foam or hybrid mattress it should be do-able for most people, but if you have a very heavy deep mattress you may struggle to raise it fully without two hands and a bit of effort.
The struts themselves did not look particularly more robust than those on cheaper ottomans to me, so be gentle with it when loading the storage space and follow the usual advice of not sitting on the foot end when opening. If you know you will be opening and closing the bed several times a day, you might want to look at the electric version of the Dice ottoman instead, which uses a powered lift mechanism and is a lot more expensive, but pretty much effortless to use.
Everyday use In terms of day-to-day practicalities, the Dice ottoman should be reasonably easy to live with. The slatted base will help with airflow and moisture, which is good for both mattress longevity and hygiene. Wooden feet and upholstered sides also mean there are no sharp metal edges to trip over or catch your shins when you walk past in the dark.
The fabric upholstery will need a bit of care, particularly the plush velvet varieties. The care advice is to vacuum using a soft brush attachment, avoid strong sunlight where possible, and to expect some flattening and pile shading over time, particularly on high-contact areas like the base edge. If you are a spill magnet, you might be better going for a darker plain weave fabric than a pale velvet.
Availability and lead time are also worth bearing in mind. On the website most standard size and fabric combinations are quoted as around 14 days for delivery, but in reality it can take several weeks for some colours, sizes or depending on your location. You also have to pay a delivery charge for large items of furniture, so factor that into your overall budget from the start.
Who it suits Style-conscious buyers who still want value. If you want your bed to be a proper statement piece without wandering into overly ornate or whimsical territory, the Dice headboard is a great halfway point. It feels modern and substantial, but works in a fairly minimal room too.
Anyone desperate for hidden storage. The full-size ottoman base gives you a lot of extra capacity without having to add more furniture to the room, which is great for flats and smaller homes where storage is at a premium.
People who like a cushioned headboard. If you read, watch TV or work from bed, the generous padding makes a real difference to comfort compared to thin upholstered headboards.
Who it might not suit Very tight bedrooms. Because it is an ottoman and opens at the end, you need space at the foot of the bed to lift the mattress up fully. If your bed is right up against a wall or large chest of drawers this could get annoying in everyday use.
Anyone with reduced strength or mobility who will be opening it constantly. The manual gas-lift is fine for occasional use and with an average-weight mattress, but it is not effortless. If you will be accessing the storage several times a day and want it to be easy, the pricier electric version is likely to be a better match.
Buyers expecting heavy-duty hardware for a mid-range price. The frame and upholstery feel good for the money, but the gas struts look almost identical to what you see on cheaper models. If you want industrial-grade hardware you would need to step up to a more expensive ottoman or accept a much simpler-looking bed.
Final verdict Overall, the Sleep Story Dice Ottoman Bed Frame is a decent proposition if you want a stylish, contemporary ottoman without having to spend a four-figure sum. The geometric “dice” headboard looks genuinely striking in the real thing, the upholstery choices are attractive and the storage space is generous and practical.
It is not without its flaws. The gas-lift mechanism, while serviceable, is not a huge upgrade over the cheaper alternatives and the fact that not all size and colour combinations are always in stock, with lead times that can stretch into several weeks, will annoy impatient shoppers. All the same, the UK build, solid-feeling frame and the long structural guarantee do help justify the price tag.
If you are happy with a manual ottoman and fall in love with the headboard, the Dice ottoman is well worth adding to your shortlist. If you are more focused on ultra-heavy-duty hardware or a near-effortless opening and closing, it may be worth either stretching to the electric Dice model or looking at simpler ottomans where more of the budget has gone into the lifting mechanism rather than the headboard design.
Why you can trust WantMattress
We spend hours testing (and/or researching) every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about
how we test .
