Reddit reviews Zinus Mia Modern Studio 14 Inch Platform 1500H Metal Bed Frame With Headboard, Queen
We found 5 Reddit comments about Zinus Mia Modern Studio 14 Inch Platform 1500H Metal Bed Frame With Headboard, Queen. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Strong mattress support with 10 wood slats prevents sagging and increases mattress lifeAssembles easily in minutesDimensions: 81" X 60" X 14", 66.8 lb Headboard Height: 38"Foam padded tape is added to the steel frame for noise free use and non slip tape on the wooden slats prevents your mattress from movingHeadboard and frame combine for stylish mattress support, 5 year worry free limited warranty
Alright my man. Since you have such a low budget ($700) but don't want your apartment to look like crap, your best bet is going to be minimalism. You're in a great sub for minimalist inspiration. Take this recent post, for example. Not everyone was super impressed, but I'd say he did pretty good for a budget of $195. At the very least we can say with 100% certainty that it looks better than the average undergrad apartment.
I took the liberty of checking out the Halifax craigslist offerings and they are far and few between. However, I did find a potentially decent desk: see here. You might be able to haggle down the price a little with some luck. Otherwise, you might want to look at Amazon for desks (example 1 and example 2). For a desk chair, you could look at Amazon, but you might be better off going somewhere local (even if you go to Walmart) because you want to make sure a desk chair is going to be comfortable.
For a mattress, I'd again suggest Amazon. I'm just not sure you're going to find any better deals than what they have to offer. Mattress buying also involves a lot of personal preference, but "big box" mattress stores are incredibly overpriced. It seems that memory foam mattresses (such as this) are the most inexpensive, so I would look around Amazon to see what you think you'll like. I think I saw a mattress for as little as $99.^(though personally, I'm not sure I'd trust it...) Keep in mind that you will either need (a) a box spring and bed frame or (b) a platform bed in addition to the mattress. With your budget, a platform bed will probably be your best bet. You can even get one with a "headboard" for pretty cheap (the headboard will definitely up your apartment's style a little bit and keep it further away from "garbage apartment of undergrad" level): see here and here.
Alright, I'll break down what we've done so far. I'm in the US and don't know that much about Canadian dollars, so I'm doing this in USD - hopefully it's close:
That leaves you around $150 for other items. I assume you have basic human needs covered (bed sheets-do not sleep on a bare mattress!- and towels), so you could use this money for more furniture or for decor. I would probably try get some attractive and functional bedding (please do not get anything polyester!) in a minimalist pattern. Ikea is really unbeatable for this - see here and here. For a couch, I would either consider Amazon or start scouring Craigslist every day. I would probably forego a coffee table until you have other things that will improve your quality of life (dining chair/table, television, etc.); you really don't need one.
Anyway, these are just a couple of suggestions. Hope this helps!
The bed frame is from Amazon. Not sure which one off the top of my head but was less than $200.
Edit: found it, even cheaper than I remembered
ATM, metal joints that seem to be soldered together. I'm looking at this option. - but still seeing complaints about squeaking. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/cr/B01B8GQAOO/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_hist_5?filterByStar=five_star&pageNumber=1
sorta kinda.
You absolutely do not need the Casper foundation specifically for the Casper mattress, the foundations are all pretty similar. These look marked up a lot, even compared to traditional retail.
I don't recommend the Zinus mattresses, but their foundations / frames / storage frames are pretty good & inexpensive, and I've heard good nothing but things about them:
https://www.amazon.com/Zinus-SmartBase-Foundation-Replacement-Noise-Free/dp/B006MIUM20/
https://www.amazon.com/Zinus-Platform-Mattress-Foundation-Headboard/dp/B01B8GQAOO/
https://www.amazon.com/Zinus-Standing-Mattress-Foundation-Platform/dp/B07D7J77VL/
Check Casper's latest terms to see what restrictions (if any) they have on the mattress return policy (visible damage and not using a foundation typically invalidates the warranty / return policy of a few bed in a box offerings). They might specify slats or something like that.
The foundation you choose will affect the feel of the mattress to some extent, but not a lot. The main thing you can do with the foundation to make the whole experience a bit firmer (if you end up wanting that) is to build or buy a bunkie board (which is basically just a sheet of plywood between the mattress and the foundation).
And if it's not obvious, huge gaps in the slats are going to cause some wear and tear on the mattress. For example, a 4"-6" gap is fine (12" is not).