Platform Daybed is a minimalist daybed with an integrated Arcana Lamp designed by Washington, D.C. -based studio Austen / Morris. The lamp slides silently along its track, a gesture so intuitive it feels like an extension of thought itself. This simple movement reveals the deeper philosophy embedded within Austen / Morris Furniture’s Platform daybed – a piece that transforms the ancient ritual of rest into a meditation on Japanese minimalism and contemporary American craft.

Built from solid white oak, the daybed speaks to a lineage that stretches from the spare elegance of traditional Japanese sleeping platforms to the honest material sensibilities of the American studio furniture movement. The wood’s pale grain flows uninterrupted across the frame, each surface bearing the subtle tool marks that distinguish hand-finished work from industrial production. This is craft in dialogue with culture, where the maker’s hand serves not ego but purpose.

The maple slats reveal the designers’ attention to structural poetry. Rather than hidden hardware, each slat nestles into precisely turned dowels, creating a rhythm of connection points that celebrates joinery as ornament. This approach echoes the Japanese principle of sashimono – woodworking without nails – while acknowledging contemporary needs for durability and ease of assembly. The slats’ gentle flex accommodates the traditional futon mattress, honoring the piece’s cultural inspiration while serving modern bodies.