Sleeping beauties: How Savoir Beds offer the most luxurious night's sleep

Aside from quality, for something to be considered luxury it needs to combine a great story, the magic of heritage and passion,” muses Alistair Hughes, Managing Director at Savoir Beds. “It must also be unique,” he adds.

Happily marrying all three, Savoir Beds was first established as The Savoy Hotel’s own bed company in 1905 by the hotel’s founder, Richard D’Oyly, and his son Rupert. Created to offer hotel guests the ultimate night’s sleep, a Savoir Beds was made with the utmost comfort in mind. Over the years, many guests insisted on ordering a bed before leaving the hotel and subsequently Savoir Beds was established as an independent company in 1997. “The Savoy Bed, now called the Savoir No 2 Bed, is still our bestseller,” says Hughes.

Each bed is made to client specifications at the brand’s works in west London or South Wales, taking into account everything from the client’s measurements to the support required for sleep posture. “Very few couples share the same clothes, so why would they like the same support from a mattress?” says Hughes.

A single craftsperson works on each mattress to ensure the overall harmony of shape, tension and finish. Made from layering natural materials such as long, loose, curled horsetail, cotton, wool and cashmere, building a Savoir mattress is a highly skilled job. “On completion, each is signed by the craftsperson like a work of art,” says Hughes proudly. 

The attention to detail extends to every component, including box springs, toppers and headboards, with one craftsperson tasked to complete each individual item. It typically takes between 30 to 150 hours to create a bed and significantly more for a bespoke product, which can take many months. “By allowing the craftsperson total creative responsibility, you get the best result — and that’s what we are all about,” says Hughes. 

Savoir Beds sources its materials from all over the world, favouring natural materials such as yak hair from Mongolia and horse tail from South America as they aren’t noxious and are far better than synthetic ones at wicking away moisture and regulating temperature. “Our clients are increasingly concerned about the chemicals in their beds,” says Hughes, “so we tend to use natural materials and avoid heavily processed ones.” 

Although traditional techniques and materials are used, there has been a demand to incorporate new technology, with unusual commissions such as creating a circular bed with a motorised turntable to rotate it at the touch of an iPad. Most design requests, however, involve the headboard and the colour and patterning of the upholstery.

Ensuring the bed designs are distinctive, the company looks to the spheres of art and design for inspiration. This has led to numerous collaborations with designers such as Madeline Weinrib from the US, Teo Yang from South Korea and Arik Levy from France. This year will see a host of new projects, including collaborations with Hong Kong-based designer Steve Leung and British wallpaper brand Fromental. “In the spring, we are launching an incredible collaboration with the National Gallery — I can’t wait,” enthuses Hughes. 

Prices for Savoir Beds start from £7,500. savoirbeds.co.uk