I would recommend a higher bed whether ensemble or any style of base with top mattress or pillow top. I have had serious spinal injuries since 25 (I'm now 40) I would advise any bed reaching around 70cm in height regardless off style. There are a few things that I would advise, overall height around 70cm or a little more, most important to consider is comfort. Do not worry about aesthetics when choosing bed as your sleep is more important to your overall health. So if you can afford the more comfortable bed go for it. As for putting on sheets etc, the weight off mattresses is not really a big deal as it is your sleep comfort that is important. With pillow top mattress with a fitted sheet needing a 45cm fitted sheet are easy to find and purchase from same place bed is purchased. In Australia all bed sheet supplies are available for pillow top with 45cm drop fitted. Percale last longer and are around $100 per set and 1000 thread count. Spotlight have great sales and choices as well as Pillow Talk. I have found Adair's to be quite expensive in comparison but that is up to you to decide. I hope you have many a restful nights sleep. But do not worry about weight of mattress as you need your sleep to live healthy and it is an investment for around ten years so how it looks and weight of mattress should be last on list. Designers may disagree, but our bedrooms are normally our sanctuaries and it is rather easy to make any bed style work for you and decorate to your style.

Ah...the bed curtain! I've wanted a four poster for years. As a little girl living on Nauru Island where my Father was head engineer in the phosphate mines...Mum and I were shipped up when, after WWII, all was sanitised and there were two "European settlements"...pre fab cottages available for the families. I loved island life..running around in the nuddy with a whole little gang of 2-5 yr olds of chocolate and vanilla kids...delicious! Unfortunately the giant mozzies found the vanilla kids to be quite delicious too and I'd come out in these horrible bolis. Dad mad me a square double sized four poster bed...painted dark blue and Mum, who was obliged to sew all our clothes...(no shops on Nauru) made a canopy of mosquito netting to cover the top and enclose the sides of my bed...the netting would tuck in under the mattress all the way round...and I became a moth in a crysalis for the night. The idea of the square bed was to allow me to stretch and roll and never be near the edge..sadly.it didn't work! My mozzie bites became infected, I endured penecillin injections in mozzie season and, during te day I wore nylon neck to knee PJs from then onmwards. Have no idea what Mum was thinking, such sweltering remedies against the mossies...cocooned at night by heavy cotton netting and totally covered by day in the hottest/latest fabric available. Life became miserable./ We moved back to Melbourne...and life went on. No mre fairytales...until I bought a 1924 old timber cottage in a very cold climate....wishe I had that 4 poster. Instead, since the VJ board ceiling shed fine dust on me during the night, I sewed a canopy to drape the whole ceiling in Arabian Mights style...it works as a dust catcher...and I fear, as a spider haven as well....bit its lovely with all the coloured lights above it and the mirror ball central light holding it up ibn the middle so it drapes from all four corners. DUST did I say? Yes, unfortunately it requires a lot of spraying and laundering ...but its worth it to me! LOVE my "Ceiling Curtain". The best feature is that it hides the dark VJ's on the ceiling...lucky its a 10ft 6inch high one...until I can get it plastered....and then insulated. I would do it all over again even in a brand new home. Its lovely and at the same time contributes to the practical aesthetics and the necessary "make do's" of having a limite budget. Soon though, soon, I'll be colouring the world!

Just a few inspiration photos for you, I guess you have to choose wisely living in the tropics, keeping it simple could look beautiful, gorgeous bedding, bedside tables, lamps or even pendants, a large rug under the bed could look gorgeous and of course bring some of the fabulous tropical plants in to complete the picture

Yes (unfortunately) you're dreaming with the endeavour to raise the house, change/reno the upper levels AND develop a whole new lower level for $250K.......UNLESS potentially it's a DIY project. Practically Impossible in a professionally contracted scenario. It's closer to $400Kmin thing Also if you are removing bedrooms for the sake of larger living it's not a very cost effective proposal in that you're essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul from a property value point of view. It would be arguably a cheaper option to consider a new living/kitchen dining extension, rather than a raise/complete floor plan overhaul You're provably best to get some pro design assistance to help sift through your options Good luck PD