Aspire Olivier Divan Bed Set reviewed

The Aspire Olivier Divan Bed Set is a UK-made divan upholstered in plush velvet, sold through a configurator where you choose the size, one of five colours, the drawers, a deep-buttoned headboard and a mattress. On Aspire’s product page the default build, a 3ft single base shown with two drawers and no headboard or mattress, costs £300.

A divan for colour

Most divans come in grey, oatmeal or cream. The Olivier’s plush velvet runs to grey, marine, pine green, rose and onyx, and the optional headboard has diamond buttoning across its full width. Pair the green or marine base with the matching headboard and the bed becomes the main design element in the room, which is the whole reason to choose it over a linen divan.

The trade-off is the fabric itself. A velvet pile shows the direction it was brushed, holds on to pet hair and feels warmer to the touch than a flat linen weave. If the bed will take daily wear from children or a dog, the linen Grant divan, also made in the UK with the same options, is the practical alternative.

Options and build

Drawers run on metal runners with ball-bearing glides, the base stands on glides, and the headboard is foam padded and fixed with solid wood struts. Aspire says the divan meets UK safety standards, which for upholstered beds means the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. Each bed is made to order: Aspire’s delivery guide quotes 15 to 20 working days for UK-made frames. The warranty is 12 months.

Base only or a full set

You do not have to take a mattress. If yours is in good condition and the right size, order the base, with or without the headboard, and you avoid the biggest surcharge in the configurator. The three mattress options are listed as Ortho, Memory Pocket and Cashmere Pocket, but the configurator gives few details about them, so read each mattress page on the Aspire shop before adding one to the set.