Buying an Auping Cleopatra daybed

Cleopatra and Original are different names

Auping’s own history places the introduction of Dick Cordemeijer’s Cleopatra in 1953, when the company shifted towards mass production. The low, open form is part of its appeal: it can sit along a living-room wall without the bulk of a conventional sofa. The history dates the design, not the particular frame in a listing.^[1]

Auping later used the name Original for another bed. Its 2021 brochure explicitly describes that design as inspired by Cleopatra. This is a useful distinction when searching: an Auping Original listing or a current mattress-and-base recommendation is not automatically documentation for a vintage Cleopatra.^[2]

For the older daybed, ask for a whole frame photograph, any marks and the basis for the stated age. Record renewed paint, replaced wooden ends and upholstery separately. A refreshed frame can be a good everyday choice without being an untouched example of early production.

A two-metre frame can take a shorter mattress

One concrete example is Bij-Ma-Ria’s sold Cleopatra record, SKU 23WM0002. The dealer gives approximate overall dimensions of 200 × 80 × 40 cm and specifies a 190 × 80 cm mattress. Those are the dealer’s measurements for that item, not universal Cleopatra dimensions. The useful lesson is the 10 cm difference between the two stated lengths.^[3]

Ask the seller to measure the actual supporting area and any restriction at the wooden ends. Keep outside length, clear mattress area and the existing pad’s size as three separate fields. The old pad may be undersized, overhanging or a later substitute; copying it blindly can repeat that mistake.

For the measurement method and mattress-maker confirmation, use the vintage bed measurement Guide. A size printed in an unrelated offer should never replace the dimensions of the frame you will receive.

Look under the new cover

The Cleopatra listings considered here combine a metal frame with wooden end details. Before judging an upholstered example, ask for the loose mattress to be lifted so the support and its attachments can be seen. Record the actual support: wire, later boards or another arrangement. Ask what has been replaced, covered over or altered.

Look for broken or detached wire, distortion, corrosion, added boards and previous repairs. A restorer should assess any consequential support problem before you commission a mattress. Extra foam cannot be treated as a repair for an uncertain base, and a smooth new cover tells you very little about what lies beneath it.

Keep the wooden ends in view as well: ask about splits, missing material and replacements where they meet the metal. Ordinary scuffs can be acceptable. A loose end or an altered leg attachment needs a defined repair. For collection, establish whether the long frame remains one rigid piece rather than assuming it will dismantle like a bedstead.

Order for the person as well as the outline

Tell the mattress supplier whether the daybed is mainly a seat, an occasional adult guest bed or your regular bed. The same outline does not settle comfort for all three uses. Ask them to confirm the filling, finished thickness and suitability for the actual support, then try a comparable specification where possible.

A thicker mattress changes the sitting height and how much of the wooden ends remains visible. A loose back cushion changes where you sit on it. Plan those together before approving a fabric order, especially if the compact, low appearance is what drew you to Cleopatra.

Made-to-measure is an available route, but it requires an order specification. For example, Foam Superstore’s mattress page asks for shape, dimensions and foam construction and offers a zipped cover. That establishes a way of commissioning a replacement; it does not show that any listed foam is suitable for your older wire support or intended sleeper.^[4]

Ask for the final covered dimensions, cover fabric, zip access, underside material and care instructions. If the supplier needs a template or the existing cover, confirm whose measurements govern the finished fit. Keep bolsters and decorative cushions as separate items so their price and filling do not disappear into “new upholstery”.

Compare a frame with a finished daybed

A bare frame can be the better choice when you want a particular fabric and have a reliable support-and-upholstery plan. A prepared daybed can be better value when you like the existing work and can verify it. Compare both at the point where they are ready for the same use.

In this example, the cheaper frame ends up €80 dearer. The assumed amounts include tax, both supports are assumed sound, and neither option needs further frame work. Change those assumptions if the actual assessment says otherwise. The calculation is a comparison method, not a statement of today’s Cleopatra market price.

The prepared example only wins this comparison if its mattress suits your use and you actually want its cover and cushions. If you will replace them immediately, put that cost back in. Likewise, an older surface you particularly value may justify paying more for the frame project.

Send the frame and mattress brief together

For the broader question of living with daytime seating that becomes a bed, continue with the daybed Guide. The Cleopatra decision should now rest on an identified frame, a confirmed support and a complete mattress order.