Customer Story: Custom Tatami Mats for a Wooden Bed Frame in Auckland, New Zealand

Discovering Tatami on a Trip to Japan

Every custom order has a story, and this one began with a family trip to Japan. Staying in a room with traditional tatami flooring, our customer experienced firsthand how comfortable it is to sleep on a futon laid over tatami — and the feeling stayed with them long after they returned home to Auckland, New Zealand.

Not long after, they purchased a new wooden bed frame and got in touch with TOKYO TATAMI MAKER with an idea: instead of a standard mattress, they wanted to recreate that same authentic tatami sleeping experience at home.

The Request: Tatami Instead of a Mattress

Rather than placing a mattress on the frame, our customer wanted to lay tatami mats directly inside the bed frame, with a shikifuton (Japanese futon) placed on top. Along with their inquiry, they sent a photo of the bed frame and precise measurements of the frame’s inner dimensions.

The goal was simple but exacting: tatami mats custom-made to fit the inner frame perfectly, with no gaps or overhang.

Order Details

Our Proposal: Zen Series in a Two-Tone Checkerboard Layout

Based on the measurements, we arranged the six mats in an alternating checkerboard pattern, fitting precisely within the bed frame.

To make the pattern really pop, each mat’s weave direction was rotated 90 degrees from its neighbors — a traditional layout technique that adds visual depth and beautifully catches the light. The result paired the warm tone of the wooden frame with the soft Flax and Sakura colors, blending Japanese craftsmanship with a natural, Scandinavian-inspired bedroom aesthetic.

From Our Workshop to Auckland

Once the design was confirmed, we moved through production, careful packing, and international shipping. The custom mats were shipped directly from our factory in Japan, making their way safely across the ocean to our customer’s home in New Zealand.

What Our Customer Had to Say

Shortly after the tatami mats arrived, our customer laid them straight into the bed frame and shared a photo of the finished setup along with this warm feedback:

“The mats look very nice on the bed frame. Loved the weaving and the quality. Fits perfectly on the bedframe. Liked the colour options as well.”

This success story highlights that custom production makes it entirely possible to perfectly fit authentic tatami into modern homes and unique furniture, even outside of Japan.

Custom Tatami for Homes Around the World

At TOKYO TATAMI MAKER, we craft made-to-measure tatami customized to your room size, bed frame size, and lifestyle. Customers can easily choose colors, materials, and thickness depending on their space.

For example, our custom tatami can be beautifully used for:

Bed frames
Meditation and yoga rooms
Living room rugs or seating areas
Children’s play spaces
Shikifuton sleeping areas

Bring the comfort of Japanese tatami to your home, wherever you are. Please feel free to contact us about custom sizes, colors, and international shipping.

▼ Explore the Zen Series featured in this project

ZEN series