Housing
Now Entering Sleepopolis
How did America become a nation of mattress stores?
“Ready for bed?” the sign asked, cheekily. It was 2 p.m. on a Saturday, but suddenly, I figured I was. I had followed the signs that exclaimed “Sensational in bed!” and “An all-night romp!” around a corner in downtown New York City, all the way into the Sleep Shop—the first brick-and-mortar store from online mattress retailer Casper.
The Noho space was like a tiny, twilit Ikea. Pastel-hued huts were arranged like a village. Rays of (artificial) light refracted through slats in their ceilings. Bedside lamps emitted soft glows. Palm-tree-shaped clouds floated up the walls. Flamingo slippers and succulents framed beds piled high with blue duvets. “Lie down wherever,” a rep told me. I did. Sensational.