When the weather outside is frightful, it’s a good guess that your heating bills will be too. And while the energy conscious turn their thermostats down at night and throw on a comforter or two, sleeping in winter can still be a drafty experience.

One company wants to make the experience a little cozier. iKamper is a South Korean company whose main business is building shelters for the outdoors, including a rooftop model for automobiles. Their idea is to bring camping indoors with the Room in Room, a tent that you pitch on your bed. Instead of a floor, the tent has stretchy bands that let you attach it to your mattress. The result is a cozy, but bright, enclosed space to sleep or relax in.

The Room in Room retains body heat, allowing the interior to be about ten degrees Fahrenheit higher than the exterior. The designers say the top mesh keeps the air inside fresh while keeping out drafts, regardless of how long you stay inside.

The idea of an enclosed bed is not new. Before the twentieth century, when central heating was unheard of, beds would be enclosed behind curtains, as with the iconically Victorian four-poster bed. This reflected a different approach to warmth as practiced by our ancestors:

These days, we provide thermal comfort in winter by heating the entire volume of air in a room or building. In earlier times, our forebear’s concept of heating was more localized: heating people, not places.

They used radiant heat sources that warmed only certain parts of a room, creating micro-climates of comfort. These people countered the large temperature differences with insulating furniture, such as hooded chairs and folding screens, and they made use of additional, personal heating sources that warmed specific body parts.

It would make a lot of sense to restore this old way of warming, especially since modern technology has made it so much more practical, safe and efficient.

Source: Low Tech Magazine

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The idea for Room in Room came from recent experience. In 2012, South Korea suffered an energy crisis when many of their nuclear power plants were forced to shut down. Faced with skyrocketing electricity costs, people resorted to keeping warm by pitching tents in their homes.

The designers say their indoor tent is not just meant for sleeping in. It comes with straps that let you suspend your book or laptop in a “hammock,” creating a floating desk. There’s even a phone/tablet holder so you can watch videos while lying down. You might just want to stay in your tent until spring!

Update: after a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Room in Room is now available for preorder on their website. Check it out to learn more.