About Canopy Beds
Four Posters
The canopy bed - usually known as a four poster bed in the UK - can add an extra element of style and luxury to even the best bedroom. Some hotels use canopy beds in their
top of the range best rooms. In the US the Bel Air canopy bed is one popular example of this bedroom furniture style.
The most popular canopy bed sizes are queen and king. You can buy them in full, twin or even single sizes, however these smaller versions are less common and the proportions tend to look a little strange. They always remind me of hospital beds.
What Is A Canopy Bed?
The name refers simply to any bed, usually wood or metal such as wrought iron, which is covered by a suspended cloth canopy. They come in a huge range of styles and you can usually buy the canopy as a set or separately from the bed itself, allowing you to create the perfect ensemble for your bedroom. Make you you know exactly what you're getting, especially when you buy online - like the bedding, the canopy itself is very often not included in the price of the bed.
Most specially built canopy beds will have a "canopy frame" above them from which the fabric will drape. This drape - often referred to as the curtains - is usually rectangular, tracing the outlines of the bed itself, however variations exist such as a circular frame above the middle of the bed. It can be as simple as a piece of net or as luxurious as pure silk.
The canopy frame is usually supported by four posts, one at each corner of the bed. Hence the name four poster or four post bed. Sometimes these posts are plain, sometimes they are themselves ornately carved. An alternative style has a smaller canopy that just covers the top of the bed to protect the sleepers' heads.
Apart from the presence of the hanging curtains and posters, canopy beds can vary tremendously. You can buy them in a huge variety of styles from mahogany wood to iron and steel, from medieval gothic to minimalist modern or lush romantic designs.
DIY
If you're a DIY / home improvement fan then it's possible to add your own canopy cover to an existing bed by simply fixing posts to the corners and draping your choice of fabric over the top. If you're planning to try a project like this then take care and be sure to review all the relevant safety advice - a badly fixed canopy and supports that come crashing down on the sleepers could be very dangerous.An alternative approach - if the position of the bed is unlikey to change - is to fix rings to the ceiling above the bed and attach the curtain to these.
Next: History >>>