Eye For Design: Decorating With Canopy Beds

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Decorating With Canopy Beds

I have slept under a canopy for three decades. I bought my first one in 1982 and have never looked back. I simply adore them and the elegance they bring to any room whether your style is 18th century Louis XVI, traditional, or more contemporary.

The canopy bed came into existence more for utilitarian means rather than for extravagance or decadence. Canopy beds with curtains that could completely enclose the bed were used by lords and noblemen in medieval Europe for warmth and privacy, as their attendants often slept in the same room. Originally, curtains were hung from the ceiling, but as the bed evolved, a frame was added to support a canopy, or "tester," from which the curtains hung.

Lucky for us today's canopy bed is to be enjoyed for the refinement and beauty it brings to the room

A canopy bed often gives a bedroom a romantic, almost enchanted sensation with luxurious fabrics draping from post to post. However, a modern canopy can also spin that effect, altering it dramatically. The frame of the canopy can consist of metal or chrome polished to an industrial shine, or even mirrors. And the fabric doesn't always drape gracefully from the frame, but hangs in a very tailored, minimalist manner.

I tried to find as many styles as I could so that if you are considering buying one you could get an idea or two on how they can be dressed. Hope you enjoy the post. There is something for everybody