Description

Back in the days, wealthy people wouldaddtheir luxuriously carved canopy beds to the will, leavingtheirbeloved dreamland to be enjoyed and admired by futuregenerations.Now, we get to enjoy past examples and contribute ourown designsto the history of this fascinating bed.
Wealthy or not, we all dream
First built as a functional furniture item, the canopy bedbecamethe canvas for inspiring carvings and design interpretationsindifferent upscale residences. From four poster beds withcurtainsthat kept warmth in and noise out to ornate canopy beds ofthewealthy, this fairly simple bed design has seen a revivalincontemporary interior design.
Maybe you love the look of a canopy bed, but can't afford to buynewfurniture. (Hey, beds are expensive). Or maybe you really likeyourcurrent bed, but want to give it a bit of a romanticmakeover.Here's an Apartment Therapy guide to DIYing your way tocanopybliss.

An easy way to get the canopy bed look is to hang curtainsfroman L-shaped drapery rod that's been mounted to the ceiling. Inthiscase, the curtains can't be drawn around the bed, butyoudefinitely get that romantic look. I love how, in this examplefromthe Dream Home, the ceiling above the bed (and the wall behindtheheadboard) have been painted to contrast with the rest of theroom.It creates a sort of optical illusion where the ceiling abovethebed becomes the canopy.

Here are a few more variations on this look. The bed on thelefthas a full canopy frame hung from the ceiling. If you reallycravethe look of a full tester and curtains, this is a great way togetit without buying a canopy bed. The example on the right issimilarto the one above, but in this case, the curtain rods thatthedrapes are hung from extends the full length of the bed,whichallows you to draw the drapes closed if you want to getreallycozy.

There's also the option of hanging curtains only over the headofthe bed. I'm partial to the setup on the left because itonlyrequires mounting a u-shaped rod on the wall above the bed.Thearrangement on the right is a little more complicated, but withabig dramatic payoff.

From Better Homes and Gardens: drape a piece of fabric overtwoswing-arm curtain rods, mounted on either side of
You can mount a single hoop or curtain rod to the ceiling inthemiddle of your bed and drape fabric from it over the ends ofyourbed. This works best if the long side of your bed faces a wall,andif the headboard and foot board are roughly the same height.

The Antique Drapery Rod Co. has diagrams showing all kindsofdifferent canopy arrangements, and the hardware you'll needtocreate them.

From Country Living, a clever idea for bedrooms withslopingceilings.

And finally, a completely modern take on a canopy — a largepieceof boldly-patterned fabric suspended over the bed. (If youlookclosely, you can see the fabric is hung from ropes threadedthroughgrommets at the corners. I'm guessing the ropes are tied tohooks inthe corners of the ceiling.) I love how the fabric adds apop ofcolor in an otherwise minimal room.

And now that you're full of ideas...time to get crafting.

With this in mind, we return to our reality. Now that summerisover and we hurry towards wintertime, outdoor canopy beds areputaside for an encounter with cozy canopy beds in thebedroom.Feathered beds used to be frameless bags filled withfeathers thathad to be fluffed every morning. Now we indulge insoft but sturdymattresses with luxurious bed sheets under breezycanopies.