7 Ways With a Canopy Bed That Don’t Involve Frills
The modern four-poster bed is more streamlined than its elaborate ancestor but still brings the drama
If your bedroom is large enough to handle it, making a focal point of the bed is one way to go — and a canopy bed can fill the bill. Whereas antique designs tend toward dark wood and lots of fabric, today’s versions are cool, contemporary and largely curtain-free.
And if your bedroom is too large (or average-size and lacking in furniture), then selecting this style of bed can be a stylish way to fill the space without adding clutter. Take a look at these four-poster designs for inspiration.
And if your bedroom is too large (or average-size and lacking in furniture), then selecting this style of bed can be a stylish way to fill the space without adding clutter. Take a look at these four-poster designs for inspiration.
2. Let your wallpaper shine. The glamorous canopy bed in this elegant room, in contrast, is all about the drama.
The large, high-ceilinged space calls for a big bed, but one that doesn’t block the beautiful wallpaper. This four-poster in dark wood has presence, but it frames and complements the botanical wallpaper instead of obscuring and fighting with it.
The dark-painted cornice and picture rail tie the look together.
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The large, high-ceilinged space calls for a big bed, but one that doesn’t block the beautiful wallpaper. This four-poster in dark wood has presence, but it frames and complements the botanical wallpaper instead of obscuring and fighting with it.
The dark-painted cornice and picture rail tie the look together.
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3. Try traditional with a twist. This airy period room shows that sticking with a classic canopy bed doesn’t necessarily mean heavy drapes or lines.
The posts, though ornate and dark, are slender and delicate. Although the previous beds look fantastic in their own contexts, in this room, they would risk looking chunky.
The bed curtains are light and neutral in color, giving a contemporary edge to the look.
The posts, though ornate and dark, are slender and delicate. Although the previous beds look fantastic in their own contexts, in this room, they would risk looking chunky.
The bed curtains are light and neutral in color, giving a contemporary edge to the look.
4. Pare down your palette. This simple room again proves how versatile a canopy bed can be. Like the floorboards, the curtain-free, minimalist four-poster was painted white and artfully distressed to lend character and a sense of history to the room without overwhelming it.
Painting the bed and backdrop white or another pale neutral is a smart way to play down the grandeur of the style.
Although this bedroom is full of treasured possessions, especially paintings and faded fabrics, it doesn’t look cluttered since everything ties into the shades on the plaid blanket and the floral pillows.
Painting the bed and backdrop white or another pale neutral is a smart way to play down the grandeur of the style.
Although this bedroom is full of treasured possessions, especially paintings and faded fabrics, it doesn’t look cluttered since everything ties into the shades on the plaid blanket and the floral pillows.
5. Up the opulence. Satins, silks, ebonized wood and chinoiserie provide a luxurious foundation in any bedroom. Throw in a canopy bed, and you need strong design skills to pull off something fresh and contemporary rather than dark and overpowering.
And here’s the way to do it! The bed itself, though chunky, is lightened by the pale jade-and-cream color scheme. And the single curtain at the back offers just the right amount of texture.
And here’s the way to do it! The bed itself, though chunky, is lightened by the pale jade-and-cream color scheme. And the single curtain at the back offers just the right amount of texture.
6. Position it center stage. A canopy bed gives the impression of being a more complete, boxed-in unit than a standard bed, even when it’s an airy, minimal design like this.
The benefit of the boxy effect is that the bed doesn’t look adrift when it’s set in the center of a room, as pictured in this sun-bleached coastal space.
To pull off such a placement, you’ll appreciate a style with a built-in headboard. Otherwise, with no wall to lean your pillows against, reading a book or enjoying breakfast in bed will be a bit of a pain.
The benefit of the boxy effect is that the bed doesn’t look adrift when it’s set in the center of a room, as pictured in this sun-bleached coastal space.
To pull off such a placement, you’ll appreciate a style with a built-in headboard. Otherwise, with no wall to lean your pillows against, reading a book or enjoying breakfast in bed will be a bit of a pain.
7. Don’t disregard a smaller room. This interesting design, which looks like a classic cast-iron bed frame with double the height, shows that you don’t need as much space for a canopy bed as you may imagine. The key lies in the ultraslim frame, which keeps the four-poster from appearing too bulky for the relatively narrow room.
Note, too, the solution to bedside lighting where there’s little space on both sides of the bed. Containing the light fixtures within the bed frame seems to reduce its size, and matching their color to the frame, especially against patterned wallpaper, keeps the effect looking unified and calm.
Tiny shelves, one beneath each light switch and perhaps painted white, could provide enough space for a glass of water and a paperback.
Tell us: Would you make space for a canopy bed in your room? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments.
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Note, too, the solution to bedside lighting where there’s little space on both sides of the bed. Containing the light fixtures within the bed frame seems to reduce its size, and matching their color to the frame, especially against patterned wallpaper, keeps the effect looking unified and calm.
Tiny shelves, one beneath each light switch and perhaps painted white, could provide enough space for a glass of water and a paperback.
Tell us: Would you make space for a canopy bed in your room? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments.
More
Key Measurements to Help You Design Your Dream Bedroom
How to Lay Out a Master Bedroom for Serenity
Find bedroom products
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