Wish our ceilings were high enough for one...

I have a canopy bed from IKEA. The Edland bed has clean lines, can work in a variety of design styles, and is quite sturdy for less expense. Unfortunately, being a military spouse and enduring frequent moves, the bed finally suffered damage during our last transition from Germany to North Carolina. The plans? To refrain from constant use, it will soon be getting a makeover to serve guests.

When we lived up North I had the 4 poster queen size bed with all of the bed hangings. The bed was dark pine to make it less feminine looking for my husband. Now that we live in warmer climate we have the same bed but no hangings or canopy. Don't want to block the breezes from the ceiling fan. We have high ceilings and lots of room.
A regular bed would look really lost in our bedroom.

While they can be romantic, generally speaking I don't like them. They break up the room too much, like a box within a box. And if you have a cat who likes to climb, forget it. I had a four poster, and my cat whittled down one of the posts so much I called it a three and a half poster.

The room is elegant. I wouldn't change a thing. Lucky you to have such a large room to accomodate a beautiful poster bed!

Love the bed in its setting! But I think it's quite specific. In a smaller room or a different style, than it wouldn't work as well.

Love the bed!

I think they look fantastic, very classy but it either adds to a sex life or restricts you, just a thought to have in mind.

I don't mind cleaning at all but these things are dust collectors and no good for anyone with allergies....

I have two and I adore them. During winter they are curtained and we pull the drapes around to keep in body heat in. If a workman comes thru, I just pull the drapes around to keep that area private,but most of all I like the pampered, cosy,safe feeling I get when snuggled down. The rooms are not huge, but the beds fit perfectly well. Both beds were purchased from a hotel resale store for a song and the long drapes were $10 a panel from the same place. I also have a cover on the top so dust doesn't fall on the occupant or the bedding itself. When a child I always wanted a canopy bed now we have two. Yeeeeay

This canopy bed looks great. They can have a very dramatic look. Canopy beds work best in spacious rooms with tall ceilings. Here are some that I designed with.

I have always liked big, four poster beds. We have one for our room. But I agree, you need high ceilings and a large room or it can overpower.

If you like to lie in bed and watch TV they obstruct the view.

As a child, I had one and absolutely adored it ;D

I would love one... If my bedroom were big enough!

I love the formality of a four poster bed for the masted bedroom. I have one I bought over 10 years ago, it has been in 3 houses... Traditional...transitional...and now coastal. It blends in with any style. I plan on keeping my four poster for another 10 years!

Would need an enormous room and an energetic ,passionate, tactile romantic spouse to consider a four poster.... And children's bedrooms at the other end of the house !!!
We will stick with our ensemble in our moderate room :)

A four poster is OK in the South in one of those 1880's homes, never use a canopy, You have no idea how quickly the tops get dusty. I say only use them in period homes with at least 10" Ceilings and very large rooms. But if you Love them than its a personal choice.
I say decorate to fit the style of your house.

I have one which I haven't set up yet.I have very high ceilings and my bedroom looks out on my atrium so I may get away with it.If not I will take the top off as obstructing the light or view would be my deciding factors.

Four posters are lovely, but when we had one, I kept walking into the posts in the dark. If I got up at night, I had to wave my hands out in front of me to keep from conking into it on my way back to bed. When my parents visited and we gave them our room for a few days, my mother walked into the posts, too. I don't want to have to turn on the lights and disturb my hubby just to get back into bed safely.
Now we have a sleigh bed, and I still have to be careful not to bonk my foot into the footboard, but that 's not nearly as bad as hitting my head.

I really like a four post bed, it might not work in a smaller room though.

Four posters beds represent for me the epitome in form over function - I'm afraid I just don't see the point of them. I admit they can look pretty in the right setting, but most of us don't need privacy from the prying eyes of household servants these days, and generally the heating in our homes is efficient enough to last through the night ... and I'd certainly be one of those people walking into the posts - ouch!

If you have the ceiling height for it - yes! But in most cases, it is too big and clunky, and I'd much rather have the ability to change my headboard to update my bedroom space!

Just consider the visual space the posts take up. We moved into a house on the mountain with windows across the back. The four poster king bed was awful, so I moved the bed (along with the terribly expansive crewel spread and chair) to the downstairs guest suite with 10 foot ceilings. Bought a bed with a paneled headboard and only a wood frame to hold the springs. Hung my great-grandmother's quilt above it and had a solid bedspread, and cover for the springs, made that matches the wall paint. So much happier!!

Love 4 posters! They're so timeless, and elegant. We've had our beautiful Ethan Allen four poster bed for years, and I still love it as much as the day we bought it. Originally, I wanted one with big carved posts, my husband wanted clean lines. He won out, and I'm so glad he did! It's solid maple in a shaker style. It's so timeless and transitional, looks great with any decor. I have to admit, I'm glad I listened to my husband...this time.

Nah, too visually distracting for me. If I lived in a house that had larger bedrooms with higher ceilings, then maybe. I suspect it depends on the style of the house and the owner!

Four-poster beds are old lady. Also Scrooge-like. Old lady and Scrooge, not the vibe Ima want in a bedroom.

We have a historic house and wanted beds in keeping with the house. We have four poster beds in the kids' rooms. We have a sleigh bed in the master bedroom. When we had a full sized bed we had a four poster bed as well. I like both but the sleigh beds take up more room with the scrolls. We have larger rooms and taller ceilings. I think the size of any furniture should be proportional to the surroundings. If the bed size is too big or too little for the space it won't matter the style it won't look right.

Plenty of space for all pieces of furniture here. Good ceiling height. Elegant clean lines for this transitional look. In proportion, balanced nicely. Can always prop pillows on headboard or attach two flip head cushions (one for each person) with long ties connected to the back of the bed. You can flip them forward or back when you want. This look works for this owners personal preference. Lovely!

I got the feel of a poster bed without the bulk by hanging a mosquito net canopy directly from the ceiling. The bed feels much bigger without it taking all of the rigid space needed for a four-poster. We attached hooks to the back wall and ceiling to hang the net from, and it hangs just below the ceiling fan.

If the room is large with high ceilings, I would love it.

We started with a modern no headboard (more like a flat desk/shelf space where headboard would be. Very uncomfortable for reading in bed. Then we did the traditional four poster for 20+ years. Beautiful but again uncomfortable on the back for reading. We also had to do the arm/hand flail method in middle of the night so as not to injure ourselves when returning to bed from bathroom! Now we have a large padded headboard which we love. Very comfortable for reading. Sorry it took so long to wise up, but better late than never!

Love
Prior to having this bedroom set, I did the same thing as shanelle_r in an apartment; I attached the hooks to a drop ceiling. I was able to have the look of a four poster bed and then remove it when I moved out without leaving a mark.

I'm not sure how one bumps into posts at the corners of canopy beds,but of course to each her own.The other important point about our canopies is that we can contribute to the planet by keeping our heating down to the prescribed minimum. We work on keeping our carbon foot print low and feel good about that

I have a 4 poster cherry wood bed and LUV LUV LUV it!! I had one also as a little girl and loved it then! It is classic.

Usernamefree: I have a four poster and have bumped into it during a quick trip back from the bathroom in the dark. It happens.
Also, I agree with another poster that it can block the view of the TV, but I don't watch TV in the bedroom.
I've had my 4 poster for 10 years and still love it.

coltsneck. love mine too! I hear the best way to arrange a bedroom TV is to hang it from the bar above foot of bed as my neighbor does, but it's not considered good sleeping practice.

Depends on the space!

I have a 4 poster and LOVE it!!

Yes!! Love my four poster bed!

It's my grands' type of thing .....e , May be.

It was also one of my fav people's thing ................Elizabeth the First of England and that's a great feeling!

The classic furniture especially this type of bed never gets old. Depending on the fabric you use to decorate a simple white gauze or damask, you will get a sober or informal effect. (S.XIII)

Decorated beach house with them. They really fill in the room mad create interest for 12ft ceilings

*and

loved the 4 poster bed in a riad in Fes Morocco - the ceilings were 20 feet high so it added an air of romance.

Yes, because the ceiling is high and the room's color is cool; you need some intimacy in the room and the canopy gives that.

Yes, yes, yes!


http://www.lalunecollection.com/rustic-furniture/beds/canopy-bed-4086-4092/

that's gorgeous La Lune Collection! I like most of them and I always wanted one, but i don't think my ceiling height is appropriate for one :(

Thanks, gracey999 - glad you like the bed. We know - these beds DO need tall ceilings!