What Makes a Bed Glamorous?

As I was doing my daily internet reading yesterday, I came across a post on Deep Glamour (where I sometimes write) asking a big question: What does a glamorous bed look like?

The post is illustrated with photos of two very different beds - one opulent, one minimal. Virginia Postrel, who wrote the post, says:

"In fact, both beds are glamorous, but to different audiences. Carefully styled for the camera, they stoke different desires. The French-style version, like the concubines’ beds it alludes to, offers the promise of abundance and indulgence—luxury in a world of scarcity. The Zen-modern bed, by contrast, is all about escape from stimulation and stuff—luxury in a world of plenty."

With that in mind, I started looking at different types of beds, seeking out their glamour. What's your definition of a glamorous bed?

Kit Pollard

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This room came up in a Houzz search for "glamour." I wonder, is pink synonymous with glamour for the owner? It was, definitely, for me as a little girl, though I preferred a frillier look than shown here.

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This room, with its starbursts and opulent edges, does a nice job of updating traditional Hollywood glamour cues.

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Here, I think its the addition of several contrasting, but very complementary, patterns that makes the bed glamorous.

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There's something about quilted headboards that feels very glamorous to me.

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And this bed is something of the opposite of the one above. The linens are still sleek, but the fuzzy blanket at the edge of the bed adds softness that contrasts with the stark symmetry on the wall. Plus, the gloss of the linens adds more texture - pure glamour.

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This bed does a nice job combining traditionally glamorous mirrors with sleek linens.

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This bed, from the much discussed Elegance & Decay collection of photos, is glamorous in a bohemian way that nearly crosses the line into squalor (well, it actually has a ways to go - but I can imagine how it would get there).

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By contrast, this very simple, nearly austere bed is full of Zen glamour. I think, though, that the quilted headboard's nod to Hollywood glamour saves it from being overly spare.

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This elaborate structure fits with the "abundance and indulgence" definition referenced above. It's a bit much for me personally, but I certainly understand the fantasy.