Sleeping in a Canopy
No bedroom fixture spells decadence or luxury as thoroughly as canopy beds do. In fact, in numerous paintings and photos, adult little maidens in diaphanous silks together with boot-clad lords are typically shown sprawled leisurely in 4-poster canopy beds. Even Marie Antoinette is depicted as a richly gowned young royal, forever relaxing in a canopy bed, with attendants in tow.
Canopy beds aren't a newbie to the furnishing scene. As a matter of fact, they've been used for as long as people have been snoozing in beds. The wooden canopy bed typically contains 4 posts at each of the four corners. From mattress level, these posts jut out four feet high or more. Lacy fabrics are draped across the upper space between the posts. A solid piece of cloth is used to give the image of a ceiling. The exact cloth may also be hung directly on top of the bed.
Bizarre Bedfellows
While the canopy bed is similarly related to comfort and stature, its origins are strongly established in a far less marvelous history. As a matter of fact, at the period of the Middle Ages, brass canopy beds weren't fixtures an individual will associate with luxurious lifestyle. People then lived in thatched roofs. These were home to burrowing mice, caterpillars, as well as other creeping creatures, all of which have the bad attitude of dropping on sleeping persons. To solve the problem, posts were placed on each of the bed's four corners. Then, a cloth was draped upon the posts to drive wayward insects away. Certainly, class and canopy were never bedfellows at the period of the Middle Ages.
Canopy for Privacy
Royalties and wealthy landlords didn't have to endure the same battle with pests. They used iron canopy beds for an entirely different reason. In early European households, the nobleman stayed in the Great Hall along with his family as well as his servants. The one thing that was fabulous about the Great Hall is its size. In reality, it's nothing more than a big room of square-like proportions. Iron canopy beds gave noblemen some idea of privacy. Later on, it became a must-have for castles to offer separate sleeping rooms. The canopy beds saw continued use, not more on privacy, but for the warmth they provide.
Canopy Beds at Present
Over the years, canopy beds changed from sleeping haven for the common man to luxurious bedsteads for the well-heeled. Presently, it has become a widely accepted furnishing of themed as well as elegantly adorned bedrooms. Manufacturers give a seemingly unlimited number of options, from metal canopy beds to those made of wood and cast iron.
Design and material are not the only differences in canopy beds. Variation in the bed's size is another vital modification. Canopy beds presently no longer come in one size. They can range from canopy twin beds to the ones that might accommodate as many as four individuals! The canopy itself could be made of any material from muslin to chintz.
Undoubtedly, the canopy bed has come a long way from its sad beginnings. It has changed so dramatically, in fact, whether you are a commoner or a royalty, an executive or the lowliest of assistants, there is a canopy bed that is made simply right for you.
