Laid bare: our favourite four poster beds

There are times when a divan just won't do and if you're planning a master suite or a bodacious bedroom, it's worth considering a Four Poster bed as a centrepiece for added impact.

The latest styles veer from chunky and rustic through to heritage designs, fairy-tale silhouettes and all-out opulence. With frames made from metal or timber, there's a good mix of finishes, too – choose brass for a luxurious look, raw timber to create a rustic-style retreat or painted wood for something more timeless.

The slimmer and paler frames will give the illusion of more space while darker, bolder options will stake their presence with panache.

See the four poster beds in these gorgeous bedroom schemes.

Many of the current shapes come complete with a headboard – and most of these four poster beds can be dressed and cocooned with curtains too, so there's the option to switch things up according to your mood.

Go beautifully bare - or for a touch of decadence or drama, drape the frame with your favourite fabric and adjust for the seasons, much as you would with your windows – wafty pale linens and sheer voiles in summer and cosy wool felt or plush velvet in darker, richer tones for the colder months.

This also gives you the chance to coordinate the colour and style of your drapes with some stylishbed linen– and when it get's really chilly a beautiful blanket or throw.

Whatever you decide, a four-poster bed will bring a boutique hotel vibe to your bedroom. Room service by arrangement – obvs...

Check out hotel designer, Kit Kemp's tips on mastering adream bedroom.

Made from solid ash, this four poster frame is beautifully complemented with an upholstered headboard for extra comfort – and style.

Made from solid ash, this four poster frame is beautifully complemented with an upholstered headboard for extra comfort – and style.

This chunky number is handcrafted in Indonesia from 100% reclaimed teak. Made to fit UK-sized mattresses, the four-poster has a slatted base, allowing air to circulate.

Taking its influence from traditional Polynesian style beds, the Tuvalu King-Size Bed channels both the ancient and modern, through its curvaceous frame and patinated metal frame, finished in a soft Gunmetal Grey. It can be dressed in drapes for something more lavish and includes a British-made, pocket sprung, king-size mattress.

The tapered posts, spiral finials and upholstered headboard are clad in hand-applied brass giving this opulent four-poster a unique texture each time. It is made-to-order, with bespoke sizing and finishing available on request.

The eclectic globe traveller style of this elegant four-poster bed frame offers a dramatic style statement for the bedroom. It has a charcoal-finish mango wood and mixed-veneer frame.

This Arts & Crafts-style solid-ash bed frame takes its influence from Heal's extensive archives and the demand from its customers for traditional painted furniture.

A modern alternative to some of the more traditional styles, this spectacular piece is sure to guarantee you'll slumber in style. Available in polished nickel or brushed brass, the headboard can also be upholstered in almost any fabric.