Make your bedroom pack a punch with a statement bed.
They might be Medieval in origin, but four poster beds are very much of the moment.
Originally designed as a practical way to maintain warmth and privacy, four posters – or canopy beds – are hands down the grandest style of bedroom furniture.
As well as the intricate, carved style you’re used to seeing in stately homes, in recent times the design has been given a creative makeover to suit the chic, modern aesthetic.
Many are designed drape-free, the simplicity of wood poles drawing the eyes upward to enhance the ceiling height.
However, the addition of drapes absorbs external sounds and lends insulating, cossetting qualities, meaning you can cut back on the heating. So it’s practically saving you money.
These styles prove that four poster beds aren’t just for fairy-tales. And once you try four poster, you’ll never go back…
Decided you would like a Four Poster and want to shop for one now?
See our Edited Choice of the best Four Poster beds.
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stylishly simple
Alot of the pieces for this home – including this bed – were sourced at rock down prices, either online or in clearance sales.
Get the look Four-poster bed, MDF Italia from The Conran Shop. Bamboo-effect brass and glass table, Kiki Design. Table lamps, Pooky. Green salon chair and stool; red goat skin vegetable tanned stool, all Cassandra Ellis. Wall light, Charlotte Perriand. Walls painted Pale French Grey, Little Greene.
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peaceful haven
The bedroom was designed with pared-back furnishings and subdued colours to add to the relaxed feel of the space.
Get the look The bath is from W4 Bathrooms. The curtains are in Romo’s Launay Thistledown linen. The side table is from DI Designs. Barker and Stonehouse sells a similar table lamp and shade. The bed is by The White Company.
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tall dark and handsome
A four-poster bed fills this room, looking striking and elegant. Blackout blinds are installed in here to keep out the morning sun and are controlled through a centralised system on the owner’s smartphone or tablet.
Get the look The four-poster bed is by BDDW. The bed linen is from Paris-based Anne Becker. This is hand-painted mermaid- motif wallpaper by New Yorker Carolyn Ray.
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TEEN DREAM
Glamorous metallic furniture mixed with quirky accessories make this the perfect room for a young teen.
Get the look Walls painted in Dove Tale by Farrow & Ball. Maison Bed, Bunny Ears Desk Chair, Maison bookcase, Brass Bunny table lamp, Bunny Alarm Clocks, Aubrey bedside table: all Emily & Merritt at Pottery Barn Teen.
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pretty in pink
The owners here majored on pastels when it came to choosing the colour scheme, such as the pastel pink in the bedroom an ideal backdrop for the dark wood four poster.
Get the look For a matching wall colour, check out Fired Earth’s Manna Ash matt emulsion. The desk is by Ofist. Try The Conran Shop for similar. This is the Nerd chair by David Geckeler for Muuto. The Alcova ’09 four-poster bed is by Antonio Citterio for Maxalto at B&B Italia. This is the ST04 Backenzahn side table by Philipp Mainzer for e15, available at Viaduct.
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looking up
A deep blue wraps around this bedroom, while the glossy verticals of a four-poster bed draw the eye upwards.
Get the look The walls are painted in Hague Blue estate emulsion by Farrow & Ball. For a similar bed, try Emaf Progetti’s Milleunanotte at The Conran Shop. The bedside tables and lamps are vintage finds. Graham and Green’s marble lamp base is similar.
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Sleek and stark
The ceiling cornicing was remoulded, based on what was originally downstairs. The central rose beautifulluy frames a dramatic light over the four poster.
Get the look The four-poster is from B&B Italia. The floor lamps are from Twentytwentyone and the Thirties side tables are from Restoration Hardware.
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A modern classic
Brass details add a luxe look to this room.
Get the look This is the Hoxton Four Poster Bed, £7,065 from And So To Bed
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Go for gothic
There’s a Victorian Gothic vibe to the scheme, inspired by the antique four poster. White floorboards, crisp paintwork and that prim print wallpaper keep it looking fresh.
Get the look The grand four poster is complemented by Little Greene’s Albemarle Street wallpaper, plus a bedside cabinet and armoire found at The Giant Shepton Flea Market. The mirror was bought at Ollie & Bow in London’s Golborne Road. The cushions are from Sera of London.
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Under canopy
The four poster bed helps draw the eye up, emphasising the ceiling height. Any other bed might have been dwarfed by the space.
Get the look The bed was designed by Roddy Murray for RJ Murray Design. The Egg chair, designed by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, has been upholstered in Kvadrat fabric.
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Simply the best
This room is quite big, so a four poster bed was chosen to help draw the eye up and make the most of the ceiling height.
Get the look This is a custom-made Paramount canopy bed, available from Vielle and Frances in the US. The Seventies palm floor lamp was bought at auction. This is La Rochelle bateau bath from The Cast Iron Bath Company.
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Blue sky thinking
This bed was custom-made and set against the striking backdrop.
Get the look Amalfi Silk vinyl wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries. The butterfly throw is from Kokon to Zai. The alpaca fur rug is from The Rug Company. The side table, bedside lamp and antique door are from Galerie Glustin in Paris.
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Minimalist dream
This four poster gives the uncluttered, clean design a slight edge, and prevents it from looking boring.
Get the look Try Lombok for a similar bed. The Small Ghost Buster bedside table is by Kartell at John Lewis. The walls are painted in Steel V by Paint & Paper Library. The cushions and throw are from Liberty.
