Four Poster Beds – Then and Now

If you want to add elegance and style to your bedroom, an antique-styled heritage bed can do that for you. Since centuries, beds have been styled to bring in the element of luxury to a room, and the beds belonging to the noble and rich of those times is a testimony for that. A four poster bed also belongs to that category. A traditional sleigh bed contains four vertical columns at each corner which support a canopy, also known as tester, overhead. The traditional bed of this kind had elaborate carvings and was a symbol of status in those times; the modern poster bed is quite less decorative and also does away with some of the traditional features such as the overhead canopy and drapes that fall from it.

History of Four Poster Beds

The poster bed that we see today has its origins way back in the fifteenth century. This bed was invented in Austria, and was always known for its elaborate size and design. Carvings on the bed sides, headboard and foot board gradually found their way into the overall design of the bed. It was made keeping the royals and rich in mind; the more rich the owners were, the more intricate the design became. It was a symbol of status in those times. Even in Egypt, the bed was not a mere piece of furniture to sleep on at night; meals were taken on them and many a social gatherings were conducted in the same room. Thus, came along the significance of imparting beds with a touch of luxury. So much was the sleigh bed bed a prized possession that whenever the owner moved from one manor to another, the poster bed followed suit too. It found mention in the inheritance too, and it was not uncommon for a poster bed to be passed on from generation to generation. Probably, this explains why these beds are given a more generic name of heirloom beds.

Poster Beds of Today

While the poster bed evolved into an item of luxury, its original purpose was to keep out insects and vermin. The modern lifestyle of today comes provided with air conditioning and pest control methods, and having drapes for that purpose is no longer required. However, these beds are still highly sought-after due to their charm and elegant design. People save for a long time to make a bed part of their homes, and hotels see flourishing businesses by providing suites having these majestic beds. Regardless of their age, sleigh beds have retained their timeless elegance; not only to do they impart a luxurious feel to the room they occupy, they create quite an enchanting environment for people to relax and enjoy.

By: Nathan Oram

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