I have always loved canopy beds. In fact you could say that I am a little obsessed with them. When the opportunity comes along to design a bedroom where a canopy bed is appropriate, I am always hopeful that the client will as enthusiastic about them as I am. I feel they add instant drama to the space and that they almost become a room within a room.
Canopy bed styles can range from feminine and romantic to masculine and modern. More traditional canopy beds with curtains and pelmets allow you to use an endless variety of fabrics and passementerie while the simpler and more contemporary examples feel more architectural.
I have included some of my personal favorites in a variety of styles.
A custom steel canopy bed by Stephen Sils. Sils created a unique pelmet by repurposing an antique runner. I love the juxtaposition of the traditional and modern elements.
A bleached oak “Perrault” canopy bed by Ironies in a perfectly tailored and elegant bedroom by Houston designer, J Randall Powers.
In a guest bedroom I designed for the 2010 DC Design House, I wanted to make the David Iatesta “Crone” bed the focal point of the room. So I concealed the center window with curtain panels, which created a soft backdrop for the bed.
One of my favorite bedrooms of all times features a custom polished chrome canopy bed by David Netto. I love the contrast between the classical scenic wallpaper and the simplicity of the bed.
A romantic and utterly feminine guest bedroom by Howard Slatkin. The metal canopy bed is embellished with hand blocked silk fabric and passementerie. A perfect example of the bed being a room within a room.
Daniel Romualdez designed this chic and modern bedroom featuring a sleek canopy bed with a channeled upholstered headboard.
To recreate the look that won’t break the bank I love the “Architecture” metal canopy beds from Room and Board. They come in an assortment of snappy colors that will give instant pizazz to a bedroom. For my own Room and Board bed I flipped the bed around and had my upholstery workroom fabricate a custom upholstered headboard that we simply attached to the bed taking it to the next level.
A Moghul inspired canopy bed by Michael Smith draped in a hand embroidered fabric.
The Bunny Mellon bedroom at Le Clos Fiorentina, Hubert de Givenchy’s exquisite home on the Cote d’ Azure.