Belle Canopy Bed by Alexa Hampton: a romantic hideaway
Published Jun 6th, 2009 | Written by Minta Interiors | Photography by Hickory Chair

Canopy beds have often been viewed as the ultimate in romance. How wonderful to snuggle up with that special person inside your own little space. And what little girl has not longed for a canopy bed as a spot to dream about her prince? But truth be told, these beds had a very humble beginning. During medieval times the peasant’s homes had poorly constructed thatched roofs. In order to keep out falling debris such as dirt and bugs, and to add an additional layer for warmth, a cloth was placed over the top of the bed. Across town the noblemen added luxurious fabric curtains to the tops and sides of their bed for additional warmth and privacy. Fortunately for them they did not have to worry about falling bugs! Today we view canopy beds as a beautiful and luxurious focal point in our bedrooms. Hickory Chair offers the perfect choice in the Belle Canopy Bed.

Like most Hickory Chair pieces, this bed can be customized to meet your needs. You can choose a wooden or upholstered headboard. The posts can be shortened by removing the upper post and attaching the finial to the lower post. This creates a four poster bed without the height. You can opt to have a canopy with or without rods for hanging fabric. And it is available in several different finishes and in a king, California king or a queen size. With its substantial height this bed works best in a room with tall ceilings.

While the lines of this bed are simple and straight, there is nothing simple about the details in the carvings, the turned legs and finials and the column like posts. These details make it easy for you to combine other pieces with this bed to complete your bedroom.

Keeping scale in mind, placing a chest to act as a nightstand on his side and a skirted table on her side will add color and interest to your room. If you have chosen an upholstered headboard you can skirt the table in the same fabric as the headboard, choose a coordinating fabric or trim a solid in the matching fabric. These same fabrics can then be used in window treatments, throw pillows and accent pieces such as a bench or chair.

If your preference is to add the canopy along with drapes on the side, a skirted table is probably not the best choice. In this case you may want to consider matching nightstands to avoid too much “activity” in the room. The canopy bed with all its fabric will certainly be the focal point and you do not want the nightstands to compete with it. Hickory Chair offers many small chests with a marble top option that would work very well with this bed.

Removing the upper posts allows you to use this bed in a room with average height ceilings. This creates a little bit more of a masculine look but can be softened by choosing the upholstered headboard option.

Catalog items: Belle Canopy Bed, Belle Poster Bed