Creating the Four Poster Bed at Home

Creating the Four-Poster Bed at Home

If you were to ask any interior design lover what makes a luxurious bedroom, the four-poster bed is likely to crop up regularly in the conversation. This goes all the way back to the 15th and 16th century, when four poster beds first arrived in England.

Back then, four posters were quickly associated with royalty and those in positions of nobility, who embraced them due to their size and impressive stature.

Because four poster beds came equipped with curtains — namely to keep out insects and keep in the heat – the fabric would often feature a family coat of arms or other symbols, further emphasising their luxury in the heart of an upper-class household.

A beautiful four-poster bed for a project designed by Penny Morrison in Barbados.

Accessible Royalty

It wasn’t until the hand of French designers moved towards light timbers such as mahogany – traditional four posters were typically made with walnut and oak – that they became more widely accessible.

But their original allure remained through the 17th to the 21st century, with four poster beds seen as a lavish addition to a household that could give a room ‘the royal treatment’.

Just last year, in fact, a survey was carried out by bed experts, examining the motivations behind four poster bed purchases. The most common reason they were so desirable among buyers was because they ‘added a sense of luxury’ to the bedroom, with only 23% buying because ‘they were comfortable’!

It helps, of course, that four poster beds are comfortable. Especially if you take the time to create the perfect one for your home.

Contemplating Size

The first thing to note is that a four-poster bed has to work inside the space that you give it. Sizes for handmade four poster beds range from the single four poster bed – which is typically 2.10 x 6.5 feet – to the Caesar four poster bed – which is typically 6 x 8 feet.

If your bedroom has a low or even standard square footage, you have to make sure not to overpower the space, and vice versa, if you do have a larger room, you don’t want the effect of your four-poster bed to be diminished.

It can be difficult to complement this rather exact science when buying pre-made, modern poster beds, which is why it may be best to start with antique bed frames, and then work your magic to complete them.

This gives you options of single, double, king, super king, eastern king, emperor, Caesar, and super Caesar frames, many of which are made with traditional woods such as antique mahogany or durable hardwoods like maple and cherry.

A stunning bed in a Welsh house designed by Penny Morrison.

Light and Fabric

The curtains can then be strung from the canopy. In 2024, one of the most beloved styles of curtain fabric involves light, breathable fabric that keeps light flowing through the room.

These are beautiful and work perfectly well with a four poster, but they do have the tendency to make the frame less impactful. If you’re looking for a real showpiece, there are plenty of darker fabrics that can still complement light, while also adhering to the traditional brocatelle fabric of the 15th to 16th centuries.

They do so in a different way – with artificial lighting rather than natural. If you opt for decorative lighting with deep orange tones, for instance, this can create a stark, almost glowing effect on strengthened linen curtains – especially with a blend of cotton and linen textures, complete with a darker, Arabella red fabric.

Cohesion With Textures

If your room is big enough – or you have opted for a single, double, or even king bed frame in a standard-sized room – you can perform a neat coalition with an identically upholstered bed stool or ottoman.

Placed at the foot of the four-poster frame, this can make the bed feel bigger than it actually is, while also adding a sense of colour and grandeur coherence to the magisterial space you’re trying to create.

It will make the room feel a little weightier, however. When it comes to the bed itself, it’s important to balance that weighty feel of your frame, stool, and fabric with something a little lighter.

Simple white linen bedding is sustainable, white, and easy on the eye, while feather-down pillows can create that elegant, puffy look that you would expect in a royal residence. Couple this with accent cushions in the similar Arabella red fabric – or whatever fabric you have opted to go with – and you’re onto a winner.

Creating a luxury four poster bedroom is, admittedly, a hard task to get right. But it’s more than worth it if you want to give your bedroom the ‘wow’ factor. Or rather, the ‘royal wow’ factor!