This could include curtains, sheers and valances for a luxurious look. If your canopy bed is more of a four-poster design, you can also choose to layer different curtain styles on each post. For a heavier, more formal look, you could use velvet curtains and a heavier valance. Pair those with a lightweight valance and finials above each post. If you want a lighter, more romantic look, you can use sheer curtains that match the style of your canopy. Depending on the size and shape of the canopy, as well as your desired look, there are a few options you can consider. Yes, you can use regular curtains on a canopy bed. Can I use regular curtains on a canopy bed? The rod and canopy should both be adjusted periodically to maintain the desired shape and level of support so that your canopy lasts for years to come.

Once the canopy is hung, you will want to adjust the rod and canopy so that it hangs at the desired height. The canopy should hang evenly on both sides of the bed, creating a symmetrical look. Depending on the canopy, it may be hung by looping the canopy’s fabric over the curtain rod or by tying the fabric directly to the rod. Then, the canopy can be hung from the curtain rod.

After that, the curtain rod can be placed into the eye hooks and secured, ensuring it is long enough to support the canopy. Once the nails have been installed, you will then need to place the eye hooks on each nail. Then, you will need to drive a ¼-inch wide nail through each section of the bed frame at the marked spots. Once you have determined the desired height, you will need to measure and mark the spot for the hanging equipment on both sides of the bed. To hang a canopy easily, you will need a few supplies, including nails, hammer, canopy, curtain rod, and eye hooks.įirst, you’ll want to determine the height at which you want the canopy to hang from the bed. It also adds dimension and warmth to the space. Traditionally, curtains were drawn around the bed to keep the occupants warm at night, in those days before central heating was the norm.Hanging a canopy on a 4 poster bed is a great way to add a charming, romantic touch to a bedroom. Kerry.Īn example of 16th-century four-poster resides in Crathes Castle, which was made for the original castle owners in the Burnett of Leys family.įour poster beds are different from other types of beds because they have vertical columns in each of the four corners of the bed, supported by an upper panel. In the 12th century tale of Acallam na Senóradh, in the wooing of Credhe, Cael ua Nemhnainn cites in a poem 'Four posts round every bed there are, of gold and silver laid together cunningly in each post's head a crystal gem: they make heads not unpleasant ', when speaking of a fairy-mansion on the Paps of Anu, in Co. įour-poster beds are mentioned in numerous Irish sagas and were recorded in early Irish manuscripts. A four poster bed with backboard and tester allowed extra space from which to display and hang expensive fabrics and heraldic decoration.Ī four-poster bed is referenced in the Mishnah, which was redacted in the 3rd century CE. In the mediaeval era and up to the 18th century beds were items of furniture on which great personages and royalty made public appearances and held court, thus they were designed to impress. The curtains also helped to give privacy to the sleepers, since servants and bodyguards often slept in the same room, especially in the case of royalty, served by a special group of servants of the bedchamber (usually noble courtiers), lords and ladies of the bedchamber, esquires of the body, etc. Bedrooms often had drafts and could be cold at night: the curtains could be closed to help keep the occupant of the bed warm. There are a number of antique four-poster beds extant dating to the 16th century and earlier many of these early beds are highly ornate and are made from oak.įour-poster beds were developed for several practical reasons. This tester or panel will often have rails to allow curtains to be pulled around the bed. Four-poster bed ( lit à colonnes), 19th century, château de Compiègne, France.Ī four-poster bed is a bed with four vertical columns, one in each corner, that support a tester, or upper (usually rectangular) panel.

Poster bed