Shopping Tips

Beds

We spend about one-third of our lives in bed - and that's only when we're asleep. Consider all of the other things we do there - snuggle, lounge, convalesce, tickle the kids, curl up with a book, take breakfast on a tray on a lazy weekend.

The bed is perhaps the most important furniture purchase you will ever make. It is the focal point of your bedroom and also the birthplace of your dreams. The following tips and facts from the experts at Bernhardt Furniture will help you choose a bed that uniquely suits you, and that you will love for years to come.

A Bedtime Story

Take careful measurements of your bedroom before purchasing a bed. Keep in mind that you will need about two feet on both sides for easy bed-making, and that heavy bedding, such as a down comforter, can add several inches to the size of your bed.
Consider the height of the tallest person who will be sleeping in the bed, and add three to four inches to determine how much length you will need. Remember that standard twin- and full-sized beds are five inches shorter (as well as several inches narrower) than a standard queen or king.
Think about the way you use your bed, and the things you do there. Do you read nightly? Then look for a headboard that is supportive and comfortable, and pillows that will prop you accordingly.
Seek out a bed that is stable and solid in construction. Look underneath the bed, where you can see some clues as to how it has been made. If it’s a wooden bed, be sure that the legs and head are bolted, which will avoid friction and secure the bed’s position on the floor.
Choose a style that fits your personality. Follow your fancy, whether it leads you to a gauzy, romantic canopy or an elegant sleigh bed with carved woodwork.

Pillow Talk

How well do you know your beds? Learn the names of these popular styles:

California King Bed: A bed size that is narrower and longer than the standard king. While the California king measures 72" by 84", a standard king is 76" by 80".

Daybed: A twin-sized bed that, when positioned lengthwise against a wall and backed with throw pillows, can be converted into a sofa or chaise lounge.

Four-Poster Bed: A bed with posts at each corner. When these posts are tall and of equal height, they can support a canopy.

Pencil Post Bed: Similar to a four-poster bed, it is a bed with tall, tapered posts of equal height, and was widely popular in America from about 1690 to 1850.

Sleigh Bed: A bed resembling the shape of a sleigh, with a high, scrolled headboard and a slightly lower, scrolled footboard. A mid-19th century favorite, this American Empire-style bed continues to delight today.

The Bed: A History

Through time, the bed has assumed many forms, from a rough, crude slab to a decadent symbol of power and wealth. In Ancient Greece, beds were available only to the upper classes, although at first there was little luxury to be found in these plain wooden structures. Later, Alexander the Great introduced comfort to the bedchamber importing it from the opulent realms of Persia. Privileged Romans followed suit, enjoying splendidly decorated beds.

The bed lost some of its extravagance during the Middle Ages in Europe, then regained it during Charlemagne’s reign, in the late 8th and early 9th centuries. Gradually, the bed once more became a grand emblem of wealth, and embellishments such as the canopy made their debut.

In Renaissance times, the very rich took pride not only in a bed’s lavishness but also in its grandeur. Sheer size was the aim here, although no bed could top the 12-foot-square, 7-foot-high Grand Bed of Ware, which remains on view in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

At the other end of the spectrum, compactness and practicality were key in Colonial America, where settlers saved space with beds that folded away to resemble cupboards or mantels. Four-poster beds were also popular during this time, and those who could not afford the elaborate version chose the simple, graceful pencil post bed.

The brass bed and the cast-iron bed grew in popularity during the Industrial Revolution, when people preferred them to beds made of wood that was thought to house bugs.

The 20th Century marked the origin of such utilitarian sleepers as the sofa bed, the bunk bed, and the spare, basic futon. Yet the classic, enduring styles – the four-poster, the canopy, and the sleigh bed – continue to be cherished in the present day.

To Spring, or Not to Spring

Do you need a box spring for your bed? Before you purchase one, be sure to ask your furniture dealer whether or not your bed requires one. Keep in mind that mattresses have grown fatter and more sumptuous over the years, measuring from 8” to up to 19” thick. While it was once standard to place a box spring underneath a mattress for support, a mattress alone works quite well with many contemporary bed frames.

Four Poster Pointer

Some things simply never go out of style, and that is just the case with the four-poster bed. Since its debut in Europe in the late Middle Ages, this delightful, adaptable bed has remained a favorite. Just as 14th- and 15th-century four-posters – with their elegant turned posts and elaborate canopies – were prized as heirlooms, the finest examples of contemporary versions are as highly valued today.

Interior designers are drawn to the inexhaustible versatility of the canopied four-poster bed, which can take on a different look according to one’s mood, or at various times of the year. For summer, designers suggest using a light, translucent gauze or airy linen canopy, which harnesses the sunlight and captures the spirit of the season. For winter, a rich velvet or chenille canopy imparts plush warmth. The posts are also charming without canopies, as they assume a spare, sculptural air.

Bernhardt offers four-posters in an array of styles, with and without canopies. The low-post beds, such as those of the American Archive group, have shapely posts and intricate carving details. The American Archive four-poster bed is also available with a canopy.

The patterned veneers of the Odeon panel bed are paired with beautiful individually hand-cast brass finials.

Keep these tips in mind as you prepare to purchase a four-poster bed.

Know the height of your bedroom and avoid posts that will get too close to the ceiling or lights. You’ll need some “breathing space” above the posts.
If you would like to adorn the bed with a canopy, choose one with posts of equal height, and with bars or grilles strong enough to support the material of your choice.
Consider buying a swing-arm lamp, which you can pull into a curtain-draped bed, creating a room-within-a-room effect.