The hashtag #4posterbed has generated nearly four million views on TikTok this year, and the search for a contemporary update of this traditional bedroom staple even prompted interior-design studio Barlow & Barlow to create one for glam private-pad-for-hire, Kin House.
‘A four-poster anchors a room and adds a good dose of drama. It doesn’t need to be old-fashioned and frilly: we used generous but simple curtains to make it feel luxurious and inviting,’ they say. Below, we identify the three new ways of dressing your four-poster and speak to the designers behind them to discover why they are becoming so popular.
Suspend your disbelief
What's everyone reading?
If you’ve noticed similar styles on Instagram, you probably have Rose Uniacke to thank. Recognising the need for a fully assembled model, she created the ‘RU Suspension Bed Canopy’ (above; from £2,700) earlier this year. Consisting of a wrought-iron frame suspended from the ceiling with customisable hooks, it provides the same cocooning effect, but with a modern edge. The look has also caught the eye of Sella Concept – the London design duo hung linen curtains around the bed in their golden-hued room.
Decorative dreams
Given that the bedroom is the most private space in the home, it’s often fertile ground for reflecting individual style. With that in mind, a roster of international interior designers is reimagining the traditional four-poster and giving it a modern update with highly personalised fabrics. Take, for example, Redd Kaihoi's guest bedroom in an Upper East Side duplex apartment, where the studio upholstered the bed in the same geometric pattern (‘Painterly Windowpane’ by Miles Redd for Schumacher) found on the walls and the curtains (above). ‘Four-posters make a room exciting. You don’t have a lot to work with in bedrooms, so you might as well make the bed as dramatic as possible,’ explains studio founder Miles Redd.
Clashing patterns and bold colours are something stylist and creative director Sally Denning also experimented with in a bedroom for a recent project (above), where the idea of the bed canopy is updated with a striking pattern. For a more minimalist approach, see decorating master Shawn Henderson’s four-poster bed in this New Orleans residence. In a unique twist, he has opted to upholster the frame itself, choosing velvet in an Yves Klein blue.
The frame’s the star
As designer Julian Chichester – who just released the ‘Rita’ bed (above) – notes, four-posters are no longer reserved for coastal manors and country mansions. ‘While it may seem as though they only look right in grand bedrooms and suites, the reality is they can work in any home,’ he says. ‘These days, there are so many styles and shapes that can lend themselves to the smallest of spaces – though it’s important to consider the proportions of your room so the bed doesn’t overwhelm it.’
What was once the ultimate status symbol has become a statement piece that everyone can enjoy. And, with sculptural designs in a wealth of different materials to suit all tastes, there’s often no need to dress them with drapes. Sculptor Fitzhugh Karol’s handcrafted wooden bed (lead image) for a room in a Brooklyn project is a work of art, while Neptune’s ‘Coniston’ (above; from £2,800) takes inspiration from the wrought-iron frames of yesteryear, yet is made using lightweight steel – perfect for modern lifestyles.
