How-To

-Ideas for Great Bedrooms, Sunset

What is and is not customary and convenient for sleeping depends on where in the world you live. In Japan, you unfold a futon at night, then store it at dawn. In the South Pacific, you retire to a hammock.

The Western bed tends to be less portable, and also somewhat heftier. In Europe, the bed was for many centuries a prized status symbol, and the bigger (and more thickly canopied) the better. However, those of us who need to make the most of less-than-palatial floor space will probably want something more modest.

Here's a survey of standard (and some not-so-standard) bed designs, plus a brief look at mattresses, bases, bedding, and pillows.

The familiar bed
Today, standard steel frames are most frequently used with box spring and mattress sets. Casters, flat guides, or barrel-shaped rollers allow you to move the bed around, though they all are likely to leave marks on the rug.

Many brass and wooden beds are constructed as one unit, in which headboard, footboard, and side rails all fit together.

A steel bed frame, on the other hand, is purchased separately from the headboard. A freestanding headboard can be used, or you can connect the headboard of your choice to the frame.

Many steel frames have headboard-attachment brackets welded or riveted to them. With bed frames that have no attachment brackets, you can use adapter plates to attach the headboard.

A bevy of special beds
In addition to the tried-and-true bed frame, you have a wide choice of other designs. Here's a sampler of styles.

Brass and other metals
Metal bed-steads became common in the second half of the 19th century. Rolled-steel and cast-iron beds with ornamental brass joints were popular, as were bed frames of brass-wrapped steel tubing. Very few beds were made of solid brass, which is heavy and not as strong as steel.

To refurbish an older iron or steel frame, have it sandblasted to remove paint and rust, then paint it yourself or have it enameled. Solid brass parts and brass-clad metal tubing should be polished professionally -- it's a difficult and time-consuming job to attempt yourself.

Canopy beds
Descendants of the canopied, curtained beds of medieval castles are still with us, both in re-creations of the originals and in modernized versions. The great appeal of a canopy bed is its room-within-a-room ambience—the cozy, private enclosure it creates. The drawback to a canopy bed is its size, real and apparent. These beds require a high ceiling and can easily overwhelm a small room.

Today, bed frames with bedposts and canopies come in many styles and materials, from sleek metal to geometric rattan or carved wood.

Fabric can embellish canopy beds as linings, valances, curtains, and draperies. Delicate eyelet lace or netting lightens the appearance of a large canopy bed; heavier fabrics give a snug feeling and can even serve their original purpose -- shutting out drafts.