Bed head

I think people who are into decorating and design are drawn to certain elements. For some it might be tables, for others fabrics; one of the things I'm most drawn to is beds. 

My first bed was a "princess" bed (courtesy of my older sister who'd always wanted one but never got it). It was white with painted gold trim and a pink canopy overhead with matching cover. Over-the-top girly girl and I loved it (when I was a bit older and feeling anti-pink I painted the bed black and replaced the canopy with a mass of black tulle--I have to say it looked pretty good). 

My next bed was a handmade cast-iron four-poster topped with fleur-de-lys finials. In retrospect I think I probably paid too much, and it was always a bit rickety thanks to cross-bars that could never quite be tightened enough, but it was my first big purchase and I thought it was the greatest bed ever. That is, until we moved into our current house and discovered the frame was about an inch or two too large to get up the century-old stairs. Oops. After some impromptu scrambling, we decided to just go ahead and buy some new bedroom furniture, including this bed:

 It seems I'm destined to sleep in four-posters (although I'm not opposed to beds without canopies, by this time my mom had spent a couple of years crocheting a lace canopy for me, so I could hardly get a bed that wouldn't accommodate it). I love the new bed--it's both gorgeous and cozy (with no rattling!) My cast iron bed frame now provides architectural interest on the main floor of the house, with the tall headboard in the dining room and the equally tall footboard in the pantry. 

I think part of my attraction to beds might have something to do with the fact that I can only have one at a time. In our house two of the three bedrooms are used as offices. So I can only fantasize about having a guest room for friends and family, or for someplace I can use for the occasional nap or change of scenery (ideal for those times when the cats have taken over our bed). 

When we moved in I thought we could sneak in a daybed somewhere, but then the bookcases pretty much took over (it's great to be surrounded by books, but they aren't all that comfortable). We settled for a pull-out couch. Comfy, but not exactly the stuff of dreams. But still, I can look at all the pretty beds in the world and pretend I have a house with an infinite number of bedrooms. 

And I can share some of them with you while I'm at it. You can click a few of the photos to see where I found them (dead links have been removed). Enjoy! 

Although my tastes tend to run to the whimsical and ornate, you can't beat a well-crafted sleigh bed. This is one of the nicest ones I've seen: 

 

There's something about iron beds that is both humble and grand. I'm a fan.

  This bed is very cool, but you could get seriously hurt if you're not careful. On the other hand, I'd love a fence like this (keep all the hooligans out ~_^) 

 

This is a daybed I really wanted to get (especially when we found it on sale at a local store), but we just didn't have the space. Damn my book addiction! 

  

These are unusual, and I think they're lovely:

  

The SO found this one depressing, but I think it looks cozy--and if you're ever in Namibia you can sleep in it!  

I'm not a fan of the all-white but the shape and style are gorgeous: This is just a headboard and, amazingly, it's not an antique. If I had somewhere to put it I'd order it in a heartbeat:  

This just looks so restful and relaxing (the site also has tons of other beautiful photos):

  

Kids have some awesome options. Victorian bunk beds:

  

Round and frilly:  

The bunnies on the bed were cast from molds based on antique chocolate molds! I'd like it a lot better without the Easter basket and eggs, but it's still cute: 

  

Or if you prefer birds to bunnies: 

  

Not that adults are deprived of whimsy. Love this one:

  More birds: This one is just so pretty: 

 

This might well be the coolest bed ever: 

 

I'm not sure how I'd cope with the crazy lighting, but I love the shape and details of this bed:

  

If you want to go retro:

  

This bed is meant to be used outdoors. I love the curves and the way it looks like a sailboat; very elegant:  

And just for fun I had to include the bed made of ultra-rare fossilized wood, all hand-carved. Only $66 million at auction!  

I'd love to hear about your favourite beds...

[Edited to update/delete links, and for formatting. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]