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CHOOSING FEATURE BEDS
A good bed is the anchor piece of any bedroom says Brent Cooper
A
good bed is the anchor piece of any
bedroom – from the master suite to
a child’s room or a guest room. Whether
a project is domestic or commercial, the
right choice combines three considerations;
comfort, good looks and the correct
emotional signals. These can range from
pure romance and escapism to, at the other
end of the scale, no-frills masculinity.
Looking back in time, beds have always been key feature points
–their importance signalled by the fact that they were by no means
always designed for sleeping. Ornate state apartments with their
magnificent suites of furniture were where rulers held court. Their
actual sleeping space was often a more private apartment, where
the bed itself was relatively small.
It is said that antique beds, especially French ones, are small
because their occupants were shorter people. In fact, their shorter
dimensions are usually because occupants slept propped up on
pillows and bolsters rather than lying at full stretch as we do today.
Today, we want beds to be both a cocooning retreat and a clear
statement about our personality. We also place immense value on
quality of sleep, which makes the choice of mattress system just
as crucial as the frame or divan. Therefore, the size of beds has
changed appreciably in recent years with Kingsize becoming the
default double and Emperor an increasingly usual specification.
The rule of thumb for bed size is to choose the biggest size the
room will allow, ideally leaving space for reasonably sized bedside
tables on both sides. Not only do bigger beds look more luxurious,
they also offer a better night’s sleep, undisturbed by partners’ body
movements or temperature.
With countless different types of mattress on the market, the
ultimate remains a handmade pocket sprung construction. Ideally
too, steer clients towards mattresses with natural fillings such as
horsehair, wool and cotton, which regulate body temperature at
night far better than manmade materials. Don’t forget that the
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divan is the foundation for the mattress.
Style-wise, there are some iconic beds which transcend fashion
and stay always on trend, especially with the option of modern
finishes, from mirror glass to metallics. These icons range from
four posters (the epitome of romance) to the period French styles,
especially those of the Rococo and Empire, first reintroduced to
the UK by Simon Horn in the 1980’s.
People have particularly enduring affection for the sleigh bed
(lit bateau) and this look in particular has been resized and
reworked into countless offshoot styles, accommodating the
needs of modern bedrooms whilst still remaining a recognisable
decorative theme. You’ll find sleigh beds in wood, in fabric,
caned or upholstered in buttoned leather, with headboards and
footboards high, low and every height in between. Suggesting
solidity and exceptional comfort, it’s a fruitful seam to explore for
both feminine and masculine interiors and a classic for children’s
bedrooms too.
Today’s confident fusions of classic and contemporary style are
also bringing even more elaborate and splendid period beds back
into focus. Carved, caned and painted or gilded styles of the 18th
and 19th Centuries can comfortably hold centre stage in otherwise
modern interiors, with bespoke finishing and an emphasis on
luxury uniting the two elements.
If a project calls for luxury with an altogether modern feel,
divans paired to custom-upholstered headboards give an equally
sumptuous look. The key to getting it right is to supersize
headboards– in some projects we’ve been asked to make them
up to 2 metres tall, so that they virtually become wall cladding.
Bespoke-made and upholstered in your choice of fabric, with
design detailing such as piping, buttoning or studding, headboards
can be matched to custom upholstered divans for the seamlessly
smart finish which all of today’s bedrooms demand.
Brent Cooper, Managing Director of Simon Horn
www.simonhorn.com
A Member of the Chelsea Design Quarter