Canopy Beds for a Girl's Bedroom

Canopy beds hail, allegedly, from the 16th century. As the tale tells, roofs were not sturdy and did not provide all of the necessary cover one needed from the outdoors. The beds, which had yards of heavy cloth strung across the top, prevented bugs, droppings, or anything else from falling from a defunct roof onto the bed. This story may not be entirely true, however, as canopy beds were quite expensive styles of beds and those wealthy enough to afford one could probably afford to a decent roof. Regardless of their original purpose, canopy beds have a long history in the bedroom.

Shopping for a canopy bed for a modern bedroom can be influenced by your intent. Canopy beds can add an element of elegance, an air reminiscent of medieval aristocracy. They can also add a fun element, with bright colors providing a colorful tent-like environment. What's great about canopy beds is that they make use of vertical space that is otherwise unusable.

The first step for shopping for a canopy bed is to determine the size of the bed you want. The most common mattress sizes are full- and queen-size; using a common size provides you with a good starting point for your search. If you are shopping for a girl, consider not only her size at present, but her size in the future. Canopy beds are expensive even today, so you will want to purchase a bed size that will suffice for more than just the next growth spurt.

Once you've settled on your size, you can choose your style. Most canopy beds are made of metal, but some are available in wood. Wood canopy beds are usually more expensive and are more difficult to maneuver. Non-wooden frames can be cast from metals like aluminum, brass, zinc, iron, or steel. You can choose from a variety of colors; if they don't have the color you like, however, do not despair: you can paint metal easily.

If you are looking for an elegant frame, you should look for frames with straight posts and decorative head- and footboards. The headboard should be higher than the footboard, but, traditionally, they should have the same design. You can look for elegant colors and finishes. If you want a frame for a young girl, you will likely want to look for something with a lighter-colored finish and funky designs. If you want to buy a more general-looking frame, you can always spruce it up and give it character by adding a colored canopy or other decorations.

Some canopy beds may come with canopies, and some may not. Regardless, you can accessorize your canopy bed frame however you like. You can purchase your own fabric or sheets to drape over it, giving you choice of texture and color. You can also choose how the canopy should be styled once it's on the frame: you can drape it like a traditional canopy bed, or you can bunch the fabric at either end, so that the top is not actually covered. You can attach decorations, such as butterflies or flowers, to the fabric, also.

If you aren't interested in the expense or bulk of a full canopy bed frame, you can still give your girl the canopy bed experience. You can buy hanging canopies in stores and online. Hanging canopies attach to a point in the ceiling above the bed and have fabric or cloth that flows from the top that can be draped around and across the bed. These hanging canopies can come with designs already on them, such as butterflies or flowers, or you can accessorize them yourself. What's great about this option is that hanging canopies are relatively inexpensive (they range from $30 to $100), especially compared to full canopy bed frames, they're easy to install, and are easily accessorized with different cover and decoration options.