Curtained Bed

Happy Tuesday friends!  Wanted to pop in today to talk about bedrooms - most specifically about curtained beds.

Often, curtains surrounding a bed is associated with the old fashioned canopy bed of the 80's - oh what the eight-year-old version of myself would have given for a canopy bed... unfortunately, that's not quite what I'm referring to.  

I'm referring to the revamped version of the traditional canopy bed - the new version where the curtains meet the ceiling, and cocoon the bed while remaining fully detached from any bed frame.

Still not sure what I'm referring to??

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See what I mean?  

The curtains are actually connected to a track or curtain rod that is attached to the ceiling, and these new curtained beds offer the softness and same cozy effect as the more traditional canopy bed, without the closed-in, borderline claustrophobic feeling that they sometimes give.

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I'm 100% in love with our upholstered headboard, but I do really love the look of these - especially with the white or lighter shades in the curtains.  

So clean, and light feeling, and while a canopy bed can feel a little stuffy, and overly traditional, these actually feel quite modern.

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What I love most, is that they seem relatively easy to install, and inexpensive.

They would be fabulous in a studio apartment, for separating the "bedroom" from common living spaces, or even in an open loft space, where it can be really tricky to carve out each "room" from a wide open floorplan.

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The other thing about using curtains to flank a bed that I really love, is that you can save some serious money on the bed itself.  

Headboards and bed frames are really pricey, so this would be a really great option for those on a budget, who are looking to make a large impact in their bedroom without spending a fortune.

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All you need are some sturdy curtain rods, curtains (or sheers even), and a standard bed-frame, box spring, and mattress.  

I'd also encourage the use of a dust ruffle to hide the less than attractive metal bed frame - something simple like the one in the photo above would be perfect.

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On average, the cost of a queen size headboard or bed would range from $800 to upwards of several thousand dollars, whereas if you shop smart for the materials you'd need for a curtained off bed, you could pull off this project for less than $200 easily.  Depending on the hardware, you could even swing it for less than $150.  

What's great is that the curtains take the place of a headboard, footboard, and bed frame, and make it feel really grand, and expensive.  If I were to do this, I'd probably stick with lighter fabric for the curtains, but there are several different styles for this that I've seen and like.  The trick is to find curtain panels long enough to go from floor to ceiling - if the curtains are too short, it's a no-go.

Ikea is a fabulous source for curtains - some of my favorites are these curtains for the lighter linen look.  I actually have them hanging in our living room (white) and dining room (light grey), and I just love them.  They are thick without being too thick, they are quite long (98" which would accommodate an 8' ceiling - add curtain rings for extra length) and they have a really nice organic texture.  

This person actually used the Aina for this exact project (link here):

 **I think I might make the curtain rods just slightly longer so the curtains hang straight down... they look a bit short which is resulting in a bit of a "leaned" feel...

I also like these heavier velvet curtains for a deeper, cozier feel.... and hey, if they are good enough for Emily Henderson, they're good enough for the rest of us!

These curtains would be really fun in a child's bedroom flanking a bed... 

Aren't they just darling?

I'm also no expert, but I feel like they'd create a really peaceful place for nap time.  Heck, maybe I'll start adopting the daily nap if I got to sleep in a light and airy, curtained off bed.

What do you think? Would you ever try out a curtained bed?  

It seems like it would be so peaceful to be able to close the curtains, and for light sleepers who are easily bothered by light, this seems like an ideal solution to me!