Colin and Justin: Return of the four-poster bed

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At one time the preserve of wealthy homes, palaces and castles, the tudour style pervades less royal abodes

Yes, we’re stubborn. We refuse, point blank, to let even the smallest room feel underplayed.

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That’s why we’re excited to illustrate what can be achieved with diminutive square footage and modest outlay.

Cue a recently completed guestroom at our Haliburton cottage, composed with a dramatic colour way – and large scale furniture – to ‘confuse’ guests into appraising the space as more generous than it actually is.

Our shopping motto: “It’s not how much you spend, rather how you spend it.” Absorbing today’s epistle, you’ll note the transformation was conspired via big box stores and retail outfits, the visiting of which don’t necessitate a second mortgage.  

With a spot of large scale thinking and a dash of auspicious retail therapy, here’s how our spell played out…

Adding depth to amplify perceived space. Rather than make the room seem smaller, our blue selection extends the feeling of width and height.

The reason? Folk typically reckon (to make better of proportions) that lighter tones are better suited to smaller rooms, and that darker hues should be reserved for bigger space. 

So it follows that if a dark shade was chosen, it must have been because the room was equipped to cope?

Blue, in this project, serves atmosphere rather than compromising scale. We used Sico Paint ‘Mystic Cobalt’ (6008-73) from Rona – www.rona.ca  Experience has shown us how well this paint works, with one coat providing excellent coverage.

Old school four-posters. Documents suggest that Egyptian queen Hetepheres (2575-2551 BCE) slept in a nest equipped with gilded poles holding reams of mosquito netting.  

Latter day historians attribute the four poster to Austria, with its subsequent arrival in Britain during the 13^th century embraced by the affluent as a symbol of wealth and power. 

Ornately decorated with elaborate carving, they were often called Tudor beds. To this day, they occupy wealthy homes, palaces and castles, but the style also pervades less royal abodes. 

For the longest time, popular (nay, ‘hackneyed’) fodder in everyday homes, the oft’ faux mahogany (pine stained dark to resemble oak) fell from grace in the early 2000’s due to overkill.  But times are changing…  

New breed four posters. The Fulton Wood Poster, the warm toned bed seen here, comes from West Bros Furniture (www.westbrosfurniture.com), an Ontario based company who manufacture high quality but affordable home wares, designed with style and functionality at their heart.  

Due to room size, some specifiers might have defaulted to a simple divan – or even a low slung platform bed – to mitigate spatial concerns, but take it from us: a modicum of confidence goes a long way. 

Matching ‘Magazine’ night stands, with similarly chunky lines (and side space designed specifically for magazines) complete the balanced look.

A lesson in old school. Framed retro patches (we scored a bag of ten for $6 at the Haliburton Thrift Warehouse), arranged either side of the bed, and a cluster of vintage tennis racquets ($3 each from the same bargain mecca) suffuse a casual feel that reference halcyon day cottages and family compounds from times gone by. Details, huh?

Cuttin’ a rug. When a project’s overall lines are uncomplicated, it’s nice to add textiles or flooring layers that provide schematic contrast. Tip: Rugs (this one is from IKEA) are best scaled to project approximately 20-30 inches from the bottom of your bed, with approximately the same ‘reveal’ either side. 

Size yours to run under the bed, but to stop short of nightstands. Attempting to arrange everything (bed and nightstands) atop a rug looks cluttered, and besides: if your area carpet meets the back wall, the resultant look may appear awkward.