Canopy Iron Bed:
Sweet Dreams In Your Metal Poster Bed!

A canopy iron bed can look romantic, playful, elegant, or cool and contemporary, and it will singlehandedly transform a so-so bedroom into an uplifting, regal space.

Metal canopy beds are immensely popular and in plentiful supply, so if you're looking for a king size metal canopy bed frame, or twin wrought iron canopy beds that aren't listed here, just click on the pictures - most merchants offer their metal poster bed frames in a selection of sizes. [Read More]

(Clicking "Next" will give you more choices from the above merchants' product feeds. However, since this is an automated process, you'll occasionally come across a piece of furniture that definitely isn't a canopy iron bed frame. Unfortunately, I can't prevent this from happening ... so please just ignore it ;-)

The Point Of A Canopy Iron Bed

If you've ever slept under a beamed ceiling with glimpses of the loft (or even a view to the stars), that's the night you'll have longed for a canopy bed. Because you'll have received lots of visitors directly on your pillow, as well as on your face, under your collar and inside your sleeves ... tiny things that moved.

Obviously, our demand for canopy beds has gone down since the advent of plastered ceilings. There aren't many bugs falling down on us these days. Also, we generally don't need bed curtains for privacy and warmth any more - instead, we have comfortably heated bedrooms all to ourselves.

But somehow canopy beds have retained their appeal. And a canopy iron bed has a few advantages over a wooden canopy bed:

it is (generally) less expensive,
it takes up less visual space, which makes it suitable for smaller rooms;
canopy metal beds often look more delicate and graceful than wooden poster beds.

How To Decorate A Metal Poster Bed

1. Color & Pattern:

A white metal poster bed looks best against a slightly darker, solid-color wall. If you're using wallpaper, make sure the patterns don't compete with the bed's own elegant lines and scrolling detail.

A black iron canopy bed generally makes a strong mark (black is hard to overlook), so you don't need to be that careful with colors. However, to bring out the beauty of the metal poster bed's finer detail, better not go to town with vivid color & pattern in its immediate neighborhood.

2. Fabrics:

Often, a metal canopy bed frame is left undecorated, to emphasize the beauty of the bed itself.

On the other hand, why not use fabric to create a more intimate space for your metal canopy bed frame:

Stretch a real, lined fabric canopy across the top of the bed, or
Drape a length of lightweight fabric over and around the metal posts, or
Hang translucent white fabric - even lace - as bed curtains, or
Hang a beautiful length of silk (or toile de Jouy) from the top rung, down behind the headboard.

So, go ahead and turn your metal poster bed into a fantasy space ... a romantic retreat ... a great place to lay down your head after a hard day's work!

Wrought Iron Canopy Beds, Made Of Steel

An iron canopy bed frame is largely a thing of the past. These days, a metal poster bed or a "full iron canopy bed" can be made of steel, cast aluminum, or brass. (The industrial production of wrought iron stopped in the 1970s, when steel was being manufactured at half the price of wrought iron).

So when you read "canopy iron bed" in a manufacturer's blurb, check if that's true. It most likely isn't. (On the other hand, most non-iron metal poster bed frames are just as good as wrought iron ones, so it really doesn't matter.) (Click here for more information!)

A black canopy iron bed looks best with elegant, restrained Matelassé Bedspreads.
A white canopy bed / White Metal Bed looks better with solid-color or subtly patterned bedding (for example Tuscan Bedding).
Alternatives to a canopy iron bed: a wooden or wrought-iron Tuscan Bed, a French Country Bed, or a canopy-free, Black Metal Bed.
All metal beds are perfect for Traditional Tuscan, Contemporary Tuscan, and French Provincial bedrooms.
Also great with a metal poster bed frame: a Tuscan Armoire.
Check out the DO's & DON'Ts of French bedroom design!
Neutral Color Schemes - The Book:
Learn about using neutral color palettes with your canopy iron bed (and everywhere else in the house, too!) Understand what makes neutral color schemes look their best, and what happens when you inject 'real' color into neutral color palettes. It's FREE!!