Pros and Cons of Canopy Beds

April 24, 2018

Canopy beds are elegant pieces for any boudoir. Canopy beds bring to mind days of old when kinds and queen had elaborate chambers. Layers of fabric, whether thin or thick, created an impressive ambiance when falling from the ceiling. In modern times, canopies are less common. However, a bedroom with a well-designed canopy is the ultimate sign of decadence. If your bedroom is your sanctuary, why not add your own canopy? If you’re on the fence about including one of these beds for your custom home, there are a few things to consider first. Here are some of the pros and cons of getting your own canopy bed:

Pros of Canopy Beds

Canopy beds are known for their flowing drapes and material, but there’s more to them than that. Here are a few benefits of canopy beds:

Room Aesthetics

Canopy beds look phenomenal. They come in many different styles, so it’s easy to find one that fits your room and the rest of the decor in your custom home. Plus, a canopy bed instantly takes your master suite to the next level. The ability to change the covering linens adds another layer of customization to your bed, as you update and change themes as your taste evolves. This tends to be more difficult to do with other furniture as it would often require reupholstering and refinishing a piece.

Regulating Temperature

Besides looking great, canopy beds have utilitarian uses as well. Being able to enclose your bed in additional linens can help keep you warm during the winter. With some careful positioning, you may be able to utilize your bed to keep you cool in summer as well. This temperature regulation can help make your bed and your bedroom more comfortable throughout the seasons, but be warned, your bed might get too comfy to leave!

Plus, you can use thick fabric to help you block out the light. Layers of fabric can block out sunlight so you can sleep in on weekend mornings, and the drapes on your bed may also muffle sound, allowing you to sleep better. Ties along your bed posts allow you to hold the canopy back, allowing your bed to remain accessible.

Plenty of Style Options

You’re not limited to a single style of the canopy, either. Of course, your custom home might include a four-poster bed or one that has a frame for a canopy that makes it easy to install one. Simply drape a thin fabric from head to foot or cover the four sides of your best for total privacy. A cover that drapes ruffles over the side of your frame but not down means that your canopy won’t get in your way. Some choose to wrap fabric around their bed frames for a unique look, and you can simply spread four lengths of light, airy fabric from the center of your bedroom frame with a single piece of fabric draping over each post.

Cons of Canopy Beds

While canopy beds are both useful and great looking, they aren’t meant for every lifestyle or room design. Here are some of the cons to be aware of when it comes to this type of bed:

More to Clean

You’re likely familiar with cleaning your bed sheets, but with a canopy bed, there’s a lot more linen to clean. Most of the hangings don’t need to be cleaned quite as often as your sheets, but it’s still extra maintenance. Beyond that, the top cover of canopy beds are known to get dusty and need regular cleaning to prevent any allergy-related issues. If you or your loved ones have dust-related allergies, canopy beds may not be for you, especially if you have pets. Why add even more places for dust and dander to collect if you don’t need to? However, you can still have a canopy bed without the linens for the structural aesthetic, so there are still possibilities even if you don’t want to deal with the extra material.

A Temptation for Pets and Kids

Canopy beds are enticing, and if you have pets or children they will think so too. Kids are known to grab onto the hanging linens, potentially causing damage to the cloth, the bed’s frame, or even themselves. Cats, and sometimes even dogs, will occasionally take the high surface of the canopy as a challenge. This can lead to many owners finding their felines or other animals trapped on top of their bed. If this is a headache you just don’t need, then perhaps a canopy bed isn’t the right decor option for you.

Picking the right bed is one way to design your bedroom for better sleep. Depending on what aesthetic and function you want in your master bedroom, a canopy bed may be the right choice for you. If your master bedroom design is looking a little bare, it might just need a canopy bed. For help in planning out your dream custom home, contact us at Custom Home Group today!