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Finding the Bed
of Your Dreams
So many choices,
such pretty styles

We spend almost one-third of our lives there, so doesn’t it make sense to demand the ultimate from our beds? The place we sleep should provide restful ambiance and luxurious comfort.

Its size often makes a bed the dominating feature in the room, but it’s also the most personal piece of furniture in the home because it cradles you to sleep at night. It may even move from house to house with you, being the one familiar place you can curl up and feel “at home.” What’s better than looking forward to sleeping in your own bed after a long trip? Every night your bed should mean a place of rest and comfort. Your bed should mean home.

But what makes a perfect bed — one that suits your style, makes you feel good when you sleep and puts a smile on your face when you walk into the room? The answer is personal and unique to each of us. So when shopping for a bed, you should follow the same procedure that you do when shopping for a mattress. Crawl into it. If it’s not the right one for you, keep looking until you find the one that looks and feels just right.

The trend for 2008 is toward beds that are big. In response to the demand for spacious master suites, furniture manufacturers are producing massive, magnificent beds in an array of styles. Consider these beds that are sophisticated and work well with different kinds of décor:

• Romantic four-poster canopies, from elaborately draped styles to minimalistic ones with just a hint of billowy fabric.

• Glamorous Hollywood-style headboards upholstered in deeply quilted rich, elegant fabrics.

• Impressively tall stand-alone leather and suede tufted headboards, with and without footboards.

• Sleigh beds with curved and scrolled head and footboards in wood or metal, as well as completely upholstered versions.

• Massive four-poster beds.

• Huge, intricately carved headboards and wrap-around footboards that hug the mattress and bedding.

• Elaborate iron designs that include stand-alone headboards, complete frames with decorative footboards and draped four-poster canopy beds.

• Headboards with strong architectural features in exotic woods and matching frames that wrap all three sides.

• Exotic headboards with detailed designs in white metal with a mirror finish, often imported from Mexico and India.

If your bedroom is a more moderate size that doesn’t suit beds of such grand proportions, you can still find these popular styles on a smaller scale. A slimmer version of a four-poster canopy bed with less fabric dressing will work. Or you can skip the canopy and go for a Victorian fourposter “rice bed” — so named for the riceplant design carved into the posts to symbolize life. Another alternative is a a bed with a scaled-down version of a big upholstered headboard and sans a footboard.

Perhaps your personal style is “less is more”; in that case, a platform bed might be the best for you. These have rectangular shaped frames with simple straight lines. They may or may not have headboards, and most don’t have footboards. They can either rest completely on the floor or sit on very short legs. Many designs feature built-in drawers, which are great for storing off-season comforters and extra sheet sets. The biggest drawback of pedestal beds is that they are low to the ground, which makes it hard for us to change sheets. To ensure the best look for your bed, tightly tuck in sheets and bed covers. But remember, this is harder to do with styles that have wraparound frames.

If yours is a tiny bedroom, or if perhaps there is no separate bedroom space — as in a studio apartment or a loft — a daybed may be a good choice. These versatile pieces are also excellent for studies that serve a dual purpose as guest rooms. They come in all types of styles and materials, including upholstered versions that really look like sofas. Daybeds are typically framed on three sides for the dual purpose of providing seating during the day and a place to sleep at night. They can accommodate twin-sized mattresses. However, some trundle styles pull out and pop up to form king-sized beds. Although these are less than perfect substitutes for real king-sized beds, they are fine for makedo situations.

There is much to be said in favor of upholstered beds. These are not only “hot” right now, but they also make a lot of sense, for they can be upholstered for a fresh new look whenever styles change.

Whatever size or style suits your bedroom best, there’s no reason to lose sleep over bed buying anymore. With all the options available, you’re sure to find the bed of your dreams.