What exactly is a sleigh bed?
The distinctive shape of the bed is created by the curving or scrolling outwards of the headboard and footboard.
Sleigh beds used to be built of solid woods like mahogany, but now they may be made of various materials, including iron. However, when crafted from these materials, the bed’s signature curves tend to be subdued. Sleigh beds may be as rustic, elegant, or whimsical as the decor dictates.
The origins of sleigh beds
The Empire style, prominent in the United States and France in the early nineteenth century, is the inspiration for sleigh beds. Part of the sleigh bed’s lavish appearance comes from the Empire style, which took its cues from the classical Greek and Roman empires.
It is said that the artistic representations of Roman-era beds, with their sweeping curves, served as inspiration for the bed’s initial form. As a consequence of the widespread belief that Napoleon was an early advocate of this bed type, it quickly gained favor in France.
Beds with headboards that curled into a scroll-like form at the end were popular during this period, and the American Empire placed special emphasis on Greek architecture, which was characterized by curving feet and columns.
The modern sleigh beds were born from a fusion of both forms; they look like the sleighs seen in Santa Claus paintings or old-fashioned horse-drawn sleighs.
When first purchased, sleigh beds were a source of great pride because of their status symbol status and the high price tag that came with their elaborate designs. It was common practice for individuals to display them prominently in public spaces as a status symbol.
Nowadays, you can find sleigh beds in a wide range of designs, from those that are reminiscent of bygone eras to those that are more fitting for a more modern house.
Sleigh Bed Types and Styles
There are several variations on the sleigh bed, yet they all have a unique look. Sleigh beds in the French and Celtic styles, for instance, have In addition to these design variants, sleigh beds can exist in a variety of structures:
Traditional sleigh beds, with their scrolled headboards and footboards, are timeless pieces of furniture.
Sleigh beds with storage—These beds include drawers beneath the mattress, making the entire thing thicker, but the graceful curves of the headboard and footboard are still there.
A storage sleigh bed is comparable to a standard sleigh bed, but this model has a pull-out bed on wheels at the base, so you can accommodate overnight visitors without taking up valuable storage space while not in use.
Sleigh beds without a footboard are characterized by the classic curving headboard typical of sleigh beds but, as the name implies, by the absence of the footboard. In situations when the traditional sleigh bed would be too lavish, these beds might be a better fit.
Traditional sleigh beds have a curved design, but half-rail and full-rail sleigh beds include rails that divide the headboard and footboard in half, or run the length of the bed.
Sleigh beds with a divan bed in the center retain the splayed head and footboards but include a floor-to-ceiling frame.
Because of its long and storied history across the world, sleigh beds have a classic charm that will never go out of style.
