Why did four poster beds have curtains on them? No one knows for sure, but there is a pretty strong possibility that the back of the poster bed was decorated with posters to make it look nice. If you had a nice bedroom then why not decorate it with something that makes it look more like a real bed?
Can you imagine having a bed that actually had a curtain on it – a nice comfortable four poster bed with pretty white curtains? It would be absolutely fabulous. However, this isn’t what happened with most beds of the day.
The first real four-poster bed that was made was a result of someone thinking that they could make a very good looking bed using a four-poster frame. They got the frame and stuck two very thin pieces of plywood across the top and bottom to support the mattress. Of course, they probably didn’t take into account that the bed would probably be used quite frequently as the plywood wouldn’t be very thick.
These thin pieces of wood soon began to collect dust and start showing signs of wear. When they finally showed up at the fabric store to be fitted for the new bed, they were thought to be perfect for the bed. However, fabric retailers realised that these posters would be pretty hard to wash. Why not have some nice big curtains on these beds instead? It would be such a lovely decorative touch and really add to the look of the room.
Old people loved the idea of a large number of bright curtains on their beds. It meant that there was enough light to help people sleep. This was a great idea in those days. However, very few people in those days made use of these kinds of curtains and their popularity fizzled out. It certainly is a wonderful idea today.
If you want to make use of old poster beds for your children’s room you could hang one of these curtains across the top. You could also make use of old curtain rods to hang them on. Why not have some pretty velvet or satin drapes on top of these lovely beds? Just imagine what your children will do once they grow up and are able to choose their own bed designs. They will go wild!
If you happen to live in an older home and are finding it difficult to decorate the bedrooms, why not think about getting a set of curtains to hang on the top of the bed? You will make this day with your kids much more exciting and enjoyable. The possibilities are endless. You will be able to find any kind of curtain in any kind of design and you can make use of any kind of material.
The reason why the curtains were hung on these beds in the first place was for the lighting. Many homes had very small windows and their lighting was very limited. People had to put up curtains or blinds on these windows in order to let in good quality daylight. Nowadays, people have more choice and can decorate their bedrooms to their hearts’ content. Why not take advantage of that?