Oak Four Poster Bed

An oak four poster bed is a majestic piece for your bedroom that will make you feel like royalty, but you need to know how to dress it properly for the best effect.

There are several ways to dress a four poster bed depending on your taste. To make this the focal point of the room, begin by neatly tucking in the corners of your sheets and comforter. To avoid overshadowing the grandeur of the bed, select bedding that is devoid of any busy patterns.

Don’t use a bed skirt because this will draw the eye downward when a four poster bed’s focus should be up toward the ceiling. The fun part is deciding how you want to hang fabric from the posts.

One option is to take two fabric swaths and drape, one over the top of the posts near the headboard and the other above the posts at the foot of the bed. This creates a dreamy canopy effect. You can also hang eight curtains (two per side) from the bed frame and tie them at the corners during the day to hold them open, giving the effect of sweeping drapes.

An oak four-poster bed can tend to be a huge, room-dominating object—so you’ll want to make sure you have the room handy. Four-posters tend to be queen-sized or king-sized beds, so you’ll need your room to be able to accommodate a 60”x80” or 76”x80” bed frame. We’d advise having at least 2-3 feet on either side, and preferably more like 4-5 feet of room to spare at the foot of the bed.

Four-poster beds need more than horizontal space, however; these pieces of furniture require vertical room, too. A typical post on a four-poster bed is 4-5 feet high, on top of a 2-3 foot bed frame. In order to avoid any issues with low-hanging fans or light fixtures, we’ve found it best to put four-posters in rooms with 9-10’ ceilings; however, you’ll need to measure your room to be sure your four-poster will fit.