May 11, 2012. Paul Hixon
If you have splashed out on a gorgeous new four-poster bed, you may be looking to complete the look with some canopy bed curtains. The right kind of bed curtain can really finish your four-poster bed off with style – either creating a super romantic statement, with frills, flounces, ribbons and bows, or you can opt for a simpler, elegant panel style bed curtain which gives a safari style look.
Whichever style you prefer, here are our five top tips for buying canopy bed curtains:
1. Make sure the curtains are big enough – you want them to go across the width of your four-poster frame and then hang all the way down to the floor – curtains that only hang half-way down will look amateurish and spoil the effect. Many off the shelf bed curtains claim to be suitable for all bed sizes, but double check – especially if you have a super size bed!
2. Consider the bed curtain material – the majority of canopy curtains are made from polyester netting, which may not be to your liking. Polyester netting can resemble a mosquito net, which you may feel is not quite the look you want. In this case search out for bed curtains made from muslin or voile; or if you want a less airy feel, look for heavier fabric curtains.
3. Check that the canopy curtain is suited for a four-poster bed – some models are made to hang from a circular hoop frame suspended from the ceiling; these kids are not suitable to hanging on a four-poster frame.
4. What are the cleaning instructions – whilst you won’t have to wash your canopy bed curtains that often, it’s worth thinking about whether you’re going to get them into your washing machine, or whether they are going to entail an annual dry cleaning bill.
5. Finally, once you’ve chosen the right canopy curtain, made sure they are hung carefully over your bed so that they do not present a fire hazard by being too close to light fittings.
Updated May 11, 2012. Published January 30, 2011. Paul Hixon
