Originally invented as a way to create more privacy in shared bedrooms, canopy beds have evolved into an iconic bed design that are both elegant and romantic. Ranging in style from relaxed and bohemian to classic or contemporary, we’ve rounded up some of our favorites.
Scroll down for dreamy canopy beds that will inspire your next bedroom makeover!
This four-poster bed in gold and black is open on all sides, giving it a modern feel, while a dark green feature wall behind adds a bold backdrop.
Photographer: André Rider
Source: House & Home December 2017
Designer: BlazysGérard
This nautical blue and white striped bed takes us straight to coast. The seaside palette combined with the soft draping of the fabric give it a relaxed, cabana feel.
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: House & Home February 2010
Designer: Sasha Seymour
A traditional chandelier, grasscloth wallpaper, and floral drapes give this bedroom a stately look, while a sleek canopy bed keeps it feeling contemporary.
Photographer: André Rider
Source: House & Home October 2018
Designer: BlazysGérard
In the guest bedroom of Jackie Ellis’ Parisian apartment, a curtain rod and drapes between two custom cabinets create a canopy-like effect. The pink palette, lace drapery, and dried floral bouquet is soft and romantic.
Photographer: Joann Pai
Source: House & Home September 2019
Designer: Jackie Kai Ellis
This canopy bed designed by Sarah Richardson was the result of a DIY project, where Sarah used a carved architectural church fragment and long flowing drapes to create a canopy-like effect on the ceiling.
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: House & Home May 2018
Designer: Sarah Richardson
This bedroom in Baja, Mexico achieves a bohemian, rustic style with a circular mosquito net that acts as a canopy, and a hanging pendant light draped with branches and pearls.
Photographer: Heather Ross
Source: House & Home August 2012
Designer: Patricia Larsen
If you’re looking to create a canopy effect without a four-poster bed, this breezy bedroom will inspire you. Curtain rods are attached to the ceiling with long flowing drapes on all four sides of the bed, making this bedroom feel like a romantic retreat.
Photographer: Lauren Miller
Source: House & Home October 2020
Designer: Shauna Walton
In this English-inspired bedroom, a silk canopy flanks the headboard, while a variety of well-loved English motifs surround the room, including a gingham balloon shade on the window, and decorative pillows on the bed.
Photographer: Robert Sanderson
Source: House & Home November 2007
Designer: Thomas Wiggins
This wood-panelled cottage bedroom in a white and wood palette is as cozy as it gets. A shear canopy around the bed creates an elegant, ethereal feel.
Photographer: Ted Yarwood
Source: House & Home July 2008
This principal bedroom feels luxe with matching nightstands and sconces and a sleek four-poster bed. The cool-toned pillows add a bright and inviting aura to the space.
Photographer: Laurey Glenn
Designer: Mel Bean Interiors
This serene bedroom has a beachy-meets-boho feel, featuring a sheer canopy, global-inspired rug, and all-white furniture.
Photographer: Michael Graydon
Source: House & Home October 2008
In this English-inspired shared bedroom, two sisters get the royal treatment with matching floral canopy beds. Each canopy is suspended above the head like a crown with coral fringe on the inside.
Photographer: Chris Tubbs
Source: House & Home January 2011
Designer: Colette van den Thillart
Touches of gold and glam can be seen throughout designer Breegan Jane’s glamorous bedroom in Venice Beach, California. Her show-stopping canopy bed is made of velvet and Lucite with gold detailing,
Photographer: Ryan Garvin
Designer: Breegan Jane
If you want an insider’s look at the fabulous design of the Obama-era White House, here it is . Pictured here is the principal bedroom, where a luxe high-post canopy bed features curtains and a bed skirt in Larsen raw silk. The bed design is early 19th-century American.
Photographer: Michael Mundy
Source: Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House
Designer: Michael S. Smith
“I wanted a glam shack — the romantic idea of a room on the beach,” says designer Colette Van Den Thillart of this principal bedroom. A four poster bed with mosquito netting keeps the bugs at bay while achieving that breezy, beachy theme.
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: House & Home May 2013
Designer: Colette van den Thillart
This is one of several guest rooms in an 18th-century country inn in the Berkshires region of Massachusetts. This classic room features a king-size canopy bed, charcoal walls, a sitting area and sweeping full-length curtains.
Photographer: Courtesy of The Inn at Kenmore Hall
Dark oak and red accents bring a traditional feel to this Muskoka bedroom. “I love how simple this casual striped rug looks against the dark wood flooring, and how it complements the refined look of the four-poster bed,” says designer Lisa Stevens.
Photographer: Robin Stubbert
Source: House & Home SIP Makeovers 2013
Designer: Lisa Stevens
Here’s another look at a clever and inexpensive way to achieve a canopy-style bed without the real thing. In this DIY project, a curtain rod was installed around the bed with ready-made linen drapes. The rods add a graphic hit of black to the serene space.
Photographer: Virginia MacDonald
Source: September 2012
Designer: Margot Austin
In this summer home in Shelter Island, NY, the homeowner added delicate patterned fabric to just the ends of the bedpost to create a breezy, coastal look. The intricate details of the dark four-poster bed, combined with the other vintage furniture create an old-world feel, perfect for a cottage bedroom.
Photographer: Eric Striffler
Source: House & Home July 2013
Designer: Colleen DeCourcy
Celebrity interior designer Cortney Novogratz of The Novogratz recently decorated her daughter’s NYC apartment. The white canopy bed, bright furniture, and colorful textiles bring a cheerful vibe to this recent grad’s bedroom.
Photographer: Courtesy of The Novogratz
Designer: The Novogratz
This playful kids bedroom features a bunk bed reminiscent of a sleep-away camp cabin. The a-frame canopy above the top bunk creates the illusion of being in a tent, giving this space a fun and free-spirited vibe.
Photographer: Laurey Glenn
Designer: Mel Bean Interiors