Help me find a masculine canopy bed!
May 12, 2010 3:03 PM Subscribe
I want a masculine canopy/4 poster bed. If I can't find one that matches what I'm looking for, how do I hire someone to build one? I'm in Portland, OR.
I own a bed that looks nearly identical to the stunning Architecture Bed from Room & Board. It's an awesome bed, but it has a few problems. The Room & Board version has a headboard that is welded together into one GIAAAAAANT rectangle. The footboard is welded too. Thus, there's no way to take it apart. In fact, they issue a warning that it may be too big to get into some rooms (and they're not kidding!).
West Elm used to sell a similar bed, and that's the one I own... but their version was poorly designed (which probably explains why they discontinued it pretty quickly). It wobbles and SQUEAKS when... well, you know when :) Also, my bed is a Full and I'd like to move up to a Queen. I'm starting to hate my mattress, so now seems like the time to begin looking for a new bed too.
I love this style of bed because I live in an open loft. I hang curtains from the bars and get the appearance of having a bedroom even though my place is just one huge room.
Does anybody make a masculine canopy bed? And if not, how do I find someone who can build one that I'd design?
I own a bed that looks nearly identical to the stunning Architecture Bed from Room & Board. It's an awesome bed, but it has a few problems. The Room & Board version has a headboard that is welded together into one GIAAAAAANT rectangle. The footboard is welded too. Thus, there's no way to take it apart. In fact, they issue a warning that it may be too big to get into some rooms (and they're not kidding!).
West Elm used to sell a similar bed, and that's the one I own... but their version was poorly designed (which probably explains why they discontinued it pretty quickly). It wobbles and SQUEAKS when... well, you know when :) Also, my bed is a Full and I'd like to move up to a Queen. I'm starting to hate my mattress, so now seems like the time to begin looking for a new bed too.
I love this style of bed because I live in an open loft. I hang curtains from the bars and get the appearance of having a bedroom even though my place is just one huge room.
Does anybody make a masculine canopy bed? And if not, how do I find someone who can build one that I'd design?
How about the Modern Pencil Post bed from local woodworkers The Joinery?
posted by ottereroticist at 3:25 PM on May 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ottereroticist at 3:25 PM on May 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
This one is pricey, but you could buy the piping and fittings at Home Depot for much, much less and build the same thing. (I'm suddenly sad I don't need a bed frame...)
posted by coolguymichael at 4:26 PM on May 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by coolguymichael at 4:26 PM on May 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
You might want to talk to the people at Delia (at Rosa parks and Albina): they make handmade steel furniture, including custom work.
posted by tallus at 6:09 PM on May 12, 2010
posted by tallus at 6:09 PM on May 12, 2010
Agree w/craven_morhead, except that I think that the tubing on the Architecture bed looks heavier than 1". I'd bet it's closer to 1 1/2".
Be careful of the wall thickness of the tubing you specify -- some of that steel can get really heavy.
Cutting and welding cold-rolled steel is pretty straightforward for any fabrication shop. You'll need to be specific about how nicely ground and finished you need the welds to be. Also, figure out what you want to do about painting, powder-coating or otherwise finishing it; many fab shops won't be set up to do nice finishing work.
posted by jon1270 at 6:10 PM on May 12, 2010
Be careful of the wall thickness of the tubing you specify -- some of that steel can get really heavy.
Cutting and welding cold-rolled steel is pretty straightforward for any fabrication shop. You'll need to be specific about how nicely ground and finished you need the welds to be. Also, figure out what you want to do about painting, powder-coating or otherwise finishing it; many fab shops won't be set up to do nice finishing work.
posted by jon1270 at 6:10 PM on May 12, 2010
Are you worried about the height of your ceiling or the getting it through the doorway? I'm assuming you've measured, but just in case you haven't, I have a queen size Portica Bed from Room and Board in my tiny (300 square feet) cottage. We don't have full size door openings either--we have a sliding door as an entranceway and the door opening to our bedroom is only 27 inches wide. Currently it's in a bedroom that's barely 9 foot x 9 foot square.
While the headboard and footboard are essentially 5 x 6.5 foot steel rectangles, everything else on our Portica bed comes completely apart into 5 foot metal sticks.
Good luck!
posted by inertia at 7:31 PM on May 12, 2010
While the headboard and footboard are essentially 5 x 6.5 foot steel rectangles, everything else on our Portica bed comes completely apart into 5 foot metal sticks.
Good luck!
posted by inertia at 7:31 PM on May 12, 2010
Response by poster: inertia: I'm more worried about the Room & Board bed not fitting in elevators and/or small twisty hallways of future apartments due to the headboard and footboards being completely welded into those giant squares. 80"x61"! Yikes. The Architecture bed is a thousand dollars before the cost of shipping. I can't risk spending that much on a bed that I might not be able to move into my next apartment. Well, I might talk myself into it, but I really do worry about owning a piece of furniture that huge that can't be disassembled into smaller pieces. It sure is a stunning bed though.
posted by 2oh1 at 7:54 PM on May 12, 2010
posted by 2oh1 at 7:54 PM on May 12, 2010
On the other end of the price spectrum: IKEA's Edland. It doesn't look like it's available in dark tones, though. Paint?
We have a similar IKEA bed in our house and it's a tiny bit wobbly but then, we have some jerry-rigged cross-pieces instead of whatever it is that is really supposed to support the box spring and mattress, so that could be why.
posted by lakeroon at 10:26 PM on May 12, 2010
We have a similar IKEA bed in our house and it's a tiny bit wobbly but then, we have some jerry-rigged cross-pieces instead of whatever it is that is really supposed to support the box spring and mattress, so that could be why.
posted by lakeroon at 10:26 PM on May 12, 2010
I was going to suggest the Ikea Edland bed too. I have some friends who have it. They painted it dark brown and it looks great. It has made it through two cross-country moves. I stayed with them for two weeks, and am fairly certain it doesn't make noise when...ahem...you know.
posted by apricot at 8:18 AM on May 13, 2010
posted by apricot at 8:18 AM on May 13, 2010
Similar to the architecture one upthread, but assembled from separate pieces, the Boltz canopy bed sounds like what you're looking for. Pretty pricey though.
I've been pining for their platform bed for years, but just can't convince myself to spend nearly $2k on a friggin' bed frame.
posted by zen_spider at 9:01 AM on May 13, 2010
I've been pining for their platform bed for years, but just can't convince myself to spend nearly $2k on a friggin' bed frame.
posted by zen_spider at 9:01 AM on May 13, 2010
jon1270, on second thought, you're probably right, it's probably 1.5" or 2". Anyway, fabrication shouldn't be too tough, and not very expensive. Aluminum is prettier (IMHO), more expensive, and tougher to work with, but might be another option to consider if you're worried about a bed weighing 600 lbs.
posted by craven_morhead at 10:19 AM on May 13, 2010
posted by craven_morhead at 10:19 AM on May 13, 2010
Response by poster: OK - it just occurred to me that a 61"x 80" rectangle isn't really all THAT big. I mean, hey, it's basically one inch wider than a 60x80 queen mattress... so, with shipping, it comes out to $1130-ish. That's probably the bed I'll buy, unless I can find something better for less, which I'm starting to seriously doubt.
posted by 2oh1 at 12:01 PM on May 13, 2010
posted by 2oh1 at 12:01 PM on May 13, 2010
I have no idea what you could get it fabricated for, but you're looking at about $300 in steel and probably an hour, maybe hour and a half of work, so fabrication might be cheaper than buying retail.
posted by craven_morhead at 12:16 PM on May 13, 2010
posted by craven_morhead at 12:16 PM on May 13, 2010
probably an hour, maybe hour and a half of work
Dream on. To get that sort of thing cut, welded, the welds ground smooth and the whole thing finished is many hours. As with virtually all things, mass production is more efficient. Custom anything is expensive.
posted by jon1270 at 5:05 PM on May 13, 2010
Dream on. To get that sort of thing cut, welded, the welds ground smooth and the whole thing finished is many hours. As with virtually all things, mass production is more efficient. Custom anything is expensive.
posted by jon1270 at 5:05 PM on May 13, 2010
Does it need to be metal? Ana of Knock Off Wood has a great DIY plan that, while not exactly the same, can easily be modified. The pieces would be easier to get upstairs then a partially assembled frame would.
posted by RunawayOctober at 12:35 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by RunawayOctober at 12:35 PM on May 19, 2010
Or this. Or this, with your own version of a canopy. Or this. That is, if you like the pipe look.
posted by RunawayOctober at 12:39 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by RunawayOctober at 12:39 PM on May 19, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by craven_morhead at 3:21 PM on May 12, 2010