Do modern mattresses fit antique beds?

Most period frames require a custom base to hold a modern mattress. The original side rails sit too wide or too narrow for standard retail sizes. Cabinetmakers usually build a slatted wooden insert that rests on the historical ledges. You can then drop a standard mattress right into the centre without altering the antique wood.

I have low ceilings in my cottage but I really want one of these beds, is it possible to alter the height of the canopy?

Reducing the height is common practice. The posts on many late Georgian and Victorian examples separate at the joints, making them relatively simple to shorten. A restorer will usually take a section out of the plain lower blocks. This preserves the detailed turning and carving on the upper sections where it matters most.

How are the curtains attached?

The canopy fabrics staple or tack directly onto the soft pine frame of the tester. You usually need an upholsterer to fit them properly. Sometimes brass rails sit hidden behind the wooden cornice. This allows the side curtains to draw back during the day on small metal rings.

Moving house soon and wondering how difficult it is to take a large tester bed apart and put it back together in the new bedroom?

These beds were designed to be dismantled. Large iron bolts hold the side and end rails to the four corner posts. You simply unbolt the frame and lift the top canopy off in sections. Two people can usually pack the entire structure flat in under an hour once the mattress is removed. Make sure to number the joints before you separate them. The historic bolts wear to fit specific holes over the centuries.

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Antique four poster beds are substantial timber frames featuring tall upright pillars at each corner, originally built to support heavy fabric canopies that provided privacy and trapped heat in draughty period houses.

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