Beds have come a long way to get to what we’re sleeping on now. They have been a part of the human experience since our ancestors decided to put down their clubs and spears and set up a home. Beds from that era were little more than piles of straw, animal skins, or other natural materials. But bedroom furniture has taken a lot of twists and turns from that to today’s modern furniture.
Ancient Egyptian pharoahs had high bedsteads that were accessed by steps, and were decorated with bolsters, pillows, and curtains. Furniture in the middle ages was generally heavier with more ornamental designs, but nobles and kings also had bed posts and draped fabric coverings.
Early American furniture styles owed a lot to the colonialism of the times, with influences from European styles evident as America began to develop our own style. In the 18th century, the bed was the most important piece of furniture in the home, and as such, was ornately decorated. The industrial revolution brought about mass production, which changed bed styles drastically. Mass-production of parts meant the end of ornate custom carving and designs. Beds became less ornamental and more elegant in appearance.
The next several centuries brought us two familiar bed styles: The waterbed, and the Murphy Bed. While the waterbed was first patented in the 1880’s, it wasn’t perfected, or heated, until the 1960’s. The Murphy Bed was invented when William L. Murphy’s bed was taking up too much room in his one-room apartment when he was entertaining. He patented the fold-up Murphy Bed in 1900, and they still exist today.
Modern furniture offers many more choices than any other era, though many elements of today’s styles can be traced back through history. If you’re wondering how to choose a bed, maybe take a look at the style of your home, and see what style bed might be the best fit. Modern furniture offers us the advantage of choosing the elements of past styles that we like best.
