BEDS FOR DREAMING

A cosy bed layered with soft cotton sheets and a downy puff is one of life's ultimate luxuries. Pair that with a canopy heavy in rich fabric, and you may have found heaven.

Traditionally, canopy beds provided warmth from cold draughts as well as privacy, as the extremely wealthy in England often shared quarters with their servants.

Covered beds today serve mainly in form over function, and the many ways in which fabric can be draped over beds varies greatly, enveloping the sleeper in a canopy of warmth and comfort.

Below, a selection of lushly draped beds.