So the title of this article is both a pun, and a serious question.
I've always thought that four poster beds were a bit too gaudy for my tastes, but after a recent stay in a B&B which had one, I'm starting to question that.
It was a fairly opulent four poster bed which gave me mixed emotions.
On the one hand I felt somewhat regal - like they say "It's good to be the King"! I mean it felt like total luxury lying back and looking up at tester, that's the canopy that goes over the top on some models, and being draped by thick red velvety curtains.
On the other hand I started conjuring up images of pulling on a long rope to ring a bell in the servants' quarters in the middle of the night just for the kicks - that's where the guilt came in. Of course there weren't any actual servants waiting on me hand and foot at the B&B, but I was just a little surprised that I began thinking that way so quickly after lying back.
I had thought that four poster beds had gone out of fashion, however it seems that more and more of the mid-to-high-end furniture and bedding stores are carrying them these days, even Paula Deen licensed her name to the "Paula Deen Home Savannah Four Poster Bed" a couple of years ago - when celebrities like this are getting into bed with large scale furniture manufacturers you know something's up.
These days they come in all types from traditional oak with lavish drapes and ornate testers, through to basic ones made from powder coated metal frames - these ones are also called metal canopy beds. I've even seen a 'Harry Potter' one designed especially for children.
However, perhaps four poster beds aren't really taking over the world. Although I see a lot of blog posts from chic interior designers featuring countless pictures of these kinds of beds, they don't dominate the classifieds - a quick search of a few cities in Craigslist showed less than 1% of the beds for sale were four posters.
But then again, maybe that's the point. Perhaps some homeowners are deciding to add a little luxury to their master bedroom for exactly this reason - it's not something you see every day and perhaps they give you a little bragging rights with the neighbors.
So what do you think? Tell me on Twitter if you feel four poster beds are really too over-the-top, a naive fashion statement, a justifiable and enjoyable luxury, or even something else altogether!
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