French and English furniture / distinctive styles and periods described and illustrated

by Esther Singleton

Sheraton made a great variety of beds. They include French beds, state beds, dome, canopy, alcove, and sofa beds. The former are very intricate. He describes them as follows: “Beds of this kind have been introduced of late with great success in England. The dome is supported by iron rods of about an inch in diameter, curved regularly down to each pillar where they are fixed with a strong screw and nut. These iron rods are covered and entirely hid by a valance, which comes in a regular sweep, and meets in a point at the vases on the pillars. Behind this valance, which continues all round, the drapery is drawn up by pulleys and tied up by a silken cord and tassels at the head of the pillars. The headboards of these beds are framed and stuffed, and covered to suit the hangings, and the frame is white and gold, if the pillars and cornice are. The bed-frame is sometimes ornamented, and has drapery valances below. Observe that grooves are made in the pillars to receive the headboards, and screwed at the top, by which means the whole is kept firm, and is easily taken to pieces. Square bolsters are now often introduced, with margins of various colours stitched all round. The counterpane has also these margins; they are also fringed at bottom, and have sometimes a drapery tied up in cords and tassels on the side.”

PLATE LXIII

Of the large bed on Plate [LXIII.] Sheraton says:

“This design requires no explanation, except that which relates to the tester. The cove of the tester is to be formed by the ribs; one at each mitre, and other short ones joined to them with the rest about five inches apart from each other. At the upper part of the cove is a square tester into which the ribs are fixed. On the edge of this tester, which is made very light, is fixed a small moulding mitred all around. The cove being formed, the ribs may be covered with strong board-paper, both inside and out, which may either be japanned to match the furniture, or it may be covered with the furniture itself. The circular part above the cove is nothing more than a straight board fixed on to the upper tester. For the sake of easy conveyance, the cove may be made in four parts, mitering at each corner, and the ornament intended to be at each mitre on the outside running entirely up to the feathers, will hide the joint.

“The swags of silk that appear on the drapery should be fastened to the back part of the cornice in order that they may hang easy. The pillars are to be japanned. The panel that hides the screws are made to slip into a groove at the bottom, and being bevelled off behind at the top, when raised up a little from their place, by pressing the finger on the front, can easily be taken away to come at the screws. The valance and drapery both together slip on to a lath as in common.” It may be interesting to note that Sheraton preferred a “firm bed” to the soft down or feather. He recommends first a straw mattress covered with a flock mattress, upon which are placed a feather bed and then a hair mattress.

“The alcove, or recess,” he writes, “is used in Spain for seats and sometimes for beds of state. The English have imitated these by sometimes fitting up the end of long rooms in this style; which may answer both for ornament and to bring any apartment of undue length into proportion. In forming such an alcove for a place of retirement to rest on, a couple of Corinthian columns may be placed on each side of the room, so as to leave a spacious entrance into the alcove. The columns should not be placed less than six feet from the end of the room, nor more than nine, except in extraordinary cases. The seats are made low to receive their cushions, and drapery valances are fixed to the under edge of the frame. From surbase height the walls are covered with silk quilted, or disposed into uniform panels, in any other manner to suit the rest of the room. In the space between the surbase are placed back cushions, or a stuffed back, framed to fit all round and screwed to. From the frieze of the cornice below the ceiling is fixed draperies, either with or without tails: such alcoves when properly applied have a pleasing effect. When they are fitted up for beds, it will add to the effect if the bed be placed on a double plinth, in the form of two steps, laid with a carpet to suit the rest, and the effect will still be heightened, if a drapery be fixed, parting from the centre of the entrance and flowing down each side of the inner columns.

“There is a curtain under the drapery which slides on a rod, and may be brought forward to cover the whole bed. The other tied up may be considered as a fixed drapery, but may be taken down occasionally. The tester and cornice need not project more than twenty inches, and the length of the bed, including the volutes, about eight feet.”

“Duchess, a kind of bed composed of three parts, or a chair at each end and stool between them. They are only intended for a single lady, and are therefore not more than about 30 inches wide. The chair ends, when apart, have the appearance of large arm or fauteuil chairs, and the middle part may be used as a stool.” The tester is made to fold. The arms of the chair part are dolphins, and an acanthus spray ending in a scroll ornaments the back. The duchess is covered with a striped material, a square or round cushion is at each end, and the drapery is composed of two curtains falling from a kind of dome (ornamented by a pineapple or pomme), while a scarf is slipped through rings and forms a swag in front of the dome and two festoons at each side. An illustration of Sheraton’s duchess is given on Plate [LIX.], No. 2.

Of camp or field-bedsteads there is a great variety. They all have folding tester laths, either hexagonal or elliptical shaped, and hinged so as to fold close together. In size they run about 6 feet long and 3 feet, 6 or 9 inches in width, and between 5 feet 6 inches to 6 feet high to the crown of the tester. “Suitable for low rooms for servants or children, they receive their name on account of their being similar in size and shape to those really used in camps.”