3/19/2024, 6:34:14
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Vintage and Antique Beds For Sale

(359 items)

A famous proverb says “if you only buy two things in life buy a good bed and a good pair of shoes. If you are not in one you will be in the other”. When it comes to sleeping nothing compares to antique and vintage beds. Not only do they offer the charm and appeal of years of loving use and beautiful timeless designs, but as one of the most important pieces of furniture in any home they were made of a lasting quality rarely seen today. Indeed, in the Middle Ages the bed was such an important status symbol that the King would regularly see guests while sitting in his bed chamber.

 

From Four Poster Beds or Brass Beds to French Lit en Bateau or Baby Cribs, there are plenty of antique bed designs to choose from. Although we are used to very standardized sizes today this was not always the case in the past. Most will conform to regular mattress sizes such as King Sized, Queen Sized or Double (or can be easily adapted to fit), but sometimes an antique bed can also be the perfect thing to fit those unusual spaces as well. Alongside regular beds for night-time sleeping are Sofa Beds, Day Beds and Chaise Longues intended for quick naps or just slumbering. Half Sofa and half bed these variations have been around since Classical times and offer just another way to relax around the home. As these items were far more numerous in the past you will always find a far better selection from antique and vintage examples than modern ones. 


At LoveAntiques you will find a great selection of Antique and Vintage beds for all your resting needs.

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Pair of 19th Century French Empire Mahogany & Walnut Beds

£ 2,750

€3,212
$3,459
Pair of 19th Century French Empire Mahogany & Walnut Beds

Pair of 19th Century French Empire Mahogany & Walnut Beds

£ 2,750

€3212
$3459

Debenham Antiques Ltd

Louis Philippe Bed in Walnut - 19th Century

€ 900

£770
$969
Louis Philippe Bed in Walnut - 19th Century

Louis Philippe Bed in Walnut - 19th Century

€ 900

£770
$969

Alain Michel Antiques

Pine Cradle / Crib

Sunnyside Antiques

Pine Cradle / Crib

£ 295

€345
$371
Pine Cradle / Crib

Pine Cradle / Crib

£ 295

€345
$371

Sunnyside Antiques

Inlaid Kingwood French Double Bed

£ 1,250

€1,460
$1,572
Inlaid Kingwood French Double Bed

Inlaid Kingwood French Double Bed

£ 1,250

€1460
$1572

Camden Antiques

French Shabby Chic Double Bed

£ 399

€466
$502
French Shabby Chic Double Bed

French Shabby Chic Double Bed

£ 399

€466
$502

Vintage World

Super Handsome  King Size Classic Victorian Bed

£ 1,450

€1,694
$1,824
Vintage French Oak Double Bed

£ 399

€466
$502
Vintage French Oak Double Bed

Vintage French Oak Double Bed

£ 399

€466
$502

Vintage World

Vintage French Oak King Size Bed

£ 449

€525
$565
Vintage French Oak King Size Bed

Vintage French Oak King Size Bed

£ 449

€525
$565

Vintage World

Anglo Indian Antique 4 Poster 5ft Double Bed

£ 3,250

€3,797
$4,088
Antique Mahogany Campaign Daybed

£ 595

€695
$748
Antique Mahogany Campaign Daybed

Antique Mahogany Campaign Daybed

£ 595

€695
$748

Penderyn Antiques

Carved Oak Four Poster Bed

£ 3,500

€4,089
$4,403
Carved Oak Four Poster Bed

Carved Oak Four Poster Bed

£ 3,500

€4089
$4403

FB Antiques

French Leather Daybed with Studding

£ 1,650

€1,927
$2,075
French Leather Daybed with Studding

French Leather Daybed with Studding

£ 1,650

€1927
$2075

B Southgate

Amazing  Vintage French Double Bed

£ 369

€431
$464
Amazing  Vintage French Double Bed

Amazing Vintage French Double Bed

£ 369

€431
$464

Vintage World

Lovely Empire Style Day Bed

£ 895

€1,045
$1,126
Lovely Empire Style Day Bed

Lovely Empire Style Day Bed

£ 895

€1045
$1126

Bedsteads

Pretty & Airy French Iron + Brass Kingsize Bed

£ 1,450

€1,694
$1,824
Charming Victorian All Brass Double Bed

£ 1,250

€1,460
$1,572
Charming Victorian All Brass Double Bed

Charming Victorian All Brass Double Bed

£ 1,250

€1460
$1572

Bedsteads

Antique and Vintage Bed FAQ’s 


Are antique beds valuable?


Beds have always been one of the most prized and used items in any home. Antique and Vintage examples were usually very well constructed and thus expensive to purchase. Today these old beds remain just as desirable and useful as ever. Like any item they can be quite valuable costing many thousands of pounds for larger sized quality examples such as four poster or half tester beds, but you can also pick up great examples from al sizes at a fraction of that cost also.    


What is a half-tester bed?


Traditional four poster beds or canopy beds were originally called ‘tester’ beds as derived from the Latin word ‘testa’ meaning ‘head’. Over time the fashion and need for fully enclosed beds changed with a desire for more open airy beds instead. Often the two tall bed posts by the head were retained with a small pediment above and purely decorative drapes to create a visually elegant look. This form of bed with only two tall posts and small pediment are called ‘half-tester’ beds.   


What are common antique bed sizes?


Although people have always slept on different sized beds from small to very large, popular terms such as Queen, King and Empire did not become universally recognised until the middle of the 20th Century. Instead, most antique beds were created in very similar proportions to our modern terms such as single, double and larger, but were not all exactly the same to the millimetre. Indeed, it was the invention of uniform sprung mattresses in the mid 19th Century which made a universally recognised scale useful. Today, most antique beds can either accept modern mattresses directly or bases can easily be made to fit.


What is a French Style Bed?


Naturally a French Bed will relate to those beds made originally in France, but it is also a term to describe certain classic styles of bed originally made popular in France. These include the very traditional ‘Lit Bateau‘ with tall or Sleigh style ends and box sides, as well as elegant 18th and 19th Century designs with head and footboards finished in a variety of materials including cane work, upholstery and carved from Walnut or Oak. These French designs remain extremely popular today.