Ahoy, Matey! Captain’s Bed a Space Saver
Monday, March 16th, 2009
The Lady Washington Under Sail. Photo by Thomas Hyde.
I don’t know how an old salt like me managed it, but somehow I got a lassie who adores everything sleek and minimalist. Kind of hard to find when it comes to kids’ furniture. I almost fell out of my chair when, at seven years old, she blithely tossed off a comment about “navy and white would be pretty stark, mom.”
She’s going to start middle school in the fall, and we need to get her a new kid’s bed. For some time now she’s had a white-painted daybed, but she wants a “real bed” now. After much thought she defied convention and picked a captain’s bed with a bookcase headboard. It’s not girly—but it’s absolutely practical. We’re running tight quarters, so a bed that incorporates storage is the absolute best choice.
Sand Castle Captain's Bed by South Shore. Available at iFurn.com.
Captain’s beds are thought to originate from, you guessed it, the life of ships and the sea. Space is at a premium on board—a ship is an enclosed floating world. Most sailors of times gone by slept in hammocks,while men in charge got a bit more room and a stationary sleeping area. Since they were privileged with more possessions, they needed a place to put them—but even being in charge of a ship didn’t award you something that didn’t exist. So these unnamed designers of Better Decks and Rigging combined luxury and necessity together and came up with storage incorporated into the bed.
A low-profile bed appeals to my independent-minded missy because of the lack of frills and streamlined shape. (Once again, she’s chosen white for the finish.) Most people today don’t think of a captain’s bed as a luxury item—but to a parent who’s trying to get a pre-teen to keep her own cabin ship-shape and Bristol-fashion, it’s a treasure.
Newton Kids Bedroom Set by Southshore Furniture. Available at iFurn.com.
