Was just watching the new Scrooge. Noted the heavy upholstery type drapes hanging around the four poster bed. Bet that locked in body heat at night. Imagine that some kind of tent affair of blankets or mylar with ropes and poles could be rigged if one has no canopy. One could even use one of those one person tunnel tents. Didn't someone say that if you put a mylar blanket under your sheet it got hot?

My insert heats the living room, but will be a cold bedroom---brrrr.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), December 10, 1999

Answers

So, then just move your bed into the living room. Do what you have to to survive.

I once spent an entire winter sacked out in the kitchen of a huge old house cause it was too expensive to heat the rest of the rooms.

Make do.

-- (making@do.com), December 10, 1999.

Marsh, I think you are talking about the old four poster bed aka Merry Old England.Designed to keep out cold drafts,keep the localised heat in & last but least for visual privacy.

Bed in a box!!!

The rectangular frame was usually made out of wood & fitted to the bed frame.It had a canopied roof & was draped with curtains all the way round.A half tester bed was one that had curtains which could just be pulled forward from the head of the bed to stop drafts around the pillow area.No roof.

Any construction would do..think maybe of the way in which mosquito netting is draped over a bed.

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), December 10, 1999.

When my daughter was eight years old all she talked about was having a canopy bed. A co-worker had just purchased his daughter a new bedroom suite with canopy and wanted to sell the canopy. I didn't ask why, I just bought it. I spent a small fortune getting the canopy drapings, curtains, spread etc just right for her. After the first week, I had the canopy in the storage shed, my daughter was too frightened to sleep underneath and enclosed in the drapings. I never gave any thought that she had never slept in one before. My co- worker laughed and said that was why she sold it to me! So young or old be sure and stage a rehearsal sleep before enclosing your bed.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), December 10, 1999.

Made a frame similar to these out of 2X2 redwood about 20 years ago but didn't drape anything over it, hung shelves for books, kickknacks, hung candle lanterns from it, plants, trapeze, etc. Very handy. Should be easy enough to build....I'd be looking for a fire retardant or fireproof material for a membrane though.

The larger the enclosed area the more heat required to keep it at a cozy temp. Stay warm.....DCK

-- Don Kulha (dkulha@vom.com), December 10, 1999.

Don, A trapeze???

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), December 12, 1999.