Today, the idea of sleeping in a closet may seem claustrophobic, extravagant, and a bit uncomfortable. However, a few centuries ago, it was considered the best way to ensure a pleasant night’s sleep. Our ancestors had many good reasons to curl up in a wooden closet with sheets. So why did we abandon this habit in the 20th century?
Interestingly, some companies are proposing to revive this concept. Naturally, they envision it with a technological twist and a much more modern aesthetic than what was in fashion during our great-great-great-great-great-grandparents’ time.
Beds in closets? It may sound strange today, but it wasn’t so unusual for our ancestors. The BBC recently reported that closet beds were popular throughout Europe between the Middle Ages and the early 20th century. Also known as “box beds” and “close beds,” these pieces of furniture essentially served as drawers containing beds. There were variations in design, with some being more elegant than others.
Popular and widespread. Some examples of closet beds can still be seen today. For instance, a museum in Wick in the United Kingdom preserves a fascinating pine box bed. Alongside other period furniture, it helps to set the scene in a room where fishermen stayed during the herring season in the 19th century.
We find equally interesting examples in other locations, including Austria, the Netherlands, and France. In Brittany in Western France, these beds were known as “lit-clos.” Additionally, the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam displays a box bed similar to the one the Dutch painter and his wife used.
A never-ending list. Writers such as Emily Brontë, Thomas Adolphus Trollope, and Frances Eleanor Trollope have shared insights on closet beds. Meanwhile, artists like Pieter de Hooch and Jacob Vrel have visually depicted them in paintings. Their depictions reveal that while the details varied, the philosophy remained consistent. The wooden pieces featured high cabinets with legs and often included doors or small windows that could be covered with curtains. Sometimes, they had a two-story design with beds that provided a resting place for their owners.
In 1840, Thomas and Frances Trollope described the closet beds, saying, “[The box bed] is the resting-place of the maid, or of any other member of the family. The aperture, which is left as the sole means of access to the interior of this retreat, is furnished with sliding doors, generally–as well, indeed, as the whole of the front of the bed–handsomely carved. So that the occupant may, if he so please, entirely shut himself in.”
From peasants to aristocrats. Many box beds have been preserved today partly due to their widespread use over centuries. As mentioned earlier, this type of furniture was popular in homes throughout Europe from medieval times until the early 20th century. According to the BBC, families from all walks of life, whether peasants wishing to rest after long days in the fields or distinguished members of the nobility, utilized these beds.
Although the purpose of these beds remained the same, their designs varied significantly, just like today’s furniture. Some were simple, while others featured engravings worthy of a palace.
But why did they use closet beds? Perhaps a more fitting question is: Why did we stop using them? Eventually, they fell out of fashion and became rarities. Yet, for centuries, they provided a comfortable sleeping solution. They offered privacy, versatility, efficient use of space, and warmth. According to historian Roger Ekircj, this was particularly crucial in homes where the sap in the logs sometimes froze in the fireplace. “Inkwells would freeze overnight,” he told the BBC.
Ekircj also points out that between the 14th and 19th centuries, Europe and parts of North America experienced a Little Ice Age. This period of regional cooling even caused the Thames River in England to freeze nearly 20 times. In these frigid conditions, the idea of shutting oneself into a cozy bed at night didn’t seem unreasonable, especially since it could be shared with others.
A smart design. Although it was extravagant by 21st-century standards, the closet bed design was also practical. More elaborate box beds provided seating and incorporated drawers for clothing storage, resembling today’s ottoman beds. They effectively transformed spaces originally intended for other purposes into bedrooms.
For instance, the Wick Society reported that in 1980, a family in the Highlands of Scotland installed one of these beds in their barn so that some members could sleep there. Their designated sleeping room had become too small, so the design of the closet bed provided them with an excellent solution.
Beating the cold. During the Little Ice Age in the 17th century, box beds were commonly offered to seasonal workers and immigrants and shared among multiple family members and fellow workers. While they offered less comfort and privacy, these wooden “sarcophagi” effectively helped people withstand the cold.
Perhaps that explains why many people are still interested in the concept. While most of us may not wish to return to sleeping in pine closets with sheets and a mattress, there’s potential to rethink how designers create the spaces where we rest. Innovative designs such as Hi-Interiors’ smart bed and Japan’s capsule hotels serve as two exciting examples.
Image | Wikimedia Commons [1, 2] | National Gallery of Art
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