Spend the Rest of Your Life in Bed - A Canopy Bed - Paris, France

Paris, France

So, you've been on the road for a long time - and the idea of climbing into a real bed with fresh sheets sounds pretty good.

Canopy Bed

What would it be like climbing into a Louis XVI-style canopy bed, swaddled in silk? Most of us can only dream, but if you happen to be in Paris from November 4-7, you can catch a glimpse of three extraordinary canopy beds at the Carrousel du Louvre's 10^th Annual Salon du Patrimoine Cultural.

Metro: Louvre or Palais Royal.
Entrance Fee: 11 Euros. 5 Euros for Students and Groups.
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday - Saturday. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

During the four days, master upholsterer Alain Gohon and master cabinetmaker Francis Aimable will display Louis XVI-style, Louis XV-style and Medieval canopy beds at the Carrousel du Louvre show (Salle Le Notre-Allee-H).

It's nice to know that in an increasingly harsh world, there are a few craftsmen still capable of creating such a beautiful refuge. In France, Aimable estimates that only a handful of artisans have the 'know how' and the determination to construct similar canopy beds. The Louis XVI-style bed demanded 1000 hours of labor which Gohon and Aimable squeezed into their already full work day. The gilding process alone took two months to accomplish by a gilding specialist.

A Short History of Canopy Beds

Maybe it was a flight of fancy that led two down-to-earth French Normans, Alain Gohon, a decorator/upholsterer based in Lisieux, Normandy and his colleague of thirty years, cabinetmaker, Francis Aimable from Nonant, Bayeux, to embark on a madcap project. They've designed, hand-carved, assembled and upholstered three canopy beds that faithfully represent three major eras in French furniture design history: Medieval, Louis XV Style Rococo (1735-1765) and Louis XVI Style Neoclassical (1765-1790).

Each time period has its fans and certainly canopy beds offer us a glimpse of a lifestyle that has come and gone. Gohon quickly dispels some of my misconceptions. To begin with, beds were big. In the Medieval Era, beds could span as many as four meters and a baton was needed to make up the bed. Maybe you thought ceiling mirrors were a 1970s phenomena? One of Louis XVI's ministers just avoided being killed by the canopy mirror of his glamorous 'Lit a glace.' Inflatable mattresses were around long before mail-order catalogues. Back in the Middle Ages, Louis IX created one when he inflated a leather sack to replace the more commonplace featherbed.

In medieval times, it was not unusual for several people to share a bed (as many as eight hospital patients could be assigned to one bed). The greatest honor for a house guest at a nobleman's estate would be an invitation to share his host's bed. There was even a book of bed etiquette, how to sleep, where to keep your arms and legs so as not to disturb your guest's sleep. The tradition of vast beds continued on into the Renaissance.

When nobles ceased traveling from castle to castle (bringing their bedding along with them), beds and their decorative coverings continued to act as signs of a nobleman's prestige and wealth. From multicolored plumes to an array of fabrics including damask, silk, velvet and serge, the bedroom and all its accouterments remained for decades a showcase of splendor.

Courtiers at Versaille attended King Louis XIV's formal waking up ceremonies. Likewise, it was perfectly respectable to enter a lady's bedroom which served not only for rest but also for formal receptions. However, it would be in extremely poor taste and taken as the ultimate insult to sit on a lady's bed.

Reviving the ostentation and glory of beds fit for kings and queens may seem totally at odds with the pared-down Zen trends of 21^st century interior design. However, Gohon and Aimable have taken on a challenge that appears to be impervious to trends. They are carrying on their craft traditions for future generations. A lucky few (who can afford to spend some time in bed) will enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Gohon and Aimable will be two of over 200 exhibitors at this annual rural cultural heritage show which promises to "create a little bit of county in the city." If you miss the show this November, 2004, you can still visit these two exceptional craftsmen in their respective hometown atelier/boutiques in Lisieux and Bayeux, Normandy. For more information, visit Aimable's site: www. aimable.fr or e-mail fransculp@yahoo.fr or contact Alain Gohon, Maitre-Artisan Tapissier: (33) 02 31 62 01 20 (For overseas calls from the US, dial 011-332-31-62-01-20) 18, rue Pont Mortain 14100 Lisieux, France.

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Chris Card Fuller Blogs about France: Paris and Beyond