At The Odd Mattress Company, we pride ourselves on crafting bespoke mattresses for a bed of any size or shape. One of our common enquiries is from customers who wish to have a bespoke mattress made to fit a four-poster bed frame. Commonly considered a luxurious style of bed for its antiquity and historic connotations, a four-poster bed still conjures images of sumptuous relaxation.

One of the first things to determine about your four poster bed is whether it has two or four posts which intrude into the mattress and therefore how many cut-out corners in the mattress we will be needed. Some four-posters have one flat headboard and just two intruding posts at the foot end of the bed, whilst others with have all four corner posts intruding.

For beds where only two cut-out corners are required, The Odd Mattress Company would still advise that the customer opt for a mattress made with four cut-outs. This will ensure the mattress can be turned from side to side and head to foot ensuring all areas of the bed are slept on equally. Being able to turn the mattress in this way helps ensure settlement of the natural fillings is consistent across the bed which in turn will maximise mattress life. A final note about our bespoke mattresses for four-poster beds is that they can only be made using the more sophisticated pocket spring system. Not only does the pocket spring system allow us to create cut-out corners, it also enables us to make a more modern and luxurious mattress.

What steps are involved in creating a bespoke mattress for four-poster beds?

Once you have decided on the number of cut out corners we will then need to know how big the cut outs need to be. This is calculated by measuring the length and width of the bed posts intrusion into the bed. With this information we can make a corner which is suitably sized. Incidentally, at The Odd Mattress Company we always make the mattress cut out slightly wider/ larger to accommodate bedding. 

We will also need to know the dimensions of the bed; the length and width, and where and on what the mattress sits. Does the mattress sit within the side rails or on top of side rails for example. Finally would you like the top of the mattress to be at a certain height to maintain the beds aesthetics?   

This final point is important in the case of antique four poster beds as mattresses today are generally deeper than they were when the bed was made. These shallower mattresses may or may not have contained springs, and would have most likely have sat on an upholstered sprung base. You may find that a new deeper mattress on the old base sits too high and looks out of proportion.  We would therefore suggest replacing your bed base with a shallower base at the same time as replacing your mattress. Bed bases, like mattresses, do not last forever and your existing base is probably much older than the mattress you are replacing. We can make replacement bed bases of any depth from 2” upwards to ensure when combined together your fully sprung mattresses and bed base create the correct “look” to your four poster bed.

If the bed base is older and has lost its shape or is lumpy it will be unable to support your bespoke mattress correctly, no matter how luxurious the latter may be! A bed base from The Odd Mattress Company will be created to the exact specifications required, in order to best support your mattress, and therefore, your body. 

In addition, the natural fillings of lambswool, cashmere and horsehair used by The Odd Mattress Company alongside the cotton cover creates a soft yet supportive feeling. These fillings and in particular cotton wick away moisture from the body; when the sleeper perspires during the night, the moisture is drawn away from the body and evaporates, resulting in a comfortable and not clammy night’s sleep. These natural fillings are also hypoallergenic, meaning that they are likely to cause fewer allergic reactions and are 100% biodegradable, returning to the earth as nature intended when no longer needed

If you would like to speak to one of our experts and arrange a consultation on the creation of a bespoke mattress for your four-poster bed, please do get in touch with us at The Odd Mattress Company and we would love to talk you through the options available to you.