The Bedroom Feature Drew Scott From HGTV's Property Brothers Avoids At All Costs

Your bedroom can be your sanctuary or simply the place you sleep. It could be furnished with unmatched pieces or a stylish set, including a dresser, nightstands, and a comfy chair. But without a bed, the room simply isn't a bedroom. Variations on the bed design abound, but one style always evokes strong feelings. Drew Scott, one of the two hosts of "Property Brothers" on HGTV, is outspoken about canopy beds. While homeowners think they're decadent, they usually end up looking clunky and dated in a room. He also finds them too big for most bedrooms. If you disagree, you may side with his sibling and "Property Brothers" co-host, Jonathan Scott, who thinks they bring luxury to a room.

There's no denying a canopy bed makes a statement in a bedroom. Typically, it's a bed with four posts that hold up a covering. The canopy can be solid or made from fabric, and it may have curtains you can draw for warmth and privacy. With canopies often reaching 7 feet tall, the bed tends to dominate the room. That's the case even for beds with a standard-sized king or queen mattress. Whether or not you find them gaudy or too traditional is a matter of taste. Styles run the gamut from highly decorated beds with oversized draped curtains, fluted posts, and floral fabrics to the minimalist trend that's dominating home decor right now.

An elaborate canopy bed can overpower a bedroom, making the space look and feel cramped. Some designs, such as a simple four-poster frame — a variation without the roof and curtains — are better suited to a room where every inch of horizontal space counts. However, they still probably won't make a small bedroom look bigger. Deciding where to put a canopy bed in the room can be challenging because the canopy might block windows. Even if you have 8- or 9-foot ceilings, canopy bed placement can be complicated by other factors. For example, you need to consider the height of the canopy if you have a ceiling feature you should never skip in a bedroom — an overhead fan.

Canopy beds add chores to your life, no matter the size. The curtains need to be cleaned regularly. The top of the canopy collects dirt, dust, and animal hair. There's also the question of cost. Canopy beds may be more expensive than a standard bed. In practical terms, the frame adds weight and bulk, so they are typically heavier and harder to move.

HGTV show host Drew Scott's objections aside, canopy beds aren't all, or even partly, bad. Kids love the cozy cocoon the curtains create. Adults find them a romantic addition to a bedroom because of their ancient castle and manor house origins. When scaled properly for the room, a canopy bed is a flexible piece of furniture, allowing you to change the entire atmosphere of a bedroom with something as simple as a curtain swap. In fact, you can even DIY a canopy bed using your existing bed instead of buying one.