The State Bed

When Harewood was built a State Bedroom, fitted out in the highest style of elegance, was regarded by country house owners as an essential status symbol. Only visiting Royals would use such an amenity, its chief purpose being to display aristocratic wealth and taste.

The State Bedroom at Harewood was designed by Robert Adam and the furnishings supplied in 1773. It is one of only three interiors fully documented in the surviving portion of Chippendale's bill.

When Charles Barry carried out major alterations and improvements at Harewood in the 1840s, State Bedrooms had passed out of fashion and this chamber became a sitting room for the 3rd Countess. The spectacular bed (along with numerous looking glass frames) was dismantled and stored in the roof void of the stable block where it slumbered, half forgotten, until rediscovered during the 1970s.

With the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund the bed has been fully restored to its former glory and returned to the State Bedroom, accompanied by many of the other original furnishings. The bed now stands resplendant within its alcove and six of the chairs made for this room have also been returned and recovered in the same green silk damask.

 

Further Information...

You can watch video clips of the restoration process on an interactive touch-screen display Below Stairs at Harewood. Here you will see the full range of techniques and processes the bed underwent during restoration, from stencilling and carving, weaving the fabric, pouring and casting plaster moulds, sizing, making the matresses to the installation and the bed finished and back in place in the State Bedroom.

Video clips will also be available to view here on our website shortly.