Are you inspired by mid-century modern design? Do you want to create a contemporary bedroom with a subtly retro feel? Here we take a look at the our bed designs which have the elegant lines and proportions perfect for this look. We consider the bedding and bedroom furniture that will help complete the scheme - contemporary style with a hint of retro, mid-century chic.

camden bed in walnut with ochre coloured cotton bedding and matching wool throw.
camden bed in walnut with ochre bedding

The Camden Handmade Bed

The Camden bed is a subtly retro style bed frame with modern simplicity and elegant proportions. This bed is the latest addition to our collection and is proving popular particularly in oak and walnut.  Inspired by the soft lines and subtle curves of mid-century furniture, the Camden has rounded legs and soft curves to the headboard panel. The Camden photographed here is in solid oak and cherry.

Solid Oak Camden Bed designed and hand-made by Natural Bed Company
front view of an English Oak Bed Frame with beige linen, a textured bedspread and an olive green merino wool throw. Bedroom scene also shows an oak sideboard, a coat stand, a chair and an open clothes rail.
Camden Mid-Century handmade bed - detail of headboard leg
Mid Century style Camden bed in solid oak
walnut Camden bed with terracotta bedding and black Ethnicraft chest.

The Camden bed will suit a wide range of bedding styles, but if you want to continue with the retro theme – we would suggest bedding with bold, simple patterns in subtle mid-tones. The Organic Cotton Blanket has a diamond pattern in charcoal grey and blush pink. Paired with plain bedding (here we’ve used the plaster pink stonewashed cotton duvet set and bedding) and buttoned wool cushions, the look is simple, graphic and elegant. If your preference is for a more contemporary look we suggest keeping to a single colour palette and plain bedding using slate grey linen bedding with a dark grey, softly textured bedspread. See our full range of bedding here.

If you like the Camden but want a lower bed with the same tall headboard take a look at the Carnaby bed. If you need a lower bed base with a lower headboard – maybe it’s for an attic bedroom or to sit under a window – then try the Pimlico bed. If you love the mid-century look frame but want a padded headboard – take a look at our Bloomsbury and Carlisle beds.

The Hoxton bed with Camden bedside table

The Hoxton Bed

Hoxton contemporary wooden bed with striking chevron headboard and made in Walnut.
Walnut Hoxton Bed Headboard - Detail of the hand-crafted Chevron Design made from a choice of solid woods.
Hoxton contemporary wooden bed with striking chevron headboard and made in Walnut.
Hand made exclusive Hoxton Bed in Walnut, with a range of walnut Cube storage chests.
Hand made wooden Hoxton Bed a mid-century style bed shown here in Ash and Kingsize.
A closer view of the wooden Hoxton Bed leg made from Ash wood.
A close view of the chevron pattern Hoxton headboard hand-made from sustainably sourced solid wood.
Mid-century style updated - the Hoxton bed with Herringbone headboard made in solid Ash.

The Hoxton has the same elegant frame as the Camden bed but with a far more elaborate headboard panel. The Hoxton headboard has a chevron pattern made up of slim angled sections of timber, chosen to highlight differences in pattern and tone that occur naturally in solid timber. For this reason walnut, cherry, ash or oak are ideal timbers for the Hoxton as they have strong vibrant and variable grain.

Looking for a bedside table to suit the Hoxton – the Spindle bedside tables in oak (natural or black lacquered) are a perfect choice. They have a glass insert for the top, useful storage drawer and elegant tapered legs. The Spindle works perfectly in a mid-century style inspired bedroom.

ash Carnaby
The new Carnaby Bed in ash

The Zanskar Bed

The Zanskar bed is a beautiful mid-height bed with a tall sloping headboard – ideal if your preference is for a stack of pillows or reading in bed. The tapered, square section legs and angled headboard are reminiscent of the rectilinear simplicity of classic mid-century design. Most popular in oak and walnut – the golden tones of oak and deep chocolate shades of walnut particularly suit this look. Add a simple dressing table and an Arne Jacobsen Grand Prix chair to complete the scheme.

Zanskar classic wooden bed in solid walnut
The Zanskar bed a modern classic wooden bed shown in oak with Oak Cube bedside tables.
Contemporary bedroom with Zanskar solid wooden bed and Shaker drawers in Oak.
Industrial look bedroom featuring our Classic wooden Zanskar bed, here in Walnut
Zanskar solid wooden bed can be made with a footboard as shown here.
Close up view of the walnut Zanskar bed leg joint.
Walnut Zanskar classic bed hand made in uk in a range of bedsizes and a choice of woods.
Our Contemporary classic Zanskar bed comes in a range of sizes and wood options.

The Zanskar suits a wide range of bedding styles, for a modern look try a Chevron bedspread. Add a contemporary wool throw for extra texture or colour. For a retro vibe with a modern update add a rug with a deep pile in a contemporary colour-way.

The Cochin Bed

The Cochin bed has tapered legs, however the legs are taller and more deeply tapered than the Zanskar, and the headboard is upright instead of sloping. The result is a bed that is elegant and ‘light’ in appearance. The matching bedside table completes the look and together they suit both traditional and modern interiors.

A closer view of the tall tapering legs of our hand-made Cochin wooden bed
Cochin wooden bed with matching Cochin table here shown in Oak
The Cochin solid wooden bed is shown here with matching bedside tables in Oak
Cochin solid wooden bed is a taller bed with classic proportions and tapered legs
A traditional Georgian bedroom features our Oak Cochin Bed and bedside tables.
Our hand crafted Cochin Bed is made from solid wood in this case Oak
Cherry wood classic bed
Cochin bed - leg in cherry
classic cherry bed - cochin

To emphasise the retro feel of this bed design choose bedding that looks appropriate to the period: stripes and geometric patterns, velvet and linen in muted colours.

Cosy autumn bedroom setting for the upholstered wooden low Iona bed
The Iona Bed in Walnut

The Arran Bed

The Arran bed is one of our designs that will suit any scheme – the choice of timber for the frame, and fabric for the headboard, can result in very different looks for the same bed. The Arran bed has a simple, square edged, solid wood frame with a soft, buttoned headboard panel (take a look at the Iona bed if you’re looking for a lower version of this style). To achieve a mid-century look we suggest oak, cherry or walnut for the frame. We have a range of fabrics for the headboard in stylish retro colours: take a look at Amatheon in Emperor, Wolf Grey or Linen, or the pure wool basket-weave fabric Parquet in sage, petrol or orange.

A closer view of the arran wooden bed padded headboard & satin stripe bedding
grey and white reversible quilt with warm pink bedding on arran bed
arran-silver-stripe-bedding-and-bronte-spot-throw
Arran Bed with Upholstered Headboard - Parquet Pattern Fabric
Khaki Geometric Bedspread & Chambray Duvet on our Highland 4 Poster wooden bed
buttoned headboard bed with linen bedding
A cosy Scandi style bedroom featuring a Walnut Arran bed with Bedside Cube Table also in Walnut

Choose similar or complementary tones for the bedding – for inspiration take a look at our range of bedding and filter by the colour you’re looking for. Cushions or lamp shades with a modernist print will help complete the scheme.

Beech Arran bed with Teal headboard
The Arran Bed in Beech

For further inspiration take a look at our Pinterest board: Retro Beds & Bedrooms

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