From four - poster beds to crisp linen sheets and elegant dressing tables, there are certain elements without which the quintessential English bedroom just would not be complete.

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Imposing in a country house and cocooning in a small space, the four - poster bed is an iconic piece in an English bedroom. Sleep like a king or queen and make a grand statement with a four poster with carved wooden columns, teamed with a fabric pelmet and sumptuous drapes. Soft, linen sheets complete the opulent appeal. Hemstitch bed linen in Ivory White, from ?45 for a rectangular pillowcase, Volga Linen. The chesterfield - style Belgravia chair is curvaceous and low - slung, like traditional nursing chairs. Shown in Linwood Moleskin Velvet, in Beetle, from ?467.10, Feather and Black. A free - standing wardrobe has a decorative edge over fitted alternatives and there are many varieties of shapes and styles available. With a distinctly Scandinavian feel, the Hammerby cabinet has removable shelves and a front - to - back hanging rail, with a chicken wire front, softened by fabric curtains. Priced ?1,175, Oka. Simple, polished nickel bedsteads are a contemporary interpretation of the Victorian metal bedstead. Attractive, vintage - style suitcases can double as storage space underneath. Bronte double bed, ?1,080.

Today we view the bedroom as a retreat, a personal space for relaxation, but back in the Middle Ages bedrooms were often inter - connected, with less privacy. In Tudor times, a four - poster bed, complete with precious textile hangings, was often the most expensive item in the home. Over the centuries, bedrooms have become more intimate places and, as well as a comfortable bed, we also expect, at the very least, clothes storage, a chair and soft flooring. With comfort, relaxation and quality in mind, here is our guide to iconic pieces of the English bedroom.

THE FOUR - POSTER BED

The four poster remains an icon of the English home. Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, says it is one of the last millenniums greatest inventions. "Beds got canopies to protect the sleeper from bird droppings, and to trap warmth," she explains. "By the Tudor Age, the fixed, four - poster bed became a prized possession for a married couple."
If buying an antique, adaptation is essential. Andrew Ginger at Beaudesert says we are taller than our eighteenth - century cousins, so new frames are often added to antique bed posts. Proportion matters, so ensure that the mattress is higher off the ground than a standard divan, and that the bed is taller than it is wide. Carved timber columns with a painted or gilded finish, trimmed with a fabric pelmet and/or drapes is the ultimate in traditional splendour, while a plain wooden or metal frame, hung with tie - top curtains, has a contemporary feel.

THE WHITE LINEN SHEET SET

First used in the home by Romans, linen remains popular today because "flax is an ecological plant that grows with minimal chemicals," explains Theresa Tollemache of Volga Linen. Decoratively speaking, nothing beats the appeal of crisp, freshly pressed linen sheets. Stephen Lunn, of Lunn Antiques, says linen sheets appeared in the English bedroom from the eighteenth century, with monogrammed sheets common in upper - class homes. It is still possible to pick up antique sheets in 7ft 8in sizes to fit a double bed; look out for pretty nineteenth - century top sheets. If buying new today, choose from plain weaves adorned with hem - stitch or drawn thread - work, to more complex jacquard weaves. Linen softens with washing, so some companies, such as The White Company, offer pre - washed linen sheets. Modern - day care is simple. Linen can be washed at 60°C, although avoid detergents with bleaching agents, and use a hot iron on damp sheets.

THE PATCHWORK QUILT

With its cheery colours and hexagonal patterns, the patchwork quilt is visual shorthand for relaxed country style. The earliest examples appeared from the sixteenth century, but Sue Prichard, Curator of Contemporary Textiles at the V&A, says that such quilts were never just poor mans bedding. In the eighteenth century, ladies with their servants would sew quilts from expensive silks. After industrialisation, in the nineteenth century cotton was common.

Quilts are handed down through generations, retaining their popularity, Prichard believes, because they are "objects of emotion", sometimes with the makers initials neatly embroidered. A patchwork quilt can be a single layer for decoration or wadded and backed. If looking to buy an antique, Christopher Wilson - Tate, of the Antique Textiles Company, says prices will vary from ?100 to upwards of ?800. When buying, he insists, "condition is paramount".

THE METAL BEDSTEAD

A metal bedstead creates an instant focal point, not to mention the useful storage space underneath. It was a comparative latecomer to our bedrooms, first appearing in the nineteenth century, and popularised after the Great Exhibition in 1851 as an hygienic way to repel bed bugs. It transcended social barriers, with simple cast iron versions for servants, and brass ones in master bedrooms. According to Ben Goodbrey of Bed Bazaar, many late nineteenth - century brass beds had decoration of mother - of - pearl or bevelled glass, but early twentieth - century designs are simpler. When buying an antique bed, check the side rails are a good fit, as these connect the top and end sections. There remains a vast choice of curved, straight or hump - top styles when buying new. For a classic look, choose antiqued brass or cast iron, while polished nickel looks particularly modern.

THE NURSING CHAIR

Characterised by its low - slung silhouette and typically with no arms, the nursing chair has neat proportions and is ideal for todays space - compromised bedrooms. James Cook, design director at The Odd Chair Company, says the nursing chair appeared in the nineteenth century, and was so designed that "ladies could sit in them with large dresses and nurse their child". Nursing chairs were so popular with the Victorians that they eventually introduced them into salons and drawings rooms, as they made ideal chairs for sewing. They were often buttoned, and upholstered in silk damask or tapestry. If buying an antique, says Cook, look for a deep seat with richly carved cabriole legs. Todays versions of the nursing chair look especially chic in grey, white or black linen or velvet, perfect for showing off a pretty silhouette. The slipper chair is a simpler version of a nursing chair, also low to the ground, but with no buttoning, and a cushion on the back and seat.

THE WARDROBE

A free - standing wardrobe retains its decorative edge over fitted cupboards. In the late Middle Ages, wardrobe described the room where clothes lay stored in chests. James McWhirter, antiques specialist, says we started hanging clothes vertically from the late eighteenth century. "In Hepplewhites Guide of 1788, the term wardrobe is used for a free - standing cupboard for clothes," he says. Soon after, breakfront cupboards hanging clothes became the norm. Mahogany wardrobes were eighteenth - century favourites, but by the nineteenth century satinwood, oak and pine held sway, with mirrors introduced onto doors. The Victorians favoured large wardrobes, but by the early twentieth century the Arts and Crafts movement led to simpler silhouettes. Todays wardrobes come in every timber from cherry to teak or oak, plus painted finishes, but the chic choice is one that offers a tonal variation of bedroom furniture rather than coordinating with it.

THE CHEST OF DRAWERS

The humble chest of drawers is an obliging multi - tasker, decorative yet practical, with its additional display surface. Nick Berry, of Early Oak Reproductions, says it developed from the trunks used in the Middle Ages. "Gradually drawers were introduced, the space under the lid became smaller, until at last we have a complete bank of drawers with no lidded compartment." From the eighteenth century, designs varied from Regency bow - front styles to Victorian gentlemens tallboys. Nowadays, many styles have a decorative flair: choose from inlaid versions with camel bone, a mirrored chest for 1930s glamour, or black lacquer. For subtle, country - house styling, you cannot beat a modern - day version of the classic Victorian bun - foot chest of drawers, in pine or a painted finish. Drawers should be deep and open smoothly. Do not forget to add Woods of Windsors lavender drawer liners, for perfectly scented smalls.

THE TAPESTRY RUG

It is uniquely English to combine a faded tapestry floral rug with floorboards or over sisal matting. It provides subtle pattern and takes away chills underfoot. Many such rugs originated on the Continent. Anne Treadwell of Atlantico Rugs specialises in Arraiolos rugs, which are traditionally made using cross - stitch. It is thought that a Portuguese Arraiolos tapestry rug was sent over as a present to Queen Elizabeth I. Aubusson tapestry flat - weave rugs, which emerged in eighteenth - century France, also found their way into English country houses. Whether antique or new, the prettiest and softest tapestry rugs are still made by hand, using pure wool, with a cotton canvas backing. For occasional care, says Anne, have rugs dry - cleaned or spot - clean with a wool carpet cleaner. These days, you can find excellent copies of Aubusson styles, featuring traditional floral or medallion motifs, or for a budget option, Marks & Spencer has a flat - weave chenille tapestry rug in neutral shades.

THE DRESSING TABLE

Sometimes called a lowboy, occasionally doubling as a writing table, the dressing table developed in eighteenth - century France where, according to interior designer Michael Priest, "French ladies entertained in their toilettes, sitting at a table, draped in fabrics." Antique English dressing tables come in everything from mahogany to walnut, but 1920s mirrored pieces are glamorous; Valerie Wade has a good selection. It was Nancy Lancaster, doyenne of the English country - house look, who popularised the skirted dressing table. "She used it in all of her homes, from the Blue and White bedroom at Ditchley Park in the 1930s to the Gothic bedroom at Haseley Court in the 1950s," Priest explains. Many high street stores offer a slimmed - down version but whatever the style, the essence of the dressing table remains constant: sufficient worktop space for a mirror, drawers for accessories and a comfortable stool.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

This bedroom created by interior design practice Todhunter Earle, demonstrates how to use a classic four poster in a less heavily traditional context. Bespoke carved Hepplewhite four poster with moulded mahogany cornice from ?9,000, Beaudesert. The metal bedstead, which rose in popularity from the nineteenth century, creates an instant focal point. St Ives double bedstead, ?1,199; Pemberley floral double bed linen set in dusted lilac, ?59, both Marks & Spencer. A decorative chest of drawers can serve many purposes. As well as a crucial place to store smaller items of clothing and accessories, it can double as a display surface for vintage vases and bottles, photographs, or pretty vanity sets and add a new style element to the room. Small Manchu chest of drawers, ?689, shown with Hamilton armchair, ?529, both Oka.
RIGHT This dressing table and stool remains true to the eighteenth - century French origins of this staple of the English bedroom. Shabby Chic Primrose dressing table, ?749, and matching stool, ?249, both House of Fraser. BELOW Contrast crisp white linen bed sheets with a duvet cover and pillowcases in a darker, sumptuous tone that picks up on a colour element in the bedroom scheme. Grey Dogtooth bed linen, pillowcases from ?12; sheets from ?20, Cologne & Cotton.

ABOVE

A cheery coloured patchwork quilt can add a textural element to the bed coverings and can be teamed with a cylindrical bolster cushion, another comfortable component to an English bed. Shelley double bed, available in black and cream, ?650. LEFT Nancy Lancaster, doyenne of the English country - house look, popularised the skirted dressing table. Kidney shaped dressing tables have a more overtly feminine charm and provide a comfortable seating position for the lady to attend to her toilette. Team with a delicate wallpaper for added feminine charm. Wallpaper, Malva 48104, ?61 a roll from the Raphael II collection by Sandberg, Little Greene.