Shouldn't all houses have alcove beds for overflow guests and lazy afternoon reading? Here's a roundup of some favorites:
Above: A niche bed via Designed for Life.
Above: A bedrooms from Invention: The Architecture of John B. Murray.
Above L: An alcove bed via Greige. Above R: Pippi's built-in daybed on My Scandinavian Retreat.
Above: An alcove bed in Annabel's House in London.
Above: A Swedish bedroom, via My Scandinavian Retreat.
Above: A purple reading nook from interior designer Steven Gambrel.
Above: Built-in beds at the Grinda Wardshus in Sweden.
Above: The Scherer house in upstate New York, via Andrea Raisfeld Locations.
Above: A wood paneled bed at the Manor House Stables in Lincolnshire via Elite Cottages.
Above: A painted panel bed photographed by Mary Beth Koeth via Desire to Inspire.
Above: A house on Shelter Island by Schappacher White (see the whole project at Architect Visit: Shelter Island House by Schappacher White).
For more inspiration, have a look at all our posts on Beds, including Here Comes the Sun: 10 Bedrooms with Yellow Accents and our roundup of Favorite Mattress Toppers. New sheets for the New Year? Go to 10 Easy Pieces: Simple White Sheets.
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on May 12, 2011 as part of our Refining the Kitchen issue.