Several years ago, while decorating her family’s home in Waltham, Mass., the antiques dealer Amanda Knorr came across a photo of a century-old sleigh bed. “It was so whimsical and sweet,” she says, recalling the piece’s sloped side rails and simple turned posts. “It looked straight out of a fairy tale.” She tracked one down for her then 3-year-old son, setting it against a color scheme of golden yellow, blue and green in homage to Vincent van Gogh’s 1888 “The Bedroom,” which features a similar wood model. Knorr began sourcing antique beds from Eastern Europe and studying their intuitive, no-tools-required assembly. Her online shop, Knosen, sold them quickly, prompting her to create her own design. The Knosen sleigh bed, offered in twin and full sizes, accommodates standard U.S. mattresses — a practical update to the old-world versions. Otherwise, the new beds stay true to late 19th-century century construction: pine panels and finial-topped oak posts that slot together with hidden L-hook hardware. The woodworking is done by craftspeople in Indiana, and the finishing takes place near Knorr’s home, so she can oversee the precise stain and final wax coat. The result is built to last across generations, with a steady availability that can finally accommodate requests for a matching pair. Knorr’s son, now 8, has traded up to a Knosen bed. “The stuffed animals are right at the footboard, all lined up. The blankets and quilts are neatly tucked in place,” she says. It’s that self-contained aspect she loves most about the sleigh beds: “They’re just like a hug.” From $2,400 for a twin bed, knosenantiques.com.