The Buyer’s Guide to Headboards & Bedroom Furniture

A bedroom without a headboard is like a kitchen without a stove. Okay, maybe it’s not quite as hectic as a stoveless kitchen, but let’s be honest; headboards (or the lack thereof) can make or break a bedroom.

A couple of decades ago most beds came with built-in headboards. However, this is no longer the case. Most modern bed sets only come with a base and a mattress. If you want your bedroom to look and feel cosy, that basic set simply won’t cut it.

Therefore, you need a headboard.

Not only will it keep your pillows from falling off your bed in the middle of the night, but it will also give your bedroom that final decorative roundoff it needs.

Headboards aren’t the only bedroom furniture that can complement the atmosphere of your sleep space. Bedside pedestals can also make a room look warm and welcoming.

In today’s post, we discuss the merits of different types of bedroom furniture and how to go about choosing the right one (or set) for your bedroom.

Facts First: All about headboards

Let’s start off by asking a simple question; why does a bedroom look bare without a headboard?

It’s a funny thing, really. When you think about it, headboards don’t serve a major purpose other than giving the room a cosy, lived-in feel. Sure, in ancient times people used it as a symbol of status and power. Additionally, it was also used as a practical measure against the cold…

However, in the 21st century we don’t use headboards as symbols of status, do we? So why is it such an important piece of bedroom furniture? Why would anyone want a headboard in their bedroom?

Let us tell you why:

You need a headboard because there is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night from a pillow that crept over the edge of your bed to fall into the abyss. Okay, not the abyss. Just the gap between your bed and the wall. But in the dead of night, it might as well be the abyss! Wouldn’t you agree?

To reach down into the darkness and feel around on the floor in the hope of finding your pillow; all the while you are fuming because you have an important meeting in the morning and you could have spent this time in Dreamland! Instead, you are digging around for a pillow.

Horrendous!

Here are some more reasons:

• Scrolling through Instagram isn’t that much fun if you have to prop yourself up against a cold, uninviting wall.
• Reading a book in bed, while having a steaming cuppa on a winter’s morning is much more comfortable with the support of a headboard behind you.
• Aesthetics definitely count. Say what you will, but we all want to fill our homes with beautiful things. Not even the severest minimalist wouldn’t want that final touch that a headboard gives a bedroom (or would they? If you are a minimalist and you don’t agree, let us know in the comments).

The point is, whether some people think headboards are redundant or not, the headboard stays.

How to Choose the Right Headboard

When it comes to selecting the right headboard for your bedroom, it can get a bit tricky. With so many makes and models to choose from, how do you even start?! Here are the four main points to consider:

Well, it’s a systematic thing, really.

1. Size Matters

First, you have to decide on the size of the headboard that you want to get.

Pro Tip:

Never get a headboard that is smaller than the size of your bed!

Having headboard smaller than your bed will look silly! Besides, you might still lose your pillow or get a crick in the neck from Instagramming in the wrong position.

Lastly, most interior decorators would agree that headboards need to be the same size or bigger than the bed.

2. Style

After you’ve decided what size to go with, you have to pick a style.

What!? Do headboards have different styles?

Well, yes they do. You get wooden ones, steel ones, upholstered ones and weird ones with storage space inside. Then there are still other options as well. You can really go to town in this area! Every room in your house can have a different style and there will be a headboard to go along with it.

However, the point is that you have to pick a style that fits in with your bedroom. If you have a plush bedroom with stacks of large, soft pillows spilling from your bed, maybe an upholstered headboard would do the trick for you? Oppositely if your sleep space has a light colour scheme and only the essential amount of pillows you could try a wicker headboard to accentuate that light, airy feel that you are striving for.

Everyone’s style is different. And that is why The Mattress Warehouse stocks a wide variety of headboards for your individual taste and needs.

3. Types of Headboards

Now we know what you might say. Isn’t style and type the same?

If this is what you think, you are right in many regards. However, there are some slight differences. You see, the style has to do with the way you decorate your own bedroom. And you can make any type of headboard fit in with your style. Does that make sense?

Let us break it down for you. Types of headboards refer to the material it is made from. Style refers to how you use the type of material to your advantage.

With that out of the way, let’s take a quick look at the different types of headboards out there:

• Upholstered – These headboards are covered in fabric. The fabric can range from linen to leather with all sorts of materials in between. These headboards are usually padded for extra luxury.
• Wood – Here, the name speaks for itself. Since ancient times beds have been built from wood, so it should come as no surprise that headboards still come in the form of wood. The great thing about wood is that it comes in many different colours and textures!
• Metal – These headboards can range from simplistic metal bars to extravagantly curled metal rods with brass knobs on their tips. There are always gaps between the bars, though. You can imagine that a solid metal headboard would be quite difficult to manoeuvre! Therefore, if you go for metal, just be aware that the wall behind your bed will be visible through the gaps between the bars.
• Wicker/Rattan – Woven from natural materials, these headboards normally display rough textures. They are perfect for light coloured bedrooms with large windows! It is reminiscent of beach houses and holiday homes.

4. Installation

The last thing you should check out before deciding on your new headboard is on how to install it? Check if the headboard is supposed to be mounted on the wall, attached to your bed or if it stands on its own.

If the product description doesn’t tell you the mounting style, just ask the friendly salesperson around!

As a rule, wall-mounted headboards are the easiest to use. For example, when you make your bed you won’t have to try and stuff the linen in between the headboard and the bed. Simply move the bed away from the wall for easy access!

Ready, set, BUY!

You should now be able to select a headboard that will perfectly complement your bedroom! However, how to go about with matching bedside pedestals with the rest of the bedroom furniture?

Complete Your Look with Matching Bedside Pedestals

Have you ever slept in a room that didn’t have a bedside pedestal/table next to the bed? If you have, you should know that this situation is downright inconvenient!

They say you never miss the water until it’s gone. With bedside pedestals, that is definitely the case! If it is always there, you tend to forget about its functionality. But take it away, and you will soon realise that you simply can’t go without it!

Think about it; where will you put the book that you used to read yourself to sleep? How will you light up that book if you can’t put a lamp on the bedside pedestal? Where will you put your glass of water that you keep next to your bed? What about your mobile phone, alarm clock or glasses?

Have you thought about it? A bedside table is kind of an essential part of any bedroom.

Aesthetic Uses of Bedside Pedestals

Not only does a bedside table serve a practical purpose, but these storage units also serve as an aesthetic attribute to any bedroom.

So, apart from having a place to store your bedside paraphernalia, a bedside table can actually add to the atmosphere of a bedroom. This is especially true if you get a set of bedside tables to match your new headboard! This adds tremendously to the general cosy feeling of your room.

Pro Tip:

If you sleep on a single bed, only use one bedside pedestal. Asymmetry is also a style.

Spice up your Bedroom!

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen! A brilliant guide on how to spice up your bedroom. And remember, if you don’t feel comfortable to sleep in your own bedroom, contact The Mattress Warehouse to help you find all your bedroom furniture and get the best sleep you possibly can!