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How to buy a headboard

An important check list to cover off before you buy a headboard for your bed.

How to choose a headboard

Headboards create a focal point in any bedroom so it’s important to make the right choice.

Comfort versus design

If you read or watch TV in bed, then you’ll be better off with a padded or upholstered headboard. Metal or wooden headbaords will create a stylish statement but won’t offer the comfort of upholstered headboards.

Upholstered headboards are ideal for comfort and can create a striking statement if covered in bold, patterned fabric. Wooden headboards are great for country-style bedrooms and traditional schemes.

Metal headboards will give a room a chic, urban feel, which is great for minimal style bedrooms.

If you’re buying a bed from scratch, you may want to consider choosing a bed with a headboard already attached. If your choosing a headboard for a divan bed, you will be spolit for choice and they will be easy to change if you fancy a new look. However check out the bed’s fittings before you buy as not all headboards fit all beds.

Some headboards won’t be high enough for tall people, and children won’t need a headboard that’s as high as an adult’s.

Choosing a headboard that’s wider than the bed will create a sophisticated and contemporary look.

Wallpaper a headboard

For a stylish headboard on a budget, why not add a panel of bold wallpaper behind the bed.

Double Bed Headboard

Seeing a headboard that is made for a “double bed” does not necessarily mean that it will fit YOUR double bed.

The general rule when measuring the height of the headboard is this: measure half way up the wall of the room where the headboard will be placed against. Your headboard should never exceed this height! Here comes the fun part: choosing the style of your headboard. Though most people think of a wooden-style headboard, there are an astounding number of options out there for headboards. You can look for thick fabric headboards, leather headboards, and metal headboards. If you choose the classic wood headboard, you can find some well priced oak, walnut, and birch options.

A versatile choice for those seeking a headboard is the headboard book case. One other thing to consider is the paneling on the double headboard.

Headboard

Something as simple as changing your headboard can change the whole theme of the room. For example, adding an oversized leather headboard can give a simple traditional bedroom a new contemporary flair. With such a wide variety of headboards available to choose from the possibilities are endless. Adding a new headboard to your bedroom is one of the easiest ways to update the room.

Headboards are no longer only made from wood. If so you may want to choose a headboard with a strong cherry wood finish. On the other hand, if you have a traditional bedroom that you’d like to move towards a more contemporary look you could choose an oversized padded leather headboard with clean lines. If you decide you want more of a custom feel for your headboard and you’re feeling creative you can even get a do it yourself kit and create your own headboard. There’s really no limit to the type headboard you can add to your room.

Another thing you must consider when you choose a new headboard for your bedroom is size. You can find a headboard in every size imaginable from a headboard small enough for a baby’s crib to one large enough for a massive king sized bed so you will not be limited in any way by size. While most people prefer a shorter average sized headboard some like the exaggerated overall effect of an oversized headboard.

Comfort is a necessity when it comes to headboards. If you’re one of those people who always manages to bump your head on the headboard you may think about getting one of those very stylish padded headboards.

Mattress

Mattress shopping is not for the meek. There are lots of different types of mattresses on the market. Mattress advertising tends to be frenetic and you may notice that some mattress sales people are a little, well, overcaffeinated. Mattresses are not cheap. Delivery of the new mattress, and removal and disposal of your old mattress are not necessarily included in the price. Next, narrow down the type of mattress you want. There are four main types of mattresses: the inner-spring mattress, waterbeds, foam, and air.

Don’t think of the old air mattress. Foam mattresses, including the famous TempurPedic® mattresses, are made of a dense foam material. Of course, there are some downsides to the foam mattress. The mattress contains a network of coils (springs) that are designed to provide push-pull support. An inner-spring is the top mattress which is meant to work with a box spring. A box spring is also a coil system that provides some push-pull support for the inner-spring mattress.

The inner-spring mattress is usually available in many tiers, from economy to top luxury models. As a general rule of thumb, you need to buy a better grade of mattress if you plan on using the mattress heavily (and that means sleeping on it every night, having more than one person in bed, and how much weight these people will put on the mattress). If you are buying a mattress for a child’s room or guest room, an economy grade is probably more than sufficient.

Shopping for a mattress means testing the mattress and (if you’re a serious shopper) taking some notes. If you shop for mattresses at furniture stores or department stores, you will probably see higher-priced merchandise. Mattress stores, some discount furniture stores, and other discount houses carry mattresses and often at good prices.

Mattress

The prices of mattresses much vary. I economized and purchased a superior quality mattress some years ago. 2. Determine what size mattress you are going to purchase. Queen size mattresses are the commonest size but if two people are sleeping in a queen size bed each person still has 10,5 inches less bed width than if they were sleeping by themselves in a twin bed.

The standard sizes of mattresses are: Double/Full: 54″ wide, 75″ long; Queen: 60″ wide, 80″ long; KING: 76″ wide, 80″ long; Twin: 39″ wide, 75″ long; Twin Extra Long: 38″ wide; 80″ long; California KING: 72″ wide, 84″ long.

Experiment the softness of the mattresses. Go to various stores and lay down on different mattresses. A firm mattress isn’t always the best mattress. Firmness is not standardized in the mattress industry. One of the producers “firm” mattress could in reality be firmer than another producer “extra firm” mattress. A mattress with a 25 year guarantee is great, but the life expectancy of a high quality mattress is only about 10 years.

For instance, when I bought my last mattress from a sleep specialty shop that custom builds each mattress (Verlo), it came with a 60 day sleep guarantee or trial period. Innerspring mattresses are, the most common type of mattress bought. The box spring or foundation is what the mattress sits on. Those alternatives include foam mattresses, futons, airbeds, adjustable beds, and waterbeds.

Foam mattresses - a foam mattress can be built of firm foam piece or may be composed of several layers of various types of foam. Futons – futon beds are essentially a frame with a folding mattress on it. If the futon is going to be a principal bed a better alternative is to buy an innerspring mattress for the bed. Some of the manufacturers create innerspring mattresses for futons. If an innerspring mattress is out of your budget, try to at least raise to an 8 inch foam mattress.

Our airbed has a pillow top mattress which makes it surprisingly comfortable.