| | | | | make the bed and the room look better, and to |
| | | | | reflect the wealth of the owner of the bed. Some |
| Humans have always valued sleep very highly as its | | | | amazingly ornate headboards from this period still |
| vital link to health and survival is instinctive. Since | | | | survive. Four poster beds were popular with the |
| mankind first lived in caves, and primitive shelters | | | | nobility and royalty. These four poster beds had |
| designed to protect him from the elements, the bed | | | | extravagant and elegant headboards, designed and |
| or sleeping area was naturally one of the most | | | | made by the finest craftsmen of the day. A luxurious |
| important places in the home. As far as possible, | | | | bed is a thing of beauty, and the more ornate and |
| efforts would be made to ensure that the bed was | | | | luxurious the design of the bed and the linen, the |
| as comfortable and as inviting as circumstance and | | | | more extravagant the headboard. |
| environment permitted. Along with other essential | | | | In colonial times, sumptuous headboards were |
| household furniture such as cupboards, tables and | | | | exported from Europe across the globe. The bed |
| chairs, beds have retained the same basic structure, | | | | frame itself and to some extent the mattress could |
| defined by purpose, since the dawn of history. The | | | | be locally produced, but the linens and headboard |
| elements of a bed: the frame, mattress and | | | | reflected the wealth and cultural background of the |
| coverings are instantly recognisable across the ages. | | | | person who owned the bed. |
| Headboards have been the natural, complimentary | | | | The headboard, having endured since the dawn of |
| accompaniment to beds for as long as beds have | | | | time, is a classic piece of furniture which is |
| existed. | | | | experiencing something of a renaissance at the |
| Archaeology has proved that bed frames were used | | | | moment. The range of contemporary wooden, metal |
| in Egypt circa 3100BC. The bed frames and | | | | and fabric headboards is simply enormous. The |
| headboards of the Pharaohs were made of gold, | | | | appearance and mood of the bedroom can be set by |
| silver and ebony. The pharaoh’s bed was raised | | | | the material, colour, shape, style and design of the |
| off the ground with ornate headboards while the | | | | headboard. Fitting a headboard is a simple and |
| commoners slept on piles of palm bows, often with | | | | effective way to update or improve the appearance |
| rudimentary headboards fashioned from straw or | | | | of the bed and the bedroom as a whole. |
| rolled up cloth for comfort. The beds of the Ancient | | | | Headboards will always be in demand, due to their |
| Britons were simple wooden structures. These people | | | | aesthetic value combined with their practical |
| also made headboards for comfort from locally | | | | purposes. One can find a headboard to suit the |
| available materials. The ancient Greeks developed a | | | | widest possible range of décor styles, from |
| multipurpose bed which the used for dining, leisure | | | | traditional to the cutting edge modern. A headboard |
| and sleep. The head of these beds was raised and | | | | makes a statement, and choosing the right |
| usually had a headboard of wood to allow for eating | | | | headboard is the easiest way to decide on the mood |
| and resting while semi reclining. The Romans also | | | | or theme of the individual bedroom. Once the |
| used couches, with the bed area defined by curtains, | | | | headboard is chosen, it provides a focal point, from |
| and decorative headboards were also used as a sign | | | | which the curtains, wall colours and textures, |
| of wealth. | | | | wardrobes, dressing tables and chests of drawers |
| Medieval bed furniture comprised of separate pieces | | | | can be chosen. Headboards are used in any type of |
| of furniture – the frame, headboard, mattress | | | | bedroom, from homes, to hospitals, to hotels and |
| and linens. At this time, headboards emerged as not | | | | palaces. |
| only utilitarian, but also a striking feature designed to | | | | |