Ruminations on Headboards

Note: This is an opinion piece I first wrote a couple of weeks ago. I know it's a rather odd topic - but that's part of the fun of it! I hope you enjoy it :)

Ruminations on Headboards

I tend to have a rather odd way of looking at life. One example of this is I tend to spend time thinking about rather random things that most people don't spend much time thinking about. Today I found myself pondering headboards.

There are three main types of headboards that I can think of. I'm sure there are more if you add in bed frames in general (different types of post and such) but I'm thinking of the frames that actually have headboards of some sort. The three that come to mind are solid (usually wood or some facsimile thereof), bars, and shelves.

To me, decorative shelves are the worst kind of head board you can have. Beds are for sleeping, snuggling, reading, and maybe writing or working on a laptop. They are NOT for display! Put your knick knacks on the wall and your books on the bed side table.

Headboards with bars all the way across are only marginally better. At least you aren't putting silly figurines on them, but they still really don't work well for anything else. Sure you can try putting a pillow against those bars, but you'll still be able to feel the bars, and that's not very comfortable. Or worse, if the bars are far apart, you'll lose your pillow through the bars!

As far as I'm concerned a good headboard is one that you can prop a pillow or two against and read a book. Sure, some people can read curled up and lying down, but if you wear glasses like I do, then that's not really an option either. Solid headboards are the best for this, although these sometimes fail as well. A flimsy headboard, solid or no, can still be a problem.

Growing up I had a wimpy but solid headboard. It worked, as long as the bed was pushed firmly against the wall. Otherwise the frame would start to separate. Both of my grandmothers have headboards with shelves in their guest rooms, which has me privately rolling my eyes, but at least grateful for a warm bed when I visit! The bed I share with my hubby has bars across it and it drives nuts, especially when the hubby falls asleep on the couch, leaving me with few options if I want to read. Generally I end up in my desk chair with my feet propped up on his desk chair!

So one of my humble dreams, along with one day having a two bedroom apartment instead of just a one bedroom, is to someday own a bed frame with a good, solid, headboard.