Luxury Bed Headboards – Headboards through History

Many see the their luxury bed headboards as little more than aesthetic adornments to their bed. However, the fascinating past of the humble headboard actually shows these often misunderstood bed beautifiers also serve a practical purpose, as we discuss in this post.

Practical Cats

Evidence of the existence of headboards can be traced all the way back to the times of Ancient Egypt. The poor people of the cat worshipping civilisation had rudimentary headboards made from straw, while wealthier members of the population would have rather more opulent luxury bed headboards carved from gold or ebony. Whatever the style of headboard, the primary purpose was a practical one, with archaeological evidence suggesting that they acted as a barrier against draughts.

Greek Pillow-sophy

The Ancient Greeks took the draught excluding capabilities of the headboard and built on it, adding an extra element of practicality. The handy Hellenics designed their headboards to provide a bit of extra cushioning and support. This feature allowed them to sit up comfortably in bed, presumably while they wrote about existentialism, triangles and the like.

Changes Afoot in Headboard Fashion

The Middle Ages in Europe was a particularly brutal period in history; however, whatever people of the time got wrong in terms of humanity, they made up for with their development of the bed and the accompanying headboards. During this time, four poster and canopied beds become popular. Their designs of these expensive items of furniture became ever more elaborate – and, of course, luxury bed headboards had to keep up.

Substance & Style – Luxury Bed Headboards

A brief period of regression during Victorian times saw headboard design stripped back. Double iron headboards become flavour of the day, offering little in terms of either practicality or aesthetic appeal.

This trend was short lived however, as the start of World War I meant iron production was channelled towards the manufacture of weapons rather than headboards.

Now however, the headboards of today bring together all the best elements of the bed attachment, amalgamating comfort, practicality, style and luxury.

Find out more about our luxury bed headboards and for more information about beds, click here.