The headboard: A piece of furniture history
A headboard in your bedroom can stand alone as your statement piece of furniture drawing your eye across the room. Having a unique or ornate headboard can be a work of art in itself. The headboard's origins date back as far as ancient Egypt and can dramatically alter the entire feel of your bedroom. They have served as pieces of comfort, insulation and decoration throughout the ages.
The history of the headboard starts with the Egyptian pharaohs. They were carved in ebony, silver, and gold and were meant more for show than for practical use. Next to use headboards were the Greeks. Their approach was more practical than the Egyptians. They designed a base and a headboard to protect them from cold drafts. This allowed the Greeks to dine and socialize in their bedrooms. The headboard acted as a practical piece of furniture and a backrest as one sat, drank, and socialized. The bedroom then became the main room for entertaining.
With the Middle Ages came the canopy bed. It was also the same time that the headboard became a decorative piece. It had elaborate carvings, detailed architectural paneling, or elegant upholstery. As time wore on bedrooms became less social as the Greeks had made it and more private in the 19th century. Bedrooms were considered intimate settings and were less ornate than in the past. However, headboards remained just as decorative and anchored the bed to the room.
Upholstered headboards evolved from canopied bed hangings. The headboard was usually covered in the same fabric as the bed curtains. Throughout the 20th century the upholstered headboard was favored as a decorative but comfortable luxury. Today, headboards serve a more aesthetic function than in the past and can even be functional if created to have extra storage space.