Metal or wood? Pipes or pine? Your bed frame isn’t just a simple support for your mattress, it plays an important part in your bedroom design, too. From minimalist Scandinavian to traditional country cottage, wooden bed frames offer a huge range of possibilities, and all with your comfort in mind too.
Putting aside the aesthetic advantages of a wooden bed frame for a moment, there are other bonuses to choosing wood over metal. Firstly, they’re more robust than most metal bed frames, so they’re great for kid’s beds which inevitably get jumped on! They’ll put up with knocks and bumps without any effort, and are built to last longer. Wooden bedframes come in a range of colours, so they’ll fit in with almost any décor, whether it’s a bright kid’s room or a subtle, sophisticated space for the grown-ups.
Wooden bed frames tend to be quieter too, so there are fewer squeaks and creaks when you’re moving around in bed at night. Those 3 am squeaks can ruin a good night’s sleep for both you and your partner.
Wood is a ‘warmer’ material than metal and improves with age. The depth and tone of the colours give it a much more natural feel, so while a wooden bed frame will still fit into an ultra-trendy minimalist room (as we’ll see in a minute), it’s just at home in a cottage bedroom or traditionally decorated room in an older property. In fact, wood lends itself far more to this style of décor than metal bed frames and is the first choice for anyone wanting to create a homely, comfortable and relaxed style.
Decorating your bedroom around your bed frame
The key piece of furniture in your bedroom will be your bed, so if you’re starting from a blank canvas when decorating then this should be your principal element that influences decisions such as colour, accompanying furniture (like a chest of drawers, bedside tables, and wardrobes), and even soft furnishings. It will depend on the colour of the wood, so a dark wood (such as a teak or ebony stained wooden frame) will need lighter wall colours to counter it and prevent the room from becoming too gloomy and dark.
Dark wood is quite difficult to work within a design plan, so most people will pick a lighter wood like white oak or pine. This introduces golds and softer browns into the palette, so you can bring lighter colours into the scheme, including light blues or greens.
Tying the whole look together is the art of interior design, so bear in mind additional elements such as bed throws, cushions, curtains and other soft furnishings to compliment your bed frame. It should all look cohesive, not randomly thrown together so that a restful, calming environment is created that’s a perfect oasis when you want to drift gently off to sleep. You can also change your colours to fit in with the seasons, ranging from pale greens in spring, to pops of vibrant colour during the summer, soft golds and russet reds in the autumn, and snowy white in winter, all working perfectly around your bed frame.
The Minimalist look
Wooden bed frames work extremely well if you prefer a minimalist, uncluttered style. Simple Scandinavian style combined with premium craftsmanship means that wooden bed frames are the ideal choice for a modern look. Even the occasional traditional element like slatted headboards and footboards work within a modern concept. Simple white covers with a single-coloured throw finish the look and keep clutter down to an absolute minimum by incorporating clever hidden storage concepts. Most wooden bed frames are free-standing, but you can choose Ottoman-style frames that provide you with effective storage compartments under the bed.
What type of frame?
From Daybeds that double up as a comfortable seat to Ottoman storage beds, simple, clean-lined variations or traditional cottage-style frames with both head and footboards, you can choose any type of wooden bedframe you want. They come in a wide range of wood too, from the deep tones of cherry and oak to the light, bright golden colours of blonde pine. One of the most popular variations is white painted wood. It’s a style that’s clean, bold, and works beautifully in a modern bedroom, giving it that timeless touch that you always get from a wooden bed.