Headboards and footboards for beds come in a wide variety of shapes and styles. There are several different materials that headboards and footboards are made from, as well. You can find them made from wood, metal, fabric, or leather. Each type of headboard and footboard creates a different kind of atmosphere in any bedroom. The different styles also offer different levels of comfort for people who sleep in the bed. You can have a headboard and footboard that makes a dramatic statement, or you can have a set that is understated and barely noticeable.

Some of the most classic traditionally designed headboards and footboards are made from solid wood. Usually a wooden headboard is twice as tall as a wooden footboard. The wood is generally smooth in the center, with decorative elements at each of the four corners of the bed. In some cases, the wooden headboards and footboards may be accompanied by long, tall posts that allow you to drape curtains or decorative fabric across the top of the bed. Solid wood headboards and footboards can be made from any type of hard wood or soft wood. They can be stained to achieve a specific color, or painted to match the furniture in the room.

Similar to solid wood headboards and footboards, slotted wood headboards and footboards are a little less dense and do not seem to take up as much room in a bedroom. The most traditional style of slotted headboards and footboards have slots that run vertically in an even pattern along the length of the head and foot of the bed. Slotted wooden headboards and footboards are not as comfortable to lean against for reading or watching television in bed, but this can be remedied by using plenty of pillows for padding.

Iron headboards and footboards can be very ornate and interesting additions to a bedroom. Most iron work is done with black iron that has been twisted or manipulated into different shapes or patterns. The iron is very sturdy, which means that your headboard and footboard will probably last longer than the mattress and the rest of the bed. Iron can be painted to fit the decorations in the rest of the room, or it can be left black to make a more severe design statement. Although iron may seem harsh at first, it can be very delicate when it is decorated properly.

Brass headboards and footboards have been a staple of the bedrooms of children for generations. These simple beds have vertical brass posts that run the length of the head and the foot of the bed. Most of the brass headboards and footboards are metallic yellow in color and have large balls at the top of each of the four corners. Some brass headboards and footboards are painted white or other light colors and molded so that they make interesting designs that would match the decorations in the room where the bed is kept.

Some of the most comfortable headboards and footboards are covered in different kinds of fabric. You can use almost any type of fabric with any type of design to create a fabric covered headboard and footboard. Usually the fabric is stretched across a solid wooden headboard and footboard that has become worn and is not as pretty as it used to be. When you add a little padding underneath the fabric, the headboard becomes a very comfortable place to sit and read or watch television in bed. Cleaning a fabric covered headboard and footboard is something of a challenge because fabric tends to collect dust.

Leather headboards and footboards drift in and out of style regularly. Faux leather headboards and footboards are inexpensive alternatives to real leather. Recent advances in technology have made the faux leather option look and feel almost exactly like the real thing, which can help make the look and feel of leather headboards and footboards more available to everyone. Leather headboards and footboards require a higher level of care than wood or metal headboards and footboards. The leather must be cleaned and conditioned regularly so that it continues to look and feel as nice as possible.