Home
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

How do I Choose the Best Oak Headboard?

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

When choosing an oak headboard, it is important to consider the aesthetic value of the headboard and how it will fit into the room as well as whether the headboard should serve any additional purposes, such as offering storage space. There are hundreds of oak headboard designs to choose from, ranging from art deco to Victorian, from mid-century modern to mission. For those who already have an aesthetic goal for their bedrooms, choosing the right style era will not be a problem. For those who have not yet chosen an overall look for their bedrooms, it is good to begin the search by looking through catalogs and creating a tear sheet file of options to work with.

For some people, a headboard has to offer much more than aesthetic value. Some people need a headboard that offers storage space. There are many newly fabricated beds and headboards that come with storage space. This storage space is usually used for books and other items that are usually kept on or within a bedside table.

Woman with hand on her hip
Woman with hand on her hip

It is even possible to find an oak headboard that has a reading light installed right in the headboard. Some larger headboards, such as those that are designed to fit queen and king mattresses, may even have one reading light on each side of the bed. Those who are looking for an oak headboard with storage will probably have to purchase a new or fairly new headboard. This feature is not common in antique headboards.

Someone who is looking to decorate with the aesthetic of a bygone era might have to search for an antique oak headboard. Decorating a bedroom with a Victorian theme, for example, might mean purchasing an antique oak headboard from the Victorian era. There are many antique dealers who post photographs of their inventory online. This is a good place to start for those who are searching for antique head boards and bed frames.

Another option is to have a custom oak headboard made for one's bedroom. This allows for a great deal of creative freedom and also offers a chance to personalize the headboard. One can, for example, have his initials carved into the oak headboard. Having an oak headboard custom made is also a good way to recreate an antique look if a true antique that suits ones needs cannot be found.

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.

Learn more...
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.

Learn more...

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Woman with hand on her hip
      Woman with hand on her hip