Page 39 - Ideal Home - UK (April 2020)

THE BIG QUESTION

Is an upholstered bed

the height of luxury?

Some think a padded headboard is the dream indulgence, for others it’s a
nightmare dust magnet. Meet two homeowners with different views…

Yes No

“ It makes a bold and “ It’s unhygienic and

beautiful statement ” soon looks out of date ”

Tanya Taylor, 49, lives with her husband Phil in Harriet Briant, 30, lives with her partner William
a five-bedroom Victorian semi-detached house Weston and 18-month-old daughter Florence in
in south London. Tanya and Phil are founders a five-bed Victorian terraced house in Newquay,
of personalised gift company Harrow & Green Cornwall. Harriet is the owner of fashion and

(harrowandgreen.com). interiors store Bon Bon Fistral (bonbonfistral.com).
‘What I love most about an upholstered bed is the ‘Upholstered beds can be very unhygienic and a lot of
fact that it’s so luxurious. It’s very “boutique hotel”. people just don’t seem to understand this. The dust and
When I see a plush, padded headboard, I instantly dirt gets stuck in every nook and cranny, so you have
look forward to climbing between the sheets. to clean them regularly and well – and even then, they
It might look high-end, but it doesn’t have to cost can soon look very worn. As well as cleaning the entire
a fortune. It’s a good way to update your room. You headboard, you have to remember to clean the wall
can add buttons in a different colour to the fabric, behind it to remove any cobwebs and allow the air to

for example. And it’s so versatile: if you get bored you circulate properly. So it can be very time-consuming.
can easily redress the headboard without having to Another issue is that an upholstered bed takes up
splash out on a so much room, which is obviously more of an issue in
completely new bed. “ When I see a smaller spaces. Yes, a huge fabric-covered headboard
My favourite look is plush, padded makes a big style statement – but why would you
an oversized padded want to make everything about the bed? It can feel
headboard that headboard, I look very overpowering and oppressive.

reaches almost to the I’ve never had an upholstered bed, but my parents
ceiling. That’s what forward to had one when I was growing up and I always hated it.
we’ve got in our climbing between We’ve currently got a rattan headboard, which looks
bedroom – it’s lovely, didn’t cost a fortune – and is also very easy
covered in gold fabric the sheets ” to keep clean. And unlike an upholstered bed, it’s
and it’s lasted for incredibly hard-wearing and won’t
more than 10 years. suddenly go out of fashion. So if we
Yes, upholstered beds do need to be kept do fancy something new in the future,

clean, but the secret is to do it little and it should be pretty easy to sell on.
PHOTO often. I just wear a pair of rubber gloves and Really, though, I don’t think you
necessarily need a headboard at
STOCK run my fingers over the headboard and all. If you want to read or have
inside the buttonholes to remove

MURPHY ALAMY dust. I add a big pile of cushions breakfast in bed, you can
lean big square pillows
to make the bed extra-luxe and
JANE inviting, too, which helps to against the wall and it
feels just as comfortable –
protect the headboard. But,
FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHS ultimately, an upholstered bed much easier to clean.’
plus pillowcases are much,
simply looks and feels special.’

IDEALHOME.CO.UK | APRIL 2020 37