One of the first things any hotelier should consider when specifying headboards is what the headboard’s functional requirements are. Dimensions – What size headboard will be required to work with a “zip and link” bed in either configuration? Specifically, when joined as a double bed or separated to form two twin beds. Visit our hotel headboards page for standard headboard sizes.
Will you install any of your bedroom lighting inside the headboard panels for more bespoke headboards that aren’t fully upholstered? If so, how is the transition to working from bed going? How should switches and lights be placed on zip and link beds to ensure they work with both bed configurations?
Freestanding or fixed – Will the bedsides be attached to the headboard or stand alone? What are the implications of zip and link beds once more? Once you’ve answered these questions, the process of finishing your headboard design will become much easier, and you’ll be able to start eliminating bad ideas very early on.
Regardless of the budget your hotel has, the headboard should always feel considered and appear as stylish as possible because it is a key piece of furniture within the hotel bedroom that can change your guests’ overall experience of your hotel. Many of your visitors will subconsciously judge the entire bedroom based almost entirely on how the bed is dressed and how the headboard appears. As a result, paying attention to the finer details of your headboard design and the impact it has on your guests as they enter the room should always be at the top of your priority list!
While every hotelier desires grand headboards with height, masses of detail, and expensive upholsteries, hotel refurbishment budgets can be limited, and for many independent hotels, working within a limited budget effectively is critical. However, even if your budget is limited, there are some simple ways to save money without making your headboards appear cheap and unappealing.
Size – Although it may seem obvious, lowering the height of your headboard is a simple way to immediately reduce the cost. Alternatively, do you need upholstery for the entire headboard or just the lower section?
Fabric Selection – Consider using less expensive fabrics or faux leathers; a less textured fabric with fewer integrated colours will help to significantly reduce the price. For hotels on a tight budget, Casa Bella Interiors suggests balancing costs by using a plainer material and combining it with more affordable detailing options such as piping or studs to dress your headboard while maintaining a luxurious aesthetic.
Detailing – Other details, such as fluting or deep buttoning, should be used with caution. Instead of having a large number of deep buttons across the entire headboard, or thin fluting that will make the headboard more intricate and expensive, you could use fewer buttons or flutes but make them larger. This way, you can keep some detail in the headboard while lowering the potential cost.
One of the most important decisions in this process is selecting the right fabric for upholstered headboards. Of course, as the focal point of the room, everyone wants the fabric to look great aesthetically, but as a hotelier, there are many other, more difficult considerations to make, one of which is how your fabric of choice will wear over time and how you’ll keep it looking as good as it did on day one.
Abrasion is one of the first things to consider when selecting a fabric for your upholstered headboards. Whether you own a small independent hotel or a large hotel chain, an appropriate choice of fabric with high abrasion resistance is an obvious, yet fundamental, attribute your chosen fabric must have. Using the Martindale rub test as a guide, Casa Bella Interiors recommends selecting a fabric with at least 40,000 rubs to prevent your headboard from wearing prematurely and beginning to look tired due to wear marks or threads pulling. Visit our fabrics and finishes page to learn more about contract quality fabrics.
Cleaning – When it comes to getting rid of any marks or stains left by the transfer of hair products onto the headboard, your headboard shouldn’t be a housekeeper’s nightmare – make their life easier by choosing a fabric that can be cleaned effectively, which will, in turn, extend the lifespan of your headboard. For good reason, more headboards are upholstered in faux leather than any other upholstery option.
Durability – Casa Bella Interiors suggests choosing a fabric with soil-hiding properties that can be easily maintained. Modern faux leather design technology has resulted in more elaborate design possibilities while retaining its core low maintenance properties. Consider a pattern or a more textured finish over a flat colour for textile upholsteries in some bedrooms as this will generally make your fabric more forgiving on the eye if it does eventually stain over time.
Pattern Repeat – If you decide to use patterned fabric in your headboard design, consider the scale of the pattern in relation to the headboard size and how many pattern repeats you will get from a metre of fabric. If you need more than one piece of fabric to cover your headboard, you may be left with an unsightly seam where the next piece of fabric joins, which can detract from the desired effect.
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