I have the Newfield iron bed from Charles P Rogers. I bought it along wirh a super comfortable mattress when I moved out (divorce). It’s similar to the one @morrismm linked to. I absolutely love it.
Some of you have posted links to pretty metal headboards, I am thinking about using this style in a vacation rental, any downsides?
We have a metal headboard. No issues really. I don’t sit propped up in my bed much but could easily do so with several pillows. I think their sturdiness could make it a good choice for a rental. Depending on finish, less worry about scratches/dirt/dings vs. wood or fabric.
The main issue I’d think of offhand for metal is rust and corrosion. If there is a good finish on the piece and or you don’t live in a highly corrosive environment (Milguardcsays our entire state is highly corrosive), metal is nice and durable.
And I do think many people like to sit up/lean back so I’d think about whether pillows would fall though and make it uncomfortable. A metal headboard with well places or small gaps is best, imo.
I don’t see any downside. The only issue could be small kids getting stuck in the headboard gaps.
^^well placed, not places
https://brassbedofva.com/shop/iron-beds/meridian-iron-bed
We bought this full sized black iron and brass bed from Brass Beds of Virginia for our D when she transitioned into her “big girl bed” just after turning two. It’s beautiful and built like a Sherman tank. It does not wobble or shake due to it’s antique style locking rail system. When we bought it, it was part of the service to provide a custom ingraved brass plaque for the foot rail. Her’s reads: For the love of L***a. Christmas 1989. She moved that bed with her when she left home, and still sleeps in it in the town home she just purchased. It still looks brand new when the brass finials are polished. She has always loved it, but will soon be moving it to her guest room in favor of either a new queen or king sized bed, preferably wood, and lower to the floor for a change. Her iron bed sets high off the floor.
I’m rather appalled though, that it never even occurred to us that the gaps between the iron spindles might be a head trap for D should she have gotten a notion to stick her head through them. Thankfully, that never happened. #:-S
If you love classic brass and iron beds, I would recommend Brass Beds of Virginia.
That Crate and Barrel headboard is very handsome. I’m a sucker for most of their stuff.
This is slightly off topic but I have to share because when I saw this today, I immediately thought about this thread!
I stopped by a local consignment store today.
There was a unique bed/headboard. I’ll explain it the best I can. Picture an old square or drop leaf table. The drop sides are down (leaving just the 1/3 of table flat on top), but even with the sides down there is 2 feet clearance/open area below the sides. They took an inflated thick air mattress and pushed it so that one edge of it gets pushed just past the first dropped side of the table. That dropped side created the “headboard”. They took a rounded body pillow and put that in front of the dropped side and then pillows in front of the body pillow. The mattress was covered with a quilt. So in essence, the drop leaf table provided both a “headboard” AND a table top for storage of other things! The back drop leaf could be against a wall. It just looked like something cute for a college apt, first apt, spare guest room, etc.
Ok, just had to share!!! 
H and I have a queen sized four poster bed almost exactly like this one, which we purchased 20+yrs ago from a local furniture store that’s since gone out of business. Ours is cherry and also sets high off the floor. This might pose a problem for us in our dotage though, so we may also have to get a bed that’s lower to the floor someday. I still love the classic look of this bed, and though it has a footboard, that doesn’t interfere with making the bed or changing linens.
It seems like the trend in headboards nowadays is towards upholstered ones, judging from when D and I went shopping for new furniture for her townhouse. But D has a severe dust mite allergy which makes her break out in widespread hives daily if she doesn’t take Zyrtec. She doesn’t want to have to vacuum her headboard as frequently as might be necessary with a fabric bed, so that’s out of the question.
abasket, I have a similar story, but in reverse.
I was looking for a “sofa table”. Basically a long, thin table to put behind my sofa so I could put plants on it (sofa was right up against a long window). I couldn’t find one anywhere, but I did find an Ikea headboard that fit the bill. It is basically a plain wood shelf, about 14-16" deep, and there’s a lip that goes down about 2" and that’s it. Most headboards are vertical, this one was horizontal so it could form a shelf above your pillows.
We still have it, and the best part is that we can perfectly fit 6 large plastic storage bins underneath it and nobody can see them! That’s where all the holiday decorations are, lol.
I would imagine beds need to be built to specifications whereby the spindles are close enough not to large enough to fit a head into it - even a child’s head. Sounds like litigation risk alone would give manufacturers’ enough pause to figure that out. At least I’d hope so.
Never had pillows or our daughters fall though or get stuck in our wrought iron bed;)
Poets heart, I have a similar headboard. The design is different but the look so,close that I’m curious if the same make. . I got the two,posts for the foot of the bed. It was expensive and will continue to be my forever bed.
If I were ordering a new set, I’d go straight to crate and barrel for wood.
As I understand it, the problem with head entrapment is not that kids pur their heads through gaps but that their bodies slip through gaps that their heads won’t fit through. They’re left hanging by their necks.
Back to the topic, I have an upholstered headboard attached to the wall. Quick and easy and no one notices that it’s a cheap metal bed frame. The fabric is a very tight weave sprayed with scotchguard. No stains and it can be wiped down with a damp cloth.
@rhododendron, nice idea to spray the fabric with scotchguard. Is the headboard also attached to the bed/frame or only the wall?
The headboard is only attached to the wall with a couple of long screws Into studs below the level of the mattress. It’s been there for about 15 years. Occasionally I think about changing the fabric for a new style but since it looks fine I always decide to do other projects instead.
We have one with built in storage drawers and a shelf. A great place for extra blankets, sheets, etc.
Watch out for Scotchguard. It used to be PFOS, a close cousin of PFOA (teflon) and I wouldn’t want anything sprayed with that near my head at night. The new stuff is supposed to be safe, but of course they told us PFOS and PFOA were safe for 40 years or so.