How do I Choose the Best Maple Headboard?

To choose the best maple headboard for your home, look at style as well as the finish. Natural maple is a pale, neutral-toned wood that tends to get yellower over time. Depending on your bedroom decor, you may want to choose a maple headboard in a poster or bookcase style.

Bookcase style maple headboards typically look classically attractive, plus their storage capacity offers great practicality. A maple headboard with storage shelves usually allows room for books plus a lamp and alarm clock. If you have a minimalist type of bedroom decor, look for a maple bookcase headboard with closed rather than open shelving. Closed headboard bookcases can be especially helpful in keeping children's rooms looking neater.

If you're considering buying a maple bookcase style of headboard for a double, queen or king size bed, equal storage sections on each end plus a different storage area in the middle can work well. This way, each person can have an equal sized storage area for his or her personal belongings, while the center area could hold decorative art pieces that suit the room's decor style. Depending on the degree of detail on it, a bookcase headboard often works in either a traditional or modern bedroom.

A poster type of maple headboard has a traditional look to it. Either a tall, narrow pillar or a shorter, thick post is at each end while the middle section of the headboard is usually rectangular in its basic shape. Cut out sections are often featured in the rectangle piece and the edges may be slightly curved. If your bedroom decor is contemporary, a maple poster type of headboard is probably not going to fit in well with the decor.

When considering the finish of maple headboards, it's important to realize that while many different stained pieces are available for sale, natural is often best. A stained maple headboard, especially a cheap one, is likely to be uneven in its finish and these flaws may be noticeable. Unlike many other woods, maple is known for not being able to hold stain as well.

A natural maple headboard that is unstained, yet beautifully carved is often the best choice. Make sure the wood's color coordinates well with your wall color, bedding and bedroom furniture. Since natural maple is usually quite pale, contrasting accent colors rather than neutrals can make it stand out. For a beautiful addition to your bed, you may want to choose a birdseye maple headboard. This type of natural maple has tiny black markings throughout that are named for their resemblance to the darkness and size of some birds' eyes.