Beds and footboards

Arks · Nov 14, 2011

Comparing the two images below, I'd be interested in hearing thoughts regarding footboards on beds. They can make the bed look grander, but of course cost a little more and take up a little more space in the room. If you have them, do they make the bed much harder (or easier) to make? Do tall guests complain about feeling crowded by them? Other drawbacks?

gillumhouse · Nov 14, 2011

IF you are going to have a footboard, go with that lower one. I have removed my last footboard - it is now a headboard for another bed. I am only 5'7" but I sleep with my feet hanging over the end of the bed. I whacked the heck out of my feet last year after DH had leg surgery and I slept upstairs so I would no hurt his leg. es, it also makes it harder to make the bed. Tall men love a bed with NO footboard.

Highlands John · Nov 14, 2011

I've considered removing the footer from our beds to make it more comfortable for taller guests.
It means taking a saw to the bed, and I'm a bit worried that it would damage the structure of the bed.

gillumhouse · Nov 14, 2011

Highlands John said:
I've considered removing the footer from our beds to make it more comfortable for taller guests.
It means taking a saw to the bed, and I'm a bit worried that it would damage the structure of the bed..

We bought a new bed frame since the old Hb/Fb had slots for the rails and then bolted the headboard to the new frame. The new frame is lower than I wanted - never though of it being that low - but it works and the guests do not need a ladder to get into this bed.

Madeleine · Nov 14, 2011

No footboards here. Cannot imagine trying to make the beds with stuff in the way like that. However, love the look of a bed with a footboard! If you do decide 'for' then get lower footboards. Another consideration is how far do they stick out? Someone (me) will always bark a shin or stub a toe in the middle of the night.

user 26 · Nov 14, 2011

for my own self, i love a footboard ... esp a sleigh bed. i am almost 5'4" and a tall foot board is lovely for me
but for guests ... no footboard that comes up higher than the mattress. unless you have massively long beds. they just won't work for taller guests.
plus it is more work to make the beds.

Joey Camb · Nov 15, 2011

we have 3 with a foot board 9 without and you can always fricking guarantee the 6 foot 6 man is in the foot board bed! If they let me know I put them in king size bed rooms as they are 6 foot 6 and have no foot board. however the normal size guests love the footboard beds so its swings and roundabouts.

souslechene · Nov 15, 2011

With my 1.92m high (tall, but not so tall either), I hate sleeping in beds with footboards. Bad night guaranteed.
You just cannot spend all the night with legs folded, you NEED some time with legs unfolded and sleeping in diagonal is unpleasant.
It surely is one of the points I check when booking a B&B.
I am always surprised to see antique beds, often both narrow and short with footboards, in B&Bs here.

JBloggs · Nov 15, 2011

First bed is not preferred because:

Tall people
Too difficult to make the bed
Too difficult to maneuver around the bed (guests)
Makes the bed too boxed in an inaccessable
Scratched and nicked (the tall footboard) by making the bed and the guests with their stuff and toe nails (I have one tall footboard and it is nicked up from this, I know it is hard to imagine, but it happens)
no or a low footboard allows another place for the guest to sit (putting on their shoes etc)

Personally the low footboard makes the bed more inviting imo, you can also lay a nice coverlet or spare quilt over the end in season. There is so much more you can do with the bed with linens.

egoodell · Nov 15, 2011

I would never buy a bed with a footboard for a B&B. Terrible to make up.
Riki

muirford · Nov 15, 2011

We have one sleigh bed and it is a bear to make up. Our other beds all have footboards, but they are either canopy beds with posts on the corners or the footboards are lower than the top of the mattress. Go with the low footboard, if you have room for it. Also, Madeline is right - pay attention to what the footboard is. We have a bed with a pointy, although low, footboard and I have to wrap a blanket on the corners so I don't carry bruises all the time.

Arks · Nov 15, 2011

[email protected] said:
we have 3 with a foot board 9 without and you can always fricking guarantee the 6 foot 6 man is in the foot board bed! If they let me know I put them in king size bed rooms as they are 6 foot 6 and have no foot board. however the normal size guests love the footboard beds so its swings and roundabouts..

camberlyhotel wrote:
...so its swings and roundabouts
There she goes again!

Had to look that one up. I like it! Still don't know where it comes from, but I like the concept.

Proud Texan · Nov 15, 2011

We don't use footboards. It's much easier and quicker to make a bed without them. In fact, one of our headboards is fashioned from an old pantry door that is actually attached to the wall. I know it sounds tacky, but it actually looks good and we receive a lot of compliments on it.

Samster · Nov 15, 2011

Ark, second bed is definitely preferred for both guests and whoever is making the bed every day. I have a few beds with footboards but they are more like your second picture. Tall folks have a difficult time with a big tall footboard.

EmptyNest · Nov 15, 2011

Footboards are too confining and take extra time to make up the bed. I say the second one would be my choice. And even that one you will have some doing with a shorter footboard.

Joey Camb · Nov 15, 2011

Arkansawyer said:
[email protected] said:

we have 3 with a foot board 9 without and you can always fricking guarantee the 6 foot 6 man is in the foot board bed! If they let me know I put them in king size bed rooms as they are 6 foot 6 and have no foot board. however the normal size guests love the footboard beds so its swings and roundabouts..

Click to expand...

camberlyhotel wrote:
...so its swings and roundabouts
There she goes again!

Had to look that one up. I like it! Still don't know where it comes from, but I like the concept.
.

it comes from play parks Swings and a roundabout is a sort of round disk that spins round with chairs in the middle of it. so its what suits one might not suit another.

Madeleine · Nov 15, 2011

[email protected] said:
Arkansawyer said:

[email protected] said:

we have 3 with a foot board 9 without and you can always fricking guarantee the 6 foot 6 man is in the foot board bed! If they let me know I put them in king size bed rooms as they are 6 foot 6 and have no foot board. however the normal size guests love the footboard beds so its swings and roundabouts..

Click to expand...

camberlyhotel wrote:
...so its swings and roundabouts
There she goes again!

Had to look that one up. I like it! Still don't know where it comes from, but I like the concept.
.

Click to expand...

it comes from play parks Swings and a roundabout is a sort of round disk that spins round with chairs in the middle of it. so its what suits one might not suit another.
.

[email protected] said:
it comes from play parks Swings and a roundabout is a sort of round disk that spins round with chairs in the middle of it. so its what suits one might not suit another.

We say '6 of one, half dozen of the other'.

Copperhead · Nov 15, 2011

We have both here, the 2 antique beds with footboards are hard to make but two others have low footboards (a little higher than the one pictured) and are easy to make.
The plus to having some sort of footboard is the fact of having a place for comforter. It is common thing here to have the quilt or comforter on the floor of the room without a foot board. EVEN though we do have blanket racks in each room.

JBloggs · Nov 15, 2011

copperhead said:
We have both here, the 2 antique beds with footboards are hard to make but two others have low footboards (a little higher than the one pictured) and are easy to make.
The plus to having some sort of footboard is the fact of having a place for comforter. It is common thing here to have the quilt or comforter on the floor of the room without a foot board. EVEN though we do have blanket racks in each room..

To clarify a footboard ENCLOSED like sleigh bed is what Arkie is talking about right? Other footboards are not an issue, 4 poster beds, etc, I think the sleigh bed high and enclosed footboard look is what we are all on about!

Arks · Nov 15, 2011

Joey Bloggs said:
copperhead said:

We have both here, the 2 antique beds with footboards are hard to make but two others have low footboards (a little higher than the one pictured) and are easy to make.
The plus to having some sort of footboard is the fact of having a place for comforter. It is common thing here to have the quilt or comforter on the floor of the room without a foot board. EVEN though we do have blanket racks in each room..

Click to expand...

To clarify a footboard ENCLOSED like sleigh bed is what Arkie is talking about right? Other footboards are not an issue, 4 poster beds, etc, I think the sleigh bed high and enclosed footboard look is what we are all on about!
.

Joey Bloggs said:
To clarify a footboard ENCLOSED like sleigh bed is what Arkie is talking about right?

Yes, enclosed like in the first photo above. But I wish I had mentioned in the question that it would be on a king sized bed (nearly 7 feet long). Also, the bed would be changed by a housekeeper, so difficulty in working with it isn't such a concern for me.

I like the look of the high footboard, and adding to the guest's postive experience at my place is more important than convenience to me and the staff (within reason, at least). But the point that it's nice to be able to sit at the foot of the bed is well taken.
I might get one high one and do the other rooms with the lower one. Still thinking it over. Still have a few months before time to buy. Today we picked out floor, wall and countertop materials and colors, kitchen cabinetry and lighting. The project is finally to the fun stages!

Beds and footboards

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