What is a Panel Headboard?

A panel headboard is a kind of headboard that is solid, rectangular, and often made of wood. Variations on the design of this kind of headboard usually have to do with details that are carved or etched into the wood and the kind of finish or paint that is applied to the wood. In most cases, a panel headboard has two or three panels of equal size that are arranged in a horizontal line. These panels are usually made of the same kind of wood as the rest of the headboard, but may have decorations that are unique to the rest of the headboard.

Variation in the size of the panels is most common in a panel headboard that has three sections. In these kinds of headboards, the panel in the center may be larger than the panels that flank it on either side. The panels on the side, while smaller than the central panel, are usually uniform in size. This design is reminiscent of the arrangement of window panes in Venetian windows. Like Venetian windows, there are some panel headboards that have arched or curved tops that break with the standard rectangular shape of most panel headboards.

Some modern furniture designers create these sorts of headboards by covering a wooden frame in fabric. While the fabric is usually uniform in texture, pattern, and color, it is divided into panels much like the panels of a wooden headboard. These panels are fixed in place with closures such as buttons or are defined with seams. This sort of fabric panel headboard might also include an innovative design in the arrangement of the panels. The panels may be arranged in two rows, one on top of the other, instead of one row, which is common in the standard design.

For those who are in the market for a panel headboard, there are modern, newly fabricated, and antique options. This kind of headboard is rather common and is available from many furniture manufacturers in all standard sizes. The design is often rather well suited to adult bedrooms, but there are also options that are designed for use in children's rooms. A panel headboard for a child's room might be softened in its shape with an arched top. Alternatively, one of the panels can be customized with a carving of the child's initials, name, or the image of the child's favorite animal.