Great question! I am considering buying the Colette bed from Crate and Barrel. Any feedback on this bed would be appreciated.

I thought long and hard about an upholstered bed, particularly the Tate bed above from Crate and Barrel. In the end, though, I decided against it. We have two chihuahuas and I was concerned that they might scratch the upholstery.

Also, without getting too graphic, the last thing I want to be saying to my partner during activity in bed is, "Make sure it doesn't hit the headboard!"

I have the Hoffman bed from Room and Board and love it. At night, I can prop myself up on it and read. Not to mention, there is no worry of hitting my head on the headboard and getting a concussion. (I am a bit of a klutz.) I have a big dog and every week, we vacuum the sides of the bed and once a month the headboard. Well worth the comfort.

I can't do it. I have a cat. Definitely take that into consideration, if you do too. You could end up providing a very expensive new scratching post for the kitties.

I just put the brush attachment on my vacuum and run it over the upholstered parts 1x a week-- and my bed is upholstered in black fabric. I don't consider it a dust magnet, it collects dust just like anything else, but cleaning it is not a problem.

I had a beautiful off-white one from Ballard Designs... and I did vacuum it (which by the way you have to always double check your attachment to make sure it is super clean before you run it across!!!) but I have bad dust allergies. As much as I cleaned it, it had to go. But we had an older house and our window were not double-paned. That does make a difference. Our house got dustier than a newer house would have. If I had a guest room at that time, I would have kept it.

Have to echo ThatGrrl here - I have two cats (both white, one a longhair) who not only lovingly shed on every upholstered thing I own, but love to claim new comfy scratch surfaces. There's no way to justify it, for me.

I have an upholstered headboard and would never go back to a wood headboard. I love have a soft surface to lean against when reading watching TV and looking at the internet. It tends to get a bit dusty on top, so I vacuum it once a month or so. If we had a fully upholstered bed, it would be a disaster, we have 2 hairy dogs that shed on everything they can. They don't really ever touch the headboard so it stays hair free.

They really are not for everyone and every house.

I vacuum in detail once a week and a quick vacuum every three days. I am stunned every week when I clean around and behind my bed at the dust and the dust that sticks to the base board molding where I clean in detail once a week.
I have white linen drapes in my bedroom and the bottom of the drapes gets dirty and they need to be vacuumed and dry cleaned all the time, I am rethinking my drapes right now.

No matter how much I want an upholstered bed or headboard its just not going to work in this house. I agree with sfteri I know its because I am in an older house and I could clean 24 hours a day I still get dust.

We love our upholstered bed (Stanley - Louis Louis Elliot's Wing Man Bed). Actually we were asked by family and friends where we had bought it from, during Easter dinner.

The only dust (bunnies) you get are under the bed. For whatever reason, they quickly add up under there. In a simple sweep of the broom they are all gone though and we still have a beutiful bed.

I would not recommend a upholstered be if you have pets though.

I have the Ella bed from R&B and love it. I have dust allergies, so vacuum once/week and spray with Febreeze pet allergan spray (I'm also allergic to my cat) and have no problems.

If you want an upholstered bed to stay pristine forever, and you have pets, you may want to pass. I don't really live in a showcase, so any dust or damage the cat might cause is worth it to have the pretty, comfortable that I want.

I would think leather would be a good compromise if you have allergies or pets that shed.

All upholstery should be vacuumed at least weekly. Beds, sofas, chairs-everything.
A wooden or metal bed will get just as much dust as fabric bed, only it can be seen on the surface.

It's too bad they haven't come up with a cool velcro attached or slip cover style headboard. That way you could wash it or have it dry cleaned from time to time...unless you live alone and are very tidy.

Flou does have a velcro-attached slip cover for the headboard and frame. I just vacuum it every week and get the whole thing dry-cleaned once a year. My cat doesn't scratch the sofa, and she doesn't scratch the bed. My bed actually has less surface area than my sofa, come to think of it. At any rate, I think a carpet in the bedroom is far more prone to collecting dirt, dust, mold and mites than a well-maintained upholstered bed. The upholstered bed works for me. (plus, I have different slipcolors for different moods-- although the real reason I got the flou bed is the storage... but that's a whole 'nother post.)

The IKEA FLORO is pretty reasonable. I vaccuum mine rarely, but dust under it frequently. The slipcovers are removable to be dry cleaned - headboard, footboard and runners, so no bedskirt is needed.

I have to say, it was b*tch to put together. But, is easy to keep clean and is nice and tailored.

Now the challenge is to find something that matches it and isn't too frilly but still color-complimentary. I'm always on the hunt.

I love my upholstered headboard - also from C&B but not the Tate - and both my husband and I have dust allergy issues.

It might help if you choose a fabric that repels dust rather than attracting it. Leather probably would be your best option, although ours is fabric and it doesn't attract dust at all.

More than dust, you should be concerned about bed bugs. No joke. They exist, and they are becoming more prevelant as international travel increases and pesticide use decreases; a negative side effect of a positive trend. They are horribly difficult and expensive to get rid of, and having a fabric headboard is a breeding ground for them. Unlike mattresses, which can easily be covered, and bedding, which is frequently washed, there's nothing stopping bed bugs from getting in and on a fabric headboard.

I would say leather is a very good option.

Justveggingout- I didn't think of that issue... I was more thinking that I would much less mind ME hitting the headboard (full bed doesn't fit a tall couple too well and metal framed beds can get a little painful!)

Katherinec- I had bedbugs in a wood bed. They were not anywhere in fabrics in the room or the mattress, but were living in every crevice of the wood. Wood tends to be their main home from my experience, and fabric is a bit of a last result for them. Patchouli oil misted onto fabrics acts as a deterrent for them calling the area home, but once you have them, exterminator or the strongest pesticides you can get are the only way... I got pretty far with tea tree oil and rubbing alcohol, but wood needs to be taken outside and frozen, or completely dismantled and treated.
To me, a fabric bed frame would make the job easier as, so long as it is secure, they wouldn't be able to make it into the wood frame underneath. They are pretty big, so they can't get into thin/tight areas, but not ones that are just plain small.

I am very tempted by the Ikea Floro... The idea of a slipcover is also handy, plus how soft it would make the room feel, however, cats are in my future, so I might have to make the bedroom off limits.

Upholstered headboard here:

Vacuuming is a must - It's just as easy as dusting.
As far as staining, that's why god invented Scotchgard.

Microsuede / microfiber: cats can't get their claws through it, vacuuming easily removes the dust and pet hair (since the fabric weave is so tight the pet hair doesn't tuck into the weave and get stuck). They're even producing microsuede now that looks like grasscloth or linen (though I prefer natural linen since no pesticides are needed to grow the raw material).

I have pet dander & dust allergies, and my cats sleep with me, I just replaced my iron frame with an upholstered bed and love the upholstered headboard... so comfortable.

I love upholstered bed, it gives the room a "hotel style", and cozy up your nights !

I've made my own a few weeks ago (my first one as a matter of fact !).
You can check it out if U want : http://nocesdecoton.canalblog.com/archives/2009/09/17/15103854.html.

Hope you like it !

(I'll vacuum it quite easily as well ... to get rid of acarid !)