Given our focus on living in small spaces, we've written our fair share of posts on beds with hidden storage and under the bed storage containers, but we've never found a piece quite like the one pictured above. Can you guess what makes this piece a great small space solution?
Most storage headboards involve open shelves or slide out pieces (like IKEA's Malm headboard). Though we love the utility of the Malm, a small room doesn't necessarily allow for the necessary space to slide out the shelves on both sides. The open shelf bookcase type headboards are no good for people in an earthquake zone, or folks who tend to toss and turn a lot at night.
This Sueded Storage Headboard from Seventh Avenue is unique because the upholstered panels are hinged allowing for hidden storage behind the tufting. We think this unique storage solution would be perfect for a bed placed in a nook, or on a wall that doesn't have enough space for nightstands. Though this headboard is reasonably priced at $239 for the queen (plus $45 for shipping), we also think it could be a inspiration for a fabulous DIY project.
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This is a great small space solution, and I agree it seems like a possible DIY project.
However, if you're going to do a 'guess what the secret is' post, don't give away the answer in the title ;)
If my memory is correct, Terrence Conran's book "DIY by Design" included directions for a bed with storage below the mattress and behind a padded headboard. It was, as I remember it, a nice design.
I can only think of a couple things I would store in a hidden headboard. :)
LOL @ H L I
Great storage solution!
Agreed. I wouldn't want to stuff it with extra blankets/pillows. It would end up being a 'secret' hiding place
We had a headboard with this construction except the doors were hinged on the bottom. It was "unfinished furniture" that we stained and polyurethaned ourselves many years ago. It would be easy to upholster one of these. And it gave some angled support for reading in bed. (We had our alarm clocks and lamps on the top shelf.)
As for what the storage was used for, let's see, boxes of tissues, my husband's collection of change, books we might want to read later, a flashlight for power outages, a transister radio (ditto), miscellaneous odds and ends... and the stuff you were already thinking of! ;^)
I had a headboard like this growing up! It wasn't tufted and the hinges were on the bottom, but other than that it was pretty much the same design. The storage inside went all the way to the floor, though, so it was better for larger, awkwardly shaped things. When I first got it, I used it as Barbie's garage, because all of my cars fit perfectly. Later, it changed into poster/artwork/portfolio storage, and eventually it stored extra blankets and out of season coats. It went to Goodwill when I got a real job and bought myself a queen-size bed, but I have to say, I really missed the storage at first. The angle of it also made it really great for reading and watching TV in bed (as SherryBinNH already pointed out). Ahh, nostaglia...
nice design- I was going to say it seems like a more efficient design would be to have it hinged at the bottom- how annoying to move the pillows and peek under like a garage when you need something...
IKEA used to make a bed that had a similar design. The hinges were on the bottom and had a very large storage area.
I had one about 8-9 years ago. Looking back on it, I realized from a parents perspective it was a terrible thing to give a teenager--So easy to hide things back there under a spare blanket or pillow.
The big thing here for me, as a couple of you commented, is the angle - I'm not so sure that it LOOKS as good, but it is far more functional than a purely-decorative wall-mounted headboard.
I love it for items that you don't use.. not necessarily needing to use it daily. It's beautiful.
I did something similar to this as a quick DIY. Right now it is just cheap bookshelves (that I found secondhand) that I put wheels on and handles on the outside to make it easier to move and then put slipcovers over them. I do believe that I will find a way to put the hinged/tufted part on soon for the top shelves of each though so I have easier access! Because the easy access, hidden storage right at the bed for those *ahems* everyone has been mentioning would VERY nice!!! LOL
I think the headboard design is ugly but I love the function.
In the days before loft beds we had something almost exactly like this in my college dorm room, only with doors hinged on the bottom. The twin bed sat sideways to it and could be pushed in under the bolsters to be used as a sofa during the day, then pulled out as a bed for sleeping. It was a very efficient use of a small space.