How to Choose a Bed Frame and Headboard
Start with support. A solid wood platform frame with a slatted deck is designed to hold a mattress directly, which is why it removes the need for a box spring: the slats spread the load the way a foundation would. What matters is the gap between the slats. Closely spaced slats carry foam and hybrid mattresses properly, while wide gaps let the foam settle into the spaces and are a common cause of premature dipping. The NM platform frame sets its slats two inches apart. Then fix the size, because everything downstream follows from it. A frame is cut to one mattress footprint, headboards are sold to match a size band rather than a single size, and fitted sheets are cut to a depth as well as a width, so check the mattress size chart before you order anything else.
Then the pieces around the bed. Headboard height is the measurement to get right: work from the floor to the top of your mattress, then add however much headboard you want visible above the pillows, remembering that a taller mattress or a thicker box spring raises the mattress line and hides more of it. Both headboards here are upholstered rather than bare wood, and each is finished one way only. The George pairs a channel tufted charcoal panel with a walnut finish frame and carries a fifty inch profile, while the Layla sets a curved white boucle panel on a natural finish frame. So this is not really a finish decision. It is a decision about texture, colour and height, and about whether you would rather have the frame, a headboard, a mattress and the bedding arrive together as a bundle.
Solid Wood, Slatted Deck
A slatted platform frame supports the mattress on its own, and the NM frame sets its slats two inches apart. Our explainer covers whether platform beds need a box spring.
Size It Off the Mattress
The frame, the headboard and the sheets are all cut to the mattress footprint, so settle the size first using the size chart.
Upholstered Headboards
Channel tufted charcoal on a walnut finish frame, or curved white boucle on a natural one. See our guide to choosing a bed frame height before you commit.
Or Take the Bundle
The Essentials Bedroom Bundle puts the platform frame, a headboard, a two drawer nightstand, a mattress and the bedding into one order. See sleep bundles.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bed Frames and Headboards
Do I need a box spring with a slatted platform bed frame?
How far apart should bed frame slats be?
What size bed frame do I need for my mattress?
How tall should a headboard be?
Can I buy a mattress and a bed frame together as a set?
Which headboard suits which frame?
Putting a Whole Bedroom Together?
Our non-commissioned sleep experts can match the frame and the headboard to the mattress size and height you have chosen.

















































































































