A wooden bed frame is timber-tastic!

Not only are timber beds healthier for you and for the environment, but choosing a wooden bed frame with clean contemporary lines could last you a lifetime.

Wooden beds have a lovely aesthetic that is currently enjoying great popularity. In particular, bed frames that make the most of the wood's natural textures and colours and are complemented by the clean lines of contemporary design, such as box frames, are taking bedrooms by storm.

But it was not always so. Jo Willis of Beds for Life in Hawthorn says that like hemlines, beds too have their days. "In the 70s it was the bedhead with mattress, then there was a move toward the ensemble bed, and in the late 80s timber and iron beds came back, but they tended to be busier in design than they are today."

Timeless timber design

Jo suggests that beds with cleaner lines are popular today because they won't date. "Wooden beds without footers and strong lines seem to sell well," she says. "People want their bed to last a lifetime, so they keep them simple."

Buying a wooden bed allows you to choose from a range of timbers, but Jo is keen to emphasise that sustainable timber is the best choice. "Victorian ash in particular is grown for furniture and is sustainably farmed," she says. "Sustainable timbers will usually be labelled, but there's a lot of cheaper furniture made from materials that have come from unknown sources, which you should avoid."

Wooden beds are not only popular because they look good. According to Jo, they are also great for anyone with allergies or asthma. "Because they don't hold the dust like an ensemble bed does, and they are easier to clean under, they tend to be healthier," she says.

Complementing the new bed frame

To complete the healthy, sustainable choice, many people are rounding out their bed suite with an all-latex rubber mattress. "Latex is a natural rubber product that is very long lasting," says Jo. "Some people are concerned about the springs in traditional mattresses creating electromagnetic fields, so a latex mattress is ideal, as it avoids this."

A good-quality queen-size timber frame or a wooden bed frame of contemporary design can be had for around $1100-$1600. To find the right one for you, do some homework on the internet, but nothing beats getting out there and actually trying them out; so find a store in your area: