I agree: the comfort of a bed depends on the mattress ( and on the bedspring, make sure it's pretty robust ).

I also like to spend much time in bed and I am very happy of my new memory foam mattress.

You WILL want large pillow shams against the headboard on an iron bed for sitting reading in bed or laptop use. For sleeping.......lying prone, all that matters is your mattress.

I've been sleeping in an iron bed , standard height for years . Love it wouldn't want to change it .

I agree with Jan--because of the open nature of the headboard and the ironwork, you will need several pillows for back support and comfort when sitting up and reading in bed.

You could hang floor to ceiling drapes behind the bed to add warmth. Or could paint the wall behind bed an darker accent color

Thanks everyone! It was the pillows-to-sit-up issue I was mostly wondering about...sounds like I'll need a few more than I normally have, but not necessarily the giant pile covering half the bed I see in pictures. I can handle that.

I think this is what you're looking for. I used one of these for years when I read in my bedroom, and it worked fine.

http://www.amazon.com/Brentwood-Originals-Brushed-Twill-Bedrest/dp/B002S0NJNK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445527830&sr=8-1&keywords=pillow+backrest

Thanks Hayley! I forgot about those kinds of pillows, a very good idea.

My next question is about bedskirts on this type of frame...yea or nay? I'm not a frilly kinda girl, and I think it may look nice without. But covering it does allow storing things under the bed. Does anyone have opinions about the appearance of an iron/brass bed with a dust ruffle?

I love mine - it was my great-grandmother's. The issue with old ones is that the mattress may have to be custom made to fit it. Or, you can have the rails extended. New ones don't have these issues, but they lack the history, so I prefer the old ones. I have a friend who collects them and some are just awesome!

We've had an iron bed for over 20 years, and I absolutely love it! I just prop up pillows to read and watch tv, it's never really been an issue. I also would like to go w/o a dust ruffle, but the metal side rails are very utilitarian and even if I covered the boxspring, I wouldn't want the rails to show. I'm not sure if there is some way this can be dealt with. That being said, my frame is somewhat more elegant and romantic, and it prob looks more appropriate with a bedskirt. I would like the option to go without because that would certainly simplify bed-making.

Looking at this - says it attaches to a metal frame...

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/fuo/5246642846.html

I have an iron bed my grandmother slept in as a child, so it's been around a while. The only uncomfortable thing about it is the headboard does make it rather uncomfortable to sit up and read against. I solved this problem, however, by getting some large comfy pillows that I'm not afraid to lean against.

So overall, yeah, it can be uncomfortable, but you can solve it.

Hated ours for 20 yrs. Tried Euro pillows but the coverup the look I loved. We have a great mattress but husband is constantly butting his head against headboard and cannot get comfort all sitting in bed. Finally replaced and move into garage for garage sale item.

I'm going for it and getting an iron bed. Waiting to hear back about a good deal on Craigslist right now (no pictures until I can get to my computer). But this leads into a whole new question, so I thought I'd share that link...

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/painting-furniture-white-dsvw-vd~3467834

I'm loving my metal bed frame. A couple king size pillows behind my sleeping pillows and I'm perfectly comfortable sitting up. No squeaking or shaking either!

Great Idea, Great answers too..A bed should look comfy too.For a unique design like no one else check out www.metalfair365.com

Wesley Alan makes beautiful metal beds but they aren't Craig's list prices!