A gripper foundation is disclosed comprising a conventional mattress foundation which is encased within foundation upholstery. The foundation upholstery contains a sheet material which covers the entire top surface of the foundation, the sheet material having a raised pattern printed thereon which creates a high coefficient of friction with the bottom of a mattress surface or a bed sheet contained therebetween. The raised pattern may cover the entire top surface of the foundation, only a portion of the top surface, such as the perimeter portion, or other alternate configurations. The raised pattern may also take on a variety of patterns such as a plurality of diagonal lines, a plurality of straight lines, a plurality of diamonds or squares, or any other such pattern. The gripper foundation eliminates the need for any type of mechanical bed sheet retainer or additional pad or frictional surface which is to be positioned between a foundation and mattress.