Headboard ideas can really make or break your bedroom design. Beautiful bed linen, a statement wall, and even your furniture are all ways to add wow factor to your bedroom, but the bed is always the focus, and good headboard ideas will turn your bed into a true style statement.
An easy way to turn your sleep zone into a showstopper, headboards come in many different shapes, sizes, and materials. This year's headboard trends are all about upholstery, incorporating tactile natural materials and patterns that add personality to the bedroom. But a wooden headboard can also be a timeless option, or perhaps your bedroom would benefit from a headboard idea that incorporates clever storage.
I'm Laurie, and as a professional interior stylist, I've styled shoots for the UK’s leading interior magazines, as well as styling homes and bedroom sets for TV shows, adverts and top brands. It's fair to say, I've decorated a lot of bedrooms in my time, and this round-up curates all of my go-to headboard ideas.
Once you've decided on the look you want to create? Have a browse of Ideal Home's little black book of where to buy a headboard to find the stockists that can bring your vision to life.
Headboard ideas
Dating back to Egyptian times, headboards were originally decorative affairs made from gold, silver and ebony, later becoming more practical pieces that helped protect sleepers from draughts and cold. Nowadays, we use them to add colour, pattern, shape and texture to our bedrooms – and also as a spot to rest against when sitting up in bed.
'Every bedroom should have a headboard and ideally something big and bold for a bit of wow-factor,' says Emma Deterding, founder and creative director and founder of interior design company Kelling Designs. 'They create a centrepiece for the room, which can act as an anchor to coordinate with your lamps, cushions and matching bed base or valance.'
'The bed and headboard are the focal pieces of any bedroom idea, so it's essential to choose those that are built to last and won’t date, to ensure that you'll love them for many years to come,'
Let's take a look at some stand-out headboard ideas that could prove a game-changer for your bedroom…
1. Go big with a supersize headboard
If you want to create a real style statement in the bedroom, size matters. The trend for supersized headboards shows no signs of waning, and little wonder, because this headboard idea can transform your bedroom from so-so to showstopper in one fell swoop.
'An oversized headboard is a piece that commands attention,' agrees David Harris, design director at interior brand Andrew Martin. 'It’s not simply the backdrop to your bed, but an opportunity to inject drama and character.'
This look can take some confidence to pull off, but it's a surefire way to create a focal point of your bed.
2. Get creative with pattern and trim
One of the easiest ways to add personality to your bedroom is to opt for a headboard that's upholstered in a print and pattern you love.
Opting for a fabric headboard is a real opportunity to get creative, and not just with the material you choose. There is also an array of finishing touches you can add.
'We always suggest using piping in contrasting fabrics and colours for that extra level of detail and interest,' shares interior designer Emma Deterding. 'A patterned headboard is an opportunity to use a blast of colour, have a bit of fun, and it's an economical way to achieve this too.'
3. Maximise space with a storage headboard
If you're looking for small bedroom ideas, then incorporating a storage headboard can be a brilliant way to maximise your use of space.
A restful bedroom is a clutter-free bedroom, and opting for a headboard that comes with hidden storage means you can stash books, trinkets, and general bedside clutter out of sight.
A storage headboard can also mean you don't need separate bedside tables, so if you're working with a bedroom with very limited floor space, this can be a great way to reduce the amount of furniture you need to squeeze in.
4. Create a cocooning effect
When your bed features a headboard that not only reaches the width of your bed frame but wraps around your mattress slightly, it can almost feel as though it is hugging you.
It's a simple design detail, but one that helps create a cocooned environment, alluding to a cosy, undisturbed sleep. 'A cocoon-like headboard can make a bedroom feel more relaxed and restful, agrees Emma Deterding, 'they feel softer, warmer, and cosier.'
If you're going for a bespoke option, consider having the headboard brought around the sides even further to amplify the effect.
5. Be playful with shape
With so much choice available for headboards, it's no longer the case that you have to go for a classic rectangular shape. Consider a curved or scalloped design instead.
'For us, the bedroom is incomplete without an upholstered headboard in a statement shape,' says Emma Deterding. 'They bring in drama and add personality, making an eye-catching statement, while helping to balance out the space in the room.'
'Organic shapes such as curved and rounded silhouettes and scalloped designs can be much easier on the eye and easier to live with.'
6. Incorporate lighting into your headboard
When your bed isn't set against a wall or you're looking for an all-in-one solution, why not opt for a bespoke headboard idea that gives you a 'head' for your bed and a spot for wall lights to sit?
This low-slung design features smart navy panelling, built-in bedside tables with shelves and 'wings' at the side to help zone the sleep space.
Plus, if your decor changes in the bedroom at any point, it's easy to update this type of headboard with paint to suit your new scheme.
7. Use the whole wall behind your bed
Using the wall behind your bed as one big headboard means you can really go to town with what you include.
Here, for example, the design includes arched detailing and a recessed shelf that makes a good spot for frames and display items. If you box out the headboard, you can also use the top as a shelf to display some of your favourite objects.
Plus, perhaps counterintuitively, it's also a great headboard idea for a small bedroom. 'In smaller bedrooms, a wall-to-wall headboard emphasises the width of the space, giving the illusion of a larger room,' explains Cath Beckett, co-founder of interior design studio Yellow London.
8. Take your headboard onto the ceiling
And who is to say that your headboard has to stop at one wall? Installing wood planks behind your bed and carrying them up and onto the ceiling gives the effect of a 'roof' over your bed, helping define your sleep space and creating a statement feature.
Of course, it doesn't have to be wood planks that you use for a country bedroom idea – a length of fabric would work just as well and acts as a canopy above the bed.
9. Enlarge your headboard with paint
If you've already got a bed with its own headboard, why not add to it with a painted area behind the bed in a similar or co-ordinating colour? Take a break from neutrals and use bold colours to create a dramatic backdrop, whether you paint a larger rectangular shape around your headboard, or a circle as has been done here.
What I particularly like about this scheme is the amount of layers it has when it comes to the colours – from the yellow bedding and terracotta throw to the mustard-coloured bed frame and sunny yellow-painted walls.
10. Make an impact with stone
Say the word 'headboard' and most of us will immediately think of a plush upholstered design, but there are other materials that work just as well if it's a striking effect you're after.
Stone, or marble if you're really splashing out, can create quite the showpiece behind a bed with its bold veining, especially when it's teamed with a white scheme to keep it front of focus.
Before buying, make sure you call in plenty of samples to see how they look next to your chosen fabrics and paint colours for the room.
11. Double up
Fans of pattern will love this headboard idea, where your bed headboard rests against a patterned screen for an interesting layered backdrop. You could, of course, forgo the screen and use an MDF board to sit behind, wallpapered or upholstered in the pattern or material of your choice.
Despite the amount of different patterns in this room, they all sit together nicely due to the choice of colour and delicate floral prints, with the pink of the wall echoed in the stripe pillowcases, and the dark blue of the screen in both the cushion and curtains.
The bed headboard itself is far from dull, with a curved shape and round bobbin detail on the posters (and on the matching bedside table), which adds character and charm.
12. Combine a mix of materials
When one headboard just won't do, why not build up and around it with padded panels to create a plush wall that screams luxury? This look is perfect for grey bedrooms.
I love the mix of leather bed headboard teamed with light-grey textured fabric panels above, and it makes for a comfortable setting. Note the rectangular lines echoed in the lamps, giving this bedroom a neat, symmetrical feel that's classic and timeless.
FAQs
Are headboards a good idea?
Yes, I think a headboard is a great idea, and not just for the style points it adds to a bedroom, it's also a practical solution.
Traditionally, back when walls weren't insulated as they are today, headboards were introduced to offer a barrier between the bed and wall, keeping heads from getting too cold from draughts. Nowadays, they provide a stopper to keep pillows in place and provide a decorative touch that helps frame your bed.
In fact, according to feng shui experts, it's bad feng shui not to have a headboard in your bedroom, as a headboard is what anchors the energy of the bedroom.
What can I use instead of a headboard?
From painted shapes to wallpapered panels, or even a fabric wallhanging or screen, there's plenty of ways to get the effect of a headboard without actually having one.
Think about what you'd like to see behind the bed, whether it's your favourite colour or a piece of fabric that you like – and remember that because it's just a small area, you can afford to be bold without your choice overpowering the room.
If you decide to go with a piece of art instead of a headboard, make sure you place it so that it's far enough way that you aren't likely to knock it if you sit up in bed.
How do I make my own headboard?
Whether you're looking to do something simple such as paint a mock headboard, or try a more in-depth solution, you can find lots of DIY headboard ideas here. It's a great way to save on budget and come up with something truly unique.
What headboard styles are trending right now?
The popularity of upholstered headboards shows no signs of waning this year. That's because fabric is one of the easiest ways to bring style and personality to a bedroom as there are so many options of colour, print, and pattern available.
However, a wooden headboard is unlikely to go out of style any time soon. This is a timeless option that will weather any trends to remain a firm style favourite.
