From broom hinges to patterned upholstery, a headboard can give your bedroom a fresh look without starting from scratch.
Fresh sheets can lift a bedroom, but if the space still feels unfinished, it’s worth looking behind the pillows.
Finding the right headboard can give your bedroom the right freshness. Image: Getty
A headboard, or headboard, gives the bed a background and the room a focal point. It provides color, shape or texture without requiring a complete furniture makeover.
Here are four ways to make this one piece work more.
Go to great lengths to bring the bed and bedside tables together
The extended headboard extends beyond the mattress to create a continuous backdrop behind the bedside tables. This helps the furniture feel like an arrangement rather than a collection of individual pieces.
Maeve Pistachio Wide Bed Headboard by Adairs combines a wavy top with a generous 268cm width designed to sit behind queen or king mattresses.
This MANDEL head consists of six adjustable shelves. Photo: IKEA
Pair with simple bedside tables, then measure the complete arrangement, including the gaps between each piece. Furniture should be placed without crowding hood windows, switches or electrical points.
For a wooden alternative, MANDAL headboard from IKEA measures 240 cm wide and consists of six adjustable shelves. These can replace individual bedside tables, bringing storage to the design.
Use curves to soften straight lines
Between wardrobes, windows and bedside drawers, there are plenty of straight edges in the bedroom. An arched or gently rounded head offers a softer contrast.
Ophelia Linen Curved Bed from Hamilton Furniture at Temple & Webster connects the cushioned face to the white tube. Its 100% linen upholstery is available in natural or navy in queen and king sizes.
Curved hoods like this one from Adairs offer soft contrast. Photo: Adairs
This is for a woven option It has a circular shape in natural rattan.
Keep nearby lamps and accessories simple so that the silhouette remains a feature. Before ordering, check how much the curved top will show on your mattress and pillows.
Let the patterned fabric decorate
Stripes, checks and florals can add interest to the wall behind the bed without resorting to wallpaper or gallery prints.
Highgate House’s Ivy Headboard in Pale Blue Stripe offers a discreet introduction to the pattern. Made to order in queen and king sizes, it features pale-blue-white striped cotton upholstery with piping edges.
This title gives you freedom over the finish. Photo: BEDSAHEAD
For more freedom at the finish, KATHRYN Bed by BEDSaHEAD double piping, custom sizing and the option to provide your own fabric. If you have a flower or voucher in mind, discuss its suitability with the supplier before ordering.
Choose a pattern that’s a color that’s already in the room, then pick up that shade on a throw or pillow. Flat beds will allow the floor to stand out without every textile competing for attention.
Match the color of the room, then add texture
Contrast should not come from color.
In a color-rich bedroom where the same or related hues are spread over several surfaces, textured floors can add another layer without overwhelming the palette.
For example, this option features a billowing silhouette and polyester chenille lining. Pair it with equally warm, earthy walls for a tonal look that still has depth.
This Sage Freedom headboard features vertical tufting. Picture: Freedom
combines olive velvet overlays with vertical tufting. Place it against similarly toned walls to introduce a soft glow and paneled detail without adding another color.
Compare fabric swatches to the actual wall color in daylight and under your bedside lamps. Related undertones can create a uniform result without an exact match.
