Headboard Ideas to Make a Statement in Your Bedroom

If you’re looking to make a statement in your bedroom, there’s no better way than adding a striking headboard. Not only does it set a stylish focal point behind and above the bed, but it also brings structure and definition to your bedroom.

The good thing is there’s no shortage of chic headboard ideas to inspire your bedroom design. Whether it’s a fun DIY headboard alternative like a folding screen or a captivating carved design. There are endless options available from top brands today. So you’re guaranteed to find one that suits your personal aesthetic and needs.

Here, we’ve rounded up 22 headboard ideas that are sure to elevate style and comfort in your bedroom. Read on to get our favorite types of headboards, great materials to consider, and our top tips and tricks for making one work with your overall bedroom decor look.

Shopping for bedroom furniture? Check out our guide on bed frame styles along with essential pieces from our bedroom furniture checklist to round out your space.

Types of Headboards

Upholstered Headboards

An upholstered headboard simply means that it’s stuffed with a form of padding and is covered with a fabric.

Why We Love It: Materials can range from wool to cotton to linen to wear-resistant performance fabrics. Which means your options for color and pattern are endless when it comes to an upholstered headboard. They also usually come with distinctive details, such as beautiful stitching, tufting, paneling or nailheads that give them a polished look.

Good To Note: These headboards tend to attract and collect dust easily, so if you’re allergic be sure to choose one that’s upholstered in a hypoallergenic fabric, and remember to wipe it down regularly. And if you have animals sleeping in bed with you, beware of sharp claws that might tear your upholstery!

For more on whether this type of headboard is for you or not, check out our guide on upholstered bed pros and cons.

Wooden Headboards

The most popular and common choice for bedrooms, a wood headboard is durable and timeless, providing enduring style and function to your space.

Why We Love It: A wood headboard will stand up to wear over time. And depending on the finish, tone, and feel of the wood. It has versatile appeal and can work with any bedroom style or look. If you’re not sure what headboard will work with your space, a wood design is always a safe bet.

Good To Note: If you have other wood tones in your space, make sure the wood on your headboard complements those finishes, tones, and grains so they visually clash.

Paneled Headboard

Paneling is a type of vertical tufting often seen in glam bedrooms alongside Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern designs.

Why We Love It: A paneled headboard provides comfortable cushioning behind the bed as well as a dramatic look. It’s a great back support if you love reading in bed or if you’re a fan of glamorous bedroom designs. With a paneled design, you can either go for a tall headboard or a long, horizontal look. They each have their own unique appeal but are both practical and beautiful.

Good To Note: If you’re going for height, just make sure your headboard isn’t so tall that it dwarfs your ceilings. Either way, you can never go wrong with a jewel-toned paneled design.

Carved Headboard

This is typically a wood headboard that has been carved with cutouts that create an intricate detailed pattern. These headboards are true statement pieces because they’re always striking.

Why We Love It: Carved headboards can go with many styles but they’re most often seen in rustic, eclectic and bohemian bedrooms. Because of their handcrafted artisanal appeal, they work seamlessly in these spaces where there’s a bold mix of global and whimsical decor.

Good To Note: A carved headboard will show what’s behind it as well. So make sure it’s not being used as a cover up for wall dents or scuffs.

Woven Headboard

A woven headboard is a great way to add instant texture and pattern to your bed. It’s often made with a soft fabric or textile, like leather, or even natural fibers and can appear as a basketweave, cross-hatch pattern, and more.

Why We Love It: From casual to coastal bedrooms, woven headboards are popular choices for bringing a touch of pattern and texture to relaxed and laid-back spaces. It also works with many styles, including Mid-Century Modern, traditional, rustic, and even eclectic boho bedrooms.

Good To Note: Pay attention to the material and woven design of your headboard as it will determine how you’ll want to decorate and style your furnishings and accents around it!

Tufted Headboard

A plush tufted headboard is a luxuriously soft and padded option for any bedroom. Not only that, but it also adds elegant style, bold scale, and gorgeous visual texture to a space.

Why We Love It: Comfortable and classic, tufted headboards are great for elevating bedrooms with a warm and sophisticated look. Because there are endless upholstery and color options, it’s one of few refined yet versatile headboard ideas. That can work with any style interior, be it rustic, transitional or traditional.

Good To Note: Consider the upholstery style and material that will work best with your bedroom decor look. And be sure to look at how the tufting is threaded together. If it’s secured with a button or knot detail which can make a major stylish difference.

Headboard Materials

Rattan Headboard

A natural fiber made of woven palms, rattan is durable and lightweight which makes it a great material for a totally unique headboard.

Why We Love It: Recently, rattan has come back into style. Proving that it’s a material that can stand the test of time. And it’s perfect if you’re looking for a headboard material that grabs the eye from far away. A rattan headboard works especially well in boho and eclectic interiors or coastal beach homes where there’s a fun mix of tropical and relaxed decor.

Good To Note: Rattan can be woven into a crisscross pattern or bent into sculptural forms that show off its natural color tone and texture. So take time to think through the look you want for your bedroom before committing to this material.

Cane Headboard

Caning provides a beautiful texture especially when its on a headboard. A natural fiber that’s woven into a tight pattern. It’s a classic material choice that adds tons of character to bedrooms.

Why We Love It: A favorite for coastal style bedrooms, cane headboards have a light and natural appearance that offers a relaxed look and feel. It’s also a popular choice for rustic and classic bedrooms given its rich textural appeal and sturdy construction.

Good To Note: Caned furnishings can sometimes fray and become brittle if it’s in direct sun for extended periods of time. The same can occur if it sees a lot of wear over time. So it’s not the best choice for a kids bedroom where there’s lots of activity and traffic.

Wrought Iron Headboard

Rustic, classic, and timeless, wrought iron has been used for centuries in bedrooms. It’s often curved and sculpted with open ladder designs that have a spacious and airy look.

Why We Love It: Wrought iron designs have enduring style as well as surprising versatility. So not only are they durable for years of use. But they also work nicely in a range of different style interiors, be it rustic, modern, or traditional. Think of a wrought-iron bed or headboard as an investment piece you’ll always find a place for.

Good To Note: Because of its open design, these headboards are not the most comfortable for leaning and relaxing. If you’re looking for plush support, this is not the best choice. On the flip side, it’s a luxurious option for guest rooms.

Leather Headboard

There’s so much to love when it comes to a leather upholstered headboard. It’s sleek, it’s sumptuous, and it’s streamlined in style, which makes it a true investment piece in a bedroom.

Why We Love It: Equally stylish in modern, rustic or industrial spaces. A leather headboard provides a wide range of color options that can add warmth and comfort. Leather among our designers’ favorite headboard ideas to try given its durability and how it ages beautifully with a patina over time.

Good To Note: Make sure to choose a leather that makes sense for your space in tone and texture. A dark leather works best in refined bedrooms while a light leather is perfect in modern spaces though it will age with a more vintage look over time.

Velvet Headboard

For a bold dose of color and texture, you can’t go wrong with a velvet upholstered headboard.

Why We Love It: Like leather, velvet offers a touch of luxurious texture while bringing a sophisticated and cozy look to rooms. Most of all, it adds a soft shimmering luster that adds a touch of glamour and drama to even the most traditional and rustic bedrooms.

Good To Note: Velvet is durable but it can crush and lose its luster with heavy use over time. Which is something to keep in mind if you plan to spend a lot of time in bed leaning against your headboard to read or work.

Unique Headboard Styles

A Shelter Headboard

Tall with wraparound sides, a shelter headboard also known as winged headboards for their resemblance to armchairs with a similar design offer an intimate and cozy look and feel.

Why We Love It: A shelter design is one of the most luxurious options available and it often comes with gorgeous tufted details. It’s also one of our favorite headboard ideas for the bedroom. Not only does it add a comfy and elevated look. But it also cocoons you while you’re in bed so you’ll feel totally pampered.

Good To Note: This type of headboard takes up a lot of space both visually and in spatially. So make sure you’re not trying to squeeze one into a cramped space simply because it fits. It will end up making your room feel much smaller.

A Spindle Headboard

Sometimes referred to as a Jenny Lind bed named after the famous Swedish singer’s bed of choice a classic spindle-style bed consists of a headboard featuring delicate vertical spools.

Why We Love It: Whether it’s a vintage design or a modern interpretation. A spindle bed offers timeless style and blends seamlessly with any bedroom style. It’s a popular choice for farmhouse style bedrooms as well as rustic and traditional style spaces.

Good To Note: A spindle headboard will never go out of style. But it’s not the most comfortable design to lean on. If you like to spend a lot of time relaxing in bed. This might not be the best headboard for you.

A Pillow Headboard

For a more unique approach, consider a pillow headboard. It usually consists of a cloth and upholstered headboard along with either hanging or attached pillows for each person.

Why We Love It: This is a great headboard if you like to sit up in bed and read at night. Look for a headboard with pillows that can be detached or have removable covers that are easy to clean!

Good To Note: Pillow headboards have a bold modern look that can feel less cozy than other designs. Especially if you’re looking for plush back support or a headboard that adds a feeling of warmth. So keep that in mind!

A Curved Headboard

Sculptural and playful, a curved headboard makes for a captivating focal point in the bedroom. No matter what material it’s made of.

Why We Love It: This demi-circular shape has a boho vibe that’s perfect for casual, coastal, and eclectic spaces. If you’re a fan of bold colors, patterns, and decor in the bedroom. This unique headboard design is the perfect foundation piece for you to decorate around.

Good To Note: If you opt for a curved headboard, keep its distinct shape in mind when decorating around it. Because it’s a bold statement piece, you’ll want to keep art on the walls to a minimum to avoid overwhelming your space.

A Storage Headboard

If function is a priority in your bedroom, this modern headboard with built-in storage in the form of nightstands and shelves will make for a perfectly stylish solution.

Why We Love It: Storage headboards come in a range of different forms, with some that have large hidden compartments. Often streamlined in style, they’re perfect additions to minimalist modern spaces. Where clean lines and a seamless flow makes all the difference visually.

Good To Note: Consider the storage you need for your space before committing to a design.

Storage headboards aren’t very versatile as they come as one large piece. But it can look very chic if styled and organized in the right way.

A Sleigh Headboard

Resembling a sled or sleigh, this style of bed has an elegant curved silhouette that extends from the headboard to the footer. It’s often made of wood and quite heavy, but it’s immensely stylish.

Why We Love It: The sleigh bed design is a result of the French and American Empire period of the early 19th century. Which is the reason for their traditional and refined look. While they usually take up a lot of space given their curved headboard shape, these beds have a lot of presence. Moreover, they have a way of adding a sense of warmth and comfort into bedrooms.

Good To Note: Sleigh headboards require a lot of depth in a bedroom, so make sure to measure exactly how much bed space you have before considering one.

DIY Headboard Ideas

Arrange a Gallery Wall

When it comes to DIY headboards, you can’t beat a gallery wall display above your bed. It’s colorful and visually striking but still easy on the eyes, which makes it a low-lift alternative to an actual headboard.

This is a great approach especially if you have a platform bed or simple mattress and bed setup or if your bedroom has an eclectic look. Hang a mix of colorful artworks in different sizes to play up a maximalist look. It will enliven the wall behind your bed with a bold dose of color and make for a makeshift headboard look.

Add a Wall Decal

Removable wall decals are wonderful DIY headboards for kids’ rooms. They can be artfully placed to play up a ‘mock’ headboard look. That’s still bold, colorful, and fun, all without taking up extra floor space.

With wall decal headboards, they’re best used in a casual or whimsical guest bedroom setting given their bright, youthful appeal. This is also a good option if you’re in a rental space and need a more compact and easy to execute headboard option. The best part about decals is that you can go as small or large as you want and today’s selections include lots of sophisticated and fun designs you can experiment with. Just make sure to measure your bed width to get the right size decal.

Hang a Tapestry

For a chic and refined alternative to headboards, it doesn’t get more elegant than a hanging tapestry displayed above a bed.

A gorgeous tapestry displayed above a bed is as graceful and luxurious as DIY headboards get, and in certain scenarios, we even prefer it! Case in point: A tapestry hung up behind a canopy bed without a headboard offers an effortlessly stunning and elevated look. Additionally, tapestries come in a range of price points, so you can easily find beautiful affordable options, no matter your space.

For more decor inspiration, see our tips on How to Decorate Around a Canopy Bed.

Set up a Folding Screen

Perfect for large bedrooms and open spaces, using a folding screen as a headboard where there is none provides both style and function in one fell swoop.

In a spacious loft or a small studio, a room divider screen is among our designers’ favorite DIY headboard ideas for saving space while adding big style. Not only does a room screen zone out your bed area from the rest of your space, it also adds major sculptural appeal. Some even have built-in shelves, which you can use as makeshift nightstand surfaces.

If you love the look of a folding screen headboard, just make sure you find one that’s sturdy and tall, so that it doesn’t tip over.

Back It with Window Views

Finally, if your bedroom has gorgeous windows, consider backing your bed with the view outside, which will make for a stunning visual alternative to a headboard.

If your bedroom has windows that allow for this, just make sure the views are above the height of your mattress and your bed placement works with the flow in your space. And while this can look great, also keep in mind the climate of your locale in mind—this might not be the best placement for your bed if there is a draft by your window or the sun is too bright in the morning.
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