Your bedroom is your safe haven, and it should reflect your personality to give you maximum comfort. Your bed is likely your master bedroom’s focal point that catches your eye as soon as you enter. Starting with any room’s primary feature is the best way to refresh the area, so why not give your bed some love?

There are many ways to remodel your bedroom space. Sure, new linen is great, but it’s not particularly exciting; and replacing a bed entirely can be a very expensive exercise. What’s the answer then? It’s simple — the headboard! Whether you’re dressing your room for royalty or doing a Marie Kondo on it, a new headboard that matches the desired atmosphere can make a world of difference.

With thousands of bed headboard ideas and choices, it can be a bit overwhelming to decide which one is right for you and your interior design vibe. If you need a bit of inspiration to narrow down your options, we’ve got you covered with this handy guide.

A headboard isn’t just an aesthetic choice — it’s functional too.

Why You Should Have a Headboard

You might think this piece of bedroom decor is purely that: decorative. But, did you know that headboards actually have a range of benefits for you and your home? A good headboard will:

• Protect your wall from regular wear and tear, minimizing the need to fill cracks or apply new coats of paint.
• Prevent your pillows from falling between the wall and the bed, which can be annoyingly disruptive when you’re trying to sleep.
• Provide back support if you’re sitting upright in bed to read, watch TV, work on a laptop or even just talk to your partner (or pet).
• Improve your sleep by increasing the temperature around your head when you’re lying down.
• Stabilize your mattress so that your bed doesn’t move around as you toss and turn while dozing.
• Quiet down your room by absorbing a fair amount of sound waves, which is especially helpful if you live in an apartment complex and have noisy neighbors and thin walls.
• Help prevent injury if you’re prone to moving a lot in your sleep.

Different Types of Bed Headboards: Choosing Your Headboard Style

Whether you’re a headboard veteran or new to the game, it’s worthwhile knowing what your options are so you can pick the right one.

Upholstered Headboards

A stylish, plush headboard design brings a touch of grandeur to any bedroom. Compared to other headboard styles, this option is beautifully decorative, adding some opulent flair to the space. You can choose from a range of different fabrics, including suede or leather (imitation or real), velvet, linen and chenille — a type of yarn. Buttons can create a quilted appearance known as tufts that exude glamor and richness that works wonders in a luxury bedroom design.

Typically, an upholstered headboard consists of a sheet of plywood that acts as the base for foam padding that’s attached to the planks. Then, the pads are covered with any one of the abovementioned materials. The ease of your headboard maintenance will depend on your fabric choice.

A textile like suede will likely require specialized cleaning, whereas polyester is more suitable for those prone to spilling or making a mess. Keep the natural fabrics out of the kids’ room!

An upholstered headboard can make any room fit for royalty

Wooden Headboards

A practical and versatile option, a wooden headboard can work with any interior design style, making it extremely flexible as well as fashionable. Whether you opt for simple wood planks, an intricately carved design or a geometric wood headboard like a parquet pattern, you’re sure to find one that works with the rest of the room’s aesthetic.

Headboards are made from a variety of woods such as cherry, oak, walnut or pine (to name just a few), meaning there’s a type to fit your aesthetic and budget. Depending on the type of material you choose, a wood headboard should be relatively easy to keep clean, requiring only the occasional polish.

If you want a headboard and some extra storage space, there’s good news! One type of wood headboard called a bookcase headboard contains built-in storage units that can, as you might guess, house your books, trinkets and other valuable objects — no cupboards or shelves needed! They’re a great choice for the more eccentric sleeper.

Cottagecore lovers will rejoice knowing you can purchase wicker headboards weaved from rattan. These pieces are perfect for people who love softer, more cozy aesthetics. There’s nothing old-fashioned about staying comfortable!

Wooden headboards conform to almost any design style.

Metal headboards

Maybe you have a Victorian or farmhouse style home or you’re simply looking for a vintage piece to add to your master bedroom, in which case a metal headboard can do just the trick. Whether you opt for a minimalist version with horizontal bars for a modern bedroom or a beautiful headboard with symmetric swirls and curls for a more traditional feel, there’s a perfect metal headboard for everyone.

It’s extremely important to pick a headboard design that will match the existing style of your room and bedding. That’s because while you want your bed to be the room’s main attraction, you don’t want it to stick out like a sore thumb.

The good news is that this isn’t a Herculean task to accomplish! No matter what material you choose, you’ll find a design out there that will fit in with the space, from maximalist and Victorian to rustic and farmhouse. Apart from its versatility, metal like wrought iron is incredibly sturdy and durable, making it a great investment piece as far as decor goes.

Metal headboards serve as great investment pieces.

Bed Headboard Design Ideas

Now that you know a little more about headboards’ benefits and the different types of ones out there, let’s take a look at how you can incorporate a headboard in your bedroom’s design to fabulous effect.

Make It Art

When we hear the word “art,” you probably envision canvases or marble statues. But, really, art is whatever you want it to be! So, why not use your headboard as artwork? There are incredibly elaborately carved, designed or painted headboards that are works of masterpieces in their own right.

That said, you don’t want to overdo it, so it’s best to pair an intricate headboard with linen in a monochromatic color palette and a more minimalist bed frame.

Create the Illusion of Space

While almost everyone would adore a massive king-size bed, most people don’t have the space to accommodate such a large one. To add insult to injury, smaller beds can make rooms seem too little when they’re decorated incorrectly.

You can avoid making this mistake by using a wraparound headboard. These are upholstered headboards that, as the name suggests, wrap around the entire bed, making a small space look large and grand. Due to their plushness, they also add an extra layer of coziness to a room’s feel.

An extra long or wrap around headboard can create the illusion of space.

Paint With the Colors of the Wind

Most people opt for a neutral or understated color palette for their bedroom. After all, they want it to ooze a sense of calm and serenity, and too many bright colors typically don’t serve that purpose. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t or can’t add a splash of bright hues for a dramatic effect. A beautiful headboard is the perfect way to incorporate a vibrant shade without overpowering the overall color palette.

Instead, it can complement and even accentuate all the other tones in the room. You can choose a brand – new color you haven’t used anywhere else in the room or look toward other bedroom decor for inspiration, such as your bedding, lampshades, drapery, decorative rugs or even art on the wall.

Regardless of the muse upon which you base your headboard color selection, just ensure that it’s cohesive. A color wheel can be a very handy tool for figuring out whether your color of choice will work with or against the bedroom at large.

Opulence Is the New Modest

Your bedroom is the perfect place to live out your wildest design dreams. You don’t need to own a 10-bedroom mansion to indulge in fantasies of luxury and riches. Simply grab an upholstered or tufted headboard to make your room feel like a Ritz penthouse suite.

To really lean into the reverie, choose a unique headboard in a dark jewel tone like a deep emerald or ruby. Upholstery buttons create tufting that produces a wonderful diamond-shaped pattern that adds to the sumptuousness.

Look for Patterns

Most people probably envision relatively plain designs that are either solid or consist just of several vertical panels. While these types certainly have their place in some bedrooms, why not play around with shapes that are more fun?

The sky’s the limit when it comes to prints on upholstered headboards and motifs in metal and wood headboards. An eye-catching choice can draw everyone’s attention in the best possible way.

Contact Decorating Den Interiors

Like any kind of decor, shopping for a headboard can be a very exciting experience. But, it can also be an intimidating undertaking if you don’t have much decorating experience. Fortunately, you don’t have to pick out and execute your headboard design by yourself!

Because your bed is such a main focus in your master suite, and given that a good bed is so important for your physical and mental well-being, it’s okay to ask for help. The expert decorators at Decorating Den Interiors have the expertise to take your bedroom dreams and make them a reality — you won’t even have to wake up.

Stay comfy in your bed while we take care of the design work for you. Just tell us what you want, and we’ll get the job done! What does that look like in practice? Well, all you need to do is reach out to us, and we’ll appoint your personal decorator to get in touch with you.

They’ll come visit your home at a convenient time to get an idea of your vision. Then, they’ll do the necessary research and planning. When you’re happy with the final blueprints, our team will get to work transforming your home. Your decorating partner will be available to answer any questions or queries every step of the way.

Say “goodnight” and goodbye to a boring bedroom! Contact us today.