Fifty Upholstered Headboards to Love

I’m working on a principal bedroom with a client who is quite keen on the idea of an upholstered headboard but isn’t sure what style direction to take.  When it comes to upholstered headboards, there are a multitude of options.  Straight or curved? Patterned or solid fabric?  Nail head detail?  Button tufting? Wood frame? Or any combination.

You can either make the headboard yourself, have an upholsterer make it for you or purchase one from a furniture manufacturer or a retailer like Restoration Hardware, West Elm or Crate and Barrel.  Even Ikea has a couple of upholstered headboards.

DIY Headboards

Of course the most economical route to go is to make it yourself.  It’s fairly simple especially if the headboard has a straight top and is slip covered.  If you are handy with a jigsaw, then the possibilities are endless.  There are a number of DIY instructions and videos on the web:

1)   HGTV:  here and here

2)  Canadian House and Home:  here  and here

3)  Country Living:  here

4)  Design Sponge:  here

5)  About.com

 

I’m hoping the following 50 (yes 50!) headboards will inspire you.

Simple: plain fabric + straight

     

 

 

 

 

Nail head detail

  

 

  

Button tufting

Gwyneth Paltrow’s bedroom – so pretty!

Wing-backed:

  

Carrie and Big’s bed from SATC 2 upholstered in Kravet’s Velvet Gate Tuxedo.

Straight with patterned fabric

  

Have always loved this simple yet charming slip-covered (I think) headboard by the talented Mr. Eddie Ross.

Curved 

 

If you can’t decide between a four poster and an upholstered headboard, you can have both:

              
  

 

   

 

 

 

I saw this over at House of Turquoise and emailed it to my 16 year old God daughter who wants a black and white bedroom.  She “wants the whole room” so I will have to see what I can do for her!  (I personally think the headboard shape is a bit over the top.)

 

It was this headboard belonging to Michelle Adams, founder of Rubie Green and Lonny, that had me jump on the upholstered headboard bandwagon.  Love this fabric!

Graphic and over-sized:

With a wood frame:

 

(1 – Style at Home; 2, 3, 8, 20   - Elle Decor; 4, 25  - Samantha Pynn; 5, 9, 14, 40, 49 - Lonny; 6, 22 -  Massuco Warner Miller;  7, 27, 28 – domino flickr; 10 – Amanda Nisbet via Simplified Bee; 11 – via Nest Egg; 12 – bhg; 13, 37, 47 – Country Living; 14, 20, 4, 50 – House Beautiful; 16, 17 – Jay Jeffers; 18 – Sunset; 21 – via VT Interiors; 23 – Eddie Ross; 26 – Serena and Lily; 27 – Phoebe Howard; 28, 29, 44 – Sarah Richardson; 30 – via Delight by Design; 31 – Caldwell Flake; 32 – decorpad; 35 – Mary McDonald; 36- Palmer Weiss;  38, 45, 48 – via House of Turquoise; 39 – Rubie Green/domino; 42 – House and Home; 43 – Arren Williams; 46 – Stephen Gambrel via Simplified Bee.)

Some of these are stunning and as you can see there are so many options.  I think my personal preference is for a slightly curved headboard with a neutral fabric.  For my daughter’s bedroom (yes, that bedroom which hasn’t received much attention of late), I’m thinking tall and curvy with a more graphic fabric.

What are your thoughts on upholstered headboards?  What style are you drawn to?

If you need help decorating a bedroom or any other room in your home, please email me at vanessa@vanessafrancis.com.