Custom headboards are great for saving money and adding a bit of personal pizzazz to the bedroom. Rather than purchasing a full bed that can be expensive, you can get a simple frame and then create a headboard yourself (or have a professional do it). It's a great way to customize your bed to fit your space and personality.
Custom Headboard Options
There are so many great ways to customize headboards that it can be difficult to choose just one. Check out some of the following ideas for unique and interesting headboards.
Upholstered Headboards
Upholstered headboards are great because they add a touch of comfort to a room. They're particularly great because they can be custom made to work in any bedroom. From the fabric used to the style of the headboard, the options for these custom headboards are just about endless.
Button Tufted- These are great when comfort and elegance are high priorities. Button tufting is always associated with glamour and sophistication and these can become great focal points in stylish bedrooms. Button tufting can be a complicated upholstery project so it's better left being made by a professional.
Quilted - Quilted headboards are still elegant, but they're much easier to make. Any shape you desire can be cut out of a piece of plywood or particleboard, then you just glue upholstery foam to the board, cover it with cotton batting, and then stretch your chosen fabric over it, stapling it to the back of the board. The fabric doesn't have to be quilted (it can be any fabric of your choosing), but a quilted fabric adds a bit more texture and visual interest.
Once these headboards are complete, simply bolt them to the bed frame. If the piece is particularly large you might want to secure it to the wall as well.
For a truly over-the-top look, you can also include a matching fabric valance above the bed and hang draperies to frame the top of the bed. This is a slightly more complicated job that should be done by a professional, but it's guaranteed to make your bedroom unique.
Fabric Panels - Another simple custom headboard you can make on your own is one made out of fabric-covered panels. These look great in urban and contemporary rooms. Simply take square pieces of plywood or particleboard and like the quilted headboard, cover them in upholstery foam, cotton batting and fabric. Then attach them to the wall keeping them so close together that the edges touch. You can make this custom headboard in any size you desire. Keep it small or use enough panels to take it all the way up to the ceiling.
Painted Headboards
Painted headboards can be customized in just about any way.
Take a plain headboard (like one from Ikea for example) and paint it to match your room. Paint the entire thing or add a pattern. Use techniques like stenciling to create a customized and unique look.
You can also customize the shape before painting. Like some of the above versions, you can use a piece of cut plywood or panels and then paint it/them to suit the space. You could also take another item such as an old door and mount it to the bed to create a custom headboard. Paint it to suit the space.
Use your artistic expertise and paint a three-dimensional headboard on the wall behind the bed. It's slightly unusual, but can be a lot of fun (especially in kids' rooms), and it's easy to paint over when you need a change.
More Custom Headboard Ideas
Never be afraid to think outside the box.
- Try something different like hanging mirrored panels on the wall behind the bed for a glamorous 50s style look.
- Hang framed pieces of artwork. Use frames the same size and color for a uniform look.
- You can also create a wide variety of looks using custom molding. Use it on it's own or frame fabric, pieces of art, or paint inside the frames.
- Hang a shelf over the bed to display items for a really unique twist on the idea of a headboard.
- Look for pieces of architectural salvage to create your own custom headboard. Antique arches and mantels can be reworked to fit above the bed and are incredibly beautiful and unique.
Having a custom headboard made (or making one yourself) is a great way to add a unique look to the bedroom. Whether you prefer something traditional and elegant or wild and off-the-wall, a custom headboard can really do the trick.
