How to decorate with an upholstered headboard

When we think of our bedrooms, we think of lazy Sunday mornings spent lounging in bed and quiet evenings curled up with a good book. We think about hiding from the cold under a pile of cozy blankets, or stealing away for an afternoon nap. Our bedrooms are an oasis — a place where we can find calm on a crazy day. And the quickest way to create this oasis is with upholstery. 

Upholstered bedroom furniture adds warmth and texture to your space, and an upholstered headboard makes a stunning focal point that can inspire the rest of your decor. Take a look at the many styles of upholstered headboards, and learn how to use them to design your own personal oasis.

Upholstered headboard styles

Fabric headboards come in a variety of styles and sizes to fit any bed — from a twin to a California king. Here’s a look at the options you’ll have when shopping for an upholstered headboard. 

Wall-mounted headboards 

Wall-mounted headboards hang on the wall behind your bed. You mount the headboard by drilling into the wall and installing hardware that will support the piece. 

Depending on the weight of your headboard, you may need to mount the headboard to a beam, or you may be able to hang it using wall anchors. A wall-mounted headboard will be harder to move than a bed frame-mounted headboard.

Bed frame-mounted headboards

Bed frame-mounted headboards, like the Rutherford Tufted Upholstered Headboard in light grey, attach to your bed frame. They may be sold separately from the bed frame or come as part of a bedroom set. 

When a headboard is sold separately from the bed frame, you’ll attach it to your frame and cover your box spring and frame with a bedskirt. In this case, the upholstered headboard will be the star of your bedroom decor. 

You can also elevate your whole bed (both literally and figuratively) with a decorative bed frame. These frames often include matching headboards and footboards, like on the Alderwood Upholstered Panel Bed. You can also find platform bed frames with an attached upholstered headboard but no footboard, like this 4-piece platform bedroom set. In either case, the bed frame will be so pretty you’ll be able to skip the bedskirt.

Tufted headboards 

Tufting is a classic upholstery finish. Tufted headboards feature stitching that creates indentations in the stuffing beneath the fabric so you end up with a pattern of raised and lowered sections. The overall look is pillowy and luxurious.

Sometimes there’s a decorative button where the sections of tufting gather — this is called button tufting, and you can see an example of it on the Camille Button Tufted Bed. This bed is also an example of diamond tufting — notice how the seams create the shape of diamonds. 

Tufting can also come in a biscuit pattern (squares instead of diamonds) or in a channel pattern. In channel tufting, the seams are sewn in long horizontal lines. To see an example of channel tufting, take a look at the plush Arles Vertical Channel Tufted Bed. 

Panel headboards 

The opposite of tufted headboards, upholstered panel headboards don’t have any seams. Instead they are made with one clean, straight line of fabric and backing. The Boyd Upholstered Bed sports this style of upholstery. 

A panel headboard can also have two panels of fabric separated by a wood frame. The Briana Upholstered Panel Bed, which features two panels of faux leather upholstery, is an excellent example of this style.

Nailhead-trim headboards

A nailhead trim is a decorative element that’s often added to upholstered furniture. Decorative nailheads are added around the outer edge of the furniture as an elegant finishing touch. 

A nailhead trim can complement a tufted headboard, like the Ojai Tufted Upholstered Headboard, or a panel headboard like in the Tamarac Upholstered Nailhead Bed. 

Wood frame upholstered headboards

In many upholstered headboards, the fabric will wrap around the edges of the headboard and cover the entire piece. However, you can also get headboards — like the eye-catching Carlton Upholstered Bed — with upholstery surrounded by a wood frame. 

These pieces make it easy to match your headboard to your other bedroom furniture. If your dresser and nightstand are made from an espresso-colored wood, you can find a headboard with an espresso wood frame to match.

Camelback headboards 

Another decorative choice, camelback headboards feature an arch in the middle. As you can see from the Caroline Upholstered Panel Bed, this can create a more classic or romantic look than the modern rectangular shape.

Wingback headboard 

Wingback headboards frame your bed on three sides. This style of headboard has two wings that extend forward to cover the front edges of the bed on both the left and right. The wings typically range from a few inches to a foot wide. 

The stunning Deanna Bedroom Set features a headboard with slightly larger wings. These wings not only create a dramatic, decorative affect, they also add a feeling of warmth with their cozy corners.

Upholstered wall panels 

If you have a large space, upholstered wall panels can create a look that’s even more dramatic than that king size bed. Wall panels, like the Formosa Upholstered Wing Wall Panel, extend past the edge of your bed to create a decorative wall covering. They can serve as a uniform backdrop for your bed and nightstands. 

Upholstered daybeds

Because daybeds often double as couches, a daybed with an upholstered headboard is ideal. An upholstered piece like the Chatsboro Upholstered Daybed will provide a lot more cushion for your back than a daybed with a metal headboard. 

Styling tips for your upholstered headboard 

An upholstered headboard can add a bit of glam to your master bedroom and make you feel like the king or queen of your house (all thanks to a king or queen headboard). It can also add elegance to a guest room to make your visitors feel extra special. An upholstered headboard serves as a focal point, so your other decor should complement your headboard, not compete with it. Here are some top tips for designing a bedroom around your upholstered headboard.

Pairing fabrics with an upholstered headboard 

When you’re picking out a duvet or throw pillows, consider how the colors and textures will complement your headboard. You don’t need to choose the exact same colors as your headboard — this can actually make your headboard less noticeable. Instead, choose a complementary color. 

If your headboard is a neutral color like taupe, stay away from colors that might overshadow it — no one will notice your taupe upholstered headboard if it has to compete with a hot pink duvet. Instead, consider pairing it with another neutral color. White can add a light, beachy feel, while dark brown can create a warm, autumnal palette. Look for colors in the same family — lights with lights, darks with darks, brights with brights, and so on. 

Also think about how texture will affect your decor. Contrasting textures will create a more interesting room and a better sensory experience. If you’ve chosen a velvet headboard, you can bring velvet into the room in other places but don’t use it in your bedding or throw pillows. Again, too much velvet in one place will make the headboard less noticeable. 

Instead, choose velvet curtains or a velvet chair. This will carry the texture throughout the room without overwhelming the bed. For the bedding, choose a contrasting texture like satin sheets and a faux fur throw pillow. 

Hanging art around an upholstered headboard 

Another challenge when it comes to decorating around your upholstered headboard is that the headboard is a work of art all by itself. So your artwork needs to play nice — complementing your upholstery and not competing with it.

Consider the same color options that you did when choosing your bedding, and look for art in the same color family as the headboard. 

When you hang art by your bed, hang it above the headboard or on either side of the headboard above the nightstands. If you hang your art above your headboard, make sure the art covers a space that is nearly as wide as the headboard. If you have a king headboard, you will need more or larger pieces of art than if you have a full headboard. 

But this doesn’t mean that you need a single piece of art as wide as your bed. In fact, hanging two or three pieces side by side often creates a nicer aesthetic. It breaks up the space, and allows you to show off more of your favorite work. You can even create a gallery wall with lots of small pieces of art. 

Upgrade your bedroom with upholstery 

An upholstered headboard not only adds elegant style to your sleep space but it also creates a cozy environment for sleeping. More fabric elements create more warmth in your room, and they provide extra comfort as you snuggle up each night. With these helpful tips on different headboard styles and ways to design your bedroom, you’re sure to come up with the perfect look. For more ideas, don’t miss Coaster’s full selection of beds and headboards. Then curl up for sweet dreams of button tufting and nailhead trim.

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