Headboards – Choosing the Perfect Size and Shape
Bedrooms are our haven. A place to relax, rest and sleep. Some people choose to decorate them in light, calming colours whilst others prefer darker more nurturing shades. Some of the most important elements comfort wise are a good quality bed and a comfortable mattress, but from a design perspective, choosing an amazing headboard is key!
Credit James Meral 
Credit Studio Ashby
The definition of a headboard in the Oxford dictionary is “the board at the end of a bed you rest your head on when you are sitting up”, however if you were to quote this to a designer they will gasp with dismay – a headboard is so much more than that! Yes of course it has its function, but from a design aspect it’s potentially the main feature of your bedroom. It brings in the opportunity to add a luxurious soft padded element to absorb sound and increase the vibe of cosy comfort compared to a cold plain wall or hardwood frame. A headboard also provides the opportunity to play with fabric designs: texture, size, shape and scale are all important factors to think about.
Credit Kit Kemp 
Credit Linwood
When you begin to design your bedroom it’s a good idea to put all the elements together to see what you’re working with: paint colours, wallpapers, wood finishes, carpet, curtain and blind fabrics etc. Once you have seen all of these together you will be able to work out how to make your headboard centre stage! In our opinion, the most important elements to consider are the following:
Size
Firstly, you need to consider the width of your bed and whether you’re looking for a headboard to match the width, overhang or sit wall to wall.
Scale
What size room do you have? A small room doesn’t necessarily require a small headboard; wall to wall headboards can work very well in a small room. If you have a large room I would recommend a larger size headboard, otherwise it won’t work with the scale and this also means you have so many options to make a real feature out of it. You can then also tie the fabric in with perhaps an end of bed chaise or chair.
Plain or pattern fabric?
This choice really depends on the shape you are going for. Fluted and deep buttoned headboards generally work better in a plain fabric, whereas patterned fabric works a dream on shaped and square headboards. Velvets are very popular as they are luxurious and have a depth of colour that works beautifully. Remember to be bold and brave – don’t be afraid to make your headboard a work of art!
Details
You can add some amazing details to headboard: contrast piping, buttons, edges and even decorative nails. Incredibly you can use all of these finishes together and create a real statement!
Easy clean
If you wear a lot of hair products or you opt for a very light fabric you may want to consider an easy clean fabric or one with a stain repellent finish. There are so many fabrics now both plain and patterned with this finish so you don’t need to cramp your creativity.
This is where we can help. We offer a headboard templating service which really helps if you are going for a very large or shaped headboard and especially if you are planning to insert bedside reading lights in it. We offer a site visit and measure where we can discuss ideas and make templates to put on your wall so you can fully adjust and agree to the exact scale and shape before you go ahead and order! Contact us by emailing us at info@idupholstery.co.uk or dropping us a message on Instagram (@idupholstery).
