headboard alternative series

Halfway there! Continuing the 10-part affordable headboard alternatives series, here are more ideas to define the space above and around the bed. For more details on most ideas, click the pics or just post your questions and thoughts in the comments.

41. Hang a mobile above the bed.
A safer, modern update of a chandelier, this cries out for simple  DIY. The larger the scale, the more it will define and frame the bed.

42. Place the bed between two windows.
It’s almost heretical to place a bed in front of windows but it can work. Especially if the view is nothing spectacular, using the windows to frame the bed can create a dramatic impact that’s worth the trade-off.

43. Paint a romantic mural.
While strong silhouettes are currently the rage, I think this more freehand approach is fresh and dream-inducing.

44. Place bed in front of exposed brick wall.
If your space doesn’t sport brick already, consider tasteful brick veneer options.

45. Repurpose an old chalkboard as a headboard.

46. Place sheets of hardboard behind the bed.
Hardboard from your local hardware store offers you an instant headboard for less than $20. Super-sturdy and heavy, you can leave it unadorned or paint it.

47. Mount wool felt to the wall.

This is not the cheap stuff you used for kindergarten crafting. Available up to 2″ thick in a wide range of colors, it is a heavy, industrial weight material perfect for a padded headboard.

48. Upholster the wall.

49. Goldleaf, silverleaf or copperleaf the wall behind the bed.

50. Place a shipping pallet behind the bed.
This takes a little bit of vision but a painted shipping pallet (or two) positioned behind the bed can create a great rustic or industrial headboard. Nice for all of your nautical, On The Waterfront inspired bedrooms.

Tagged as: headboard alternatives series

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Continuing the 10-part affordable headboard alternatives series, here are more ideas to define the space above and around the bed. For more details on most ideas, click the pics or just post your questions and thoughts in the comments.

31. Create or take advantage of a built-in.

If you are a homeowner, this relatively simple project of creating a built-in shelf / ledge can be relatively simple to do and have a dramatic aesthetic pay-off.

32. Hang a duvet, afghan or quilt behind the bed. Beautiful bedding is great on the bed but it can be even more impactful on the wall.

33. Define the area above the bed with coffee filter art. An eco-friendly ultra-inexpensive project that really speaks to my love of repurposing. Click the pic for a complete how-to.

34. Define the area above the bed with letterpress coasters.

These can be mounted in an organic pattern, in the manner of the coffee filters above, or in an orderly grid.

35. Hang fabric from rings at the four corners of the bed. More decadent than a four poster bed and infinitely more affordable.

36. Place a low, open bookcase behind the bed.

37.Place the bed in front of a window.

Imagine the bed in this photo placed directly under the stained glass window–a lot more effective and interesting than the current set-up, in my opinion.

38. Hang photographs in an offset grid. A fresh take on a very familiar arrangement.

39. Hang enlarged personal photos behind the bed. What better than beloved places and loved ones to give you sweet  dreams? Consider forgoing glass frames, though, to avoid the possibility of things that go ‘crash’ in the night.

40. Add picture mouldings to the wall behind the bed.

Tagged as: headboard alternatives series

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