It doesn’t matter whether your design style is traditional, modern, or something in between, an upholstered headboard is a crowning finish to any bedroom. Today, upholstered headboards are more available than they’ve ever been. While they can be bought ready-made, it’s relatively easy to upholster one on your own or have one custom made to fit your exact style.
A Brief History of Headboards
Did you know that headboards were only available to royalty in its early origins? From what we can tell, the pictorial history of the headboard starts with the Egyptian pharaohs. Later on, headboards found popularity among the Greeks and the Romans. Next came the Middle Ages, where the bed became the most expensive and important piece of furniture in the home regardless of status. Flash forward to today and here we are with headboards in pretty much every home across America.
In the beginning, headboards were more for show than for comfort. Over time, they transitioned into pieces that served a more practical purpose. Thankfully, we live in an era where we can have the best of both–and the design possibilities are endless!
Benefits of an Upholstered Headboard
Of course, an upholstered headboard will bring beauty into your bedroom, but there are other benefits as well. Some of these include:
Comfort: I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to curl up to read a book unless I have something comfortable to prop me up. If you love sitting up to read a book–or even to watch TV in bed, then having an upholstered headboard will provide a lot of comfort for your head and back.
Style: You can do a lot to decorate a room. Pictures, lamps, rugs and other accents are nice, but there’s just something about an upholstered headboard that pulls the room together. When you have a fabulous headboard, dreaming up a bedroom design becomes much easier. Without a doubt, a headboard–upholstered or not–is the centerpiece of any successful bedroom design.
Protection: Over time, oils from your head can transfer onto the wall. Having a headboard there can add a level of protection to keep your wall from getting stained or ruined. It doesn’t hurt that an upholstered headboard is a comfortable resting place either.
Things to Consider
Before purchasing or designing an upholstered headboard, there are some factors to take into consideration:
- Size — Will it overpower the room? Is it too small to make a statement?
- Shape — Rectangle, stepped silhouette, camelback, curved, extended, wingback?
- Wall mount or bed frame attached
- Fabric selection, including color, weight, print, etc.
- Style (tufted, nailhead trim, etc)
- Height and width — tall or extended?
- Border (upholstered edge or frame)
Shapes and Styles of Upholstered Headboards
There are a variety of headboard shapes to choose from, which can include shapes such as rectangular, stepped silhouette, camel-back, curved (scalloped), curved notches, curved and angular notches, extended, and wingback. Each has their own appeal and can work with just about any design style thrown its way. In regards to the style of those shapes, two popular choices are tufted and framed.
Tufted is the most common upholstered headboard style. A headboard in a shape of your choosing is covered in padding and then upholstered with fabric. To get the tufted look, buttons are sewn deep into the fabric. Tufted styles give a rich appearance to a room and look amazing in fabrics such as velvet, satin or silk.
A framed headboard is the other popular style. Instead of the entire piece of wood being covered in fabric, only a portion is upholstered, with a wooden or metal frame surrounding the perimeter of it. You get the beauty and comfort in the middle, with the interesting exposed shape detail.
Other headboards are very simple, giving you clean, and minimal lines. In a nutshell, they are more modern in design. These headboards tend to have less padding, which gives them a flat appearance. To make them a little less modern looking, nailhead trim can be added to bring in a more masculine feel.
No matter which style of headboard you choose, your bedroom will look more beautiful and pulled together. If you aren’t sure which style will work best, speaking with an associate of a fabric or custom furniture supplier will help you narrow down your options so you get the best piece for your space.
If a custom headboard is in the budget, be sure to check out our selection of headboards which can be covered with any of our multi-purpose fabrics. If buying a custom headboard isn’t a practical investment at this time, there are several DIY video tutorials online that can guide you to create an eye-catching focal point all on your own.
When you are looking for headboard fabrics near you in Richardson, TX, stop by our Cutting Corners location near Richardson, Tx for great deals on discount designer fabrics. We have something for every home interior project from gorgeous drapery fabrics, colorful outdoor fabrics, and luxurious Dupioni Silks.
