If your bed feels a bit bare without a headboard, or you're just ready for a different look in your room, there are plenty of smart alternatives. You don't have to buy an expensive, traditional headboard to make your space feel complete and personal.
Here are 18 practical suggestions, ranging from artful mirrors to clever homemade creations, that will help.
Ornate Gold Mirror as an Unexpected Headboard
When a room needs to feel more open, lean a large, ornate gold mirror against the wall behind your bed. The detailed frame adds vintage glamour while reflecting light, making the space seem larger.
Wooden Stool as a Minimalist Bedside Table
A light-colored wooden three-legged stool placed next to your bed is simple and functional. It's sized well for smaller bedrooms, holding bedside essentials like a small vase and a book without taking up much space.
Personalize Your Space with a Gallery Wall
Arrange a gallery wall of framed art and photographs above your bed for a unique headboard. Varying frame styles and sizes break up the wall's expanse, drawing the eye across the display.
Design a Dramatic Backdrop with Mural Wall Art
Opt for a large-scale mural, like a mountainous landscape with muted tones that complement minimalist bedding, to serve as a calm, atmospheric backdrop behind your bed.
Oversized Floral Mural Adds a Burst of Color Behind Your Bed
Hang a large-scale painting of a bouquet behind your bed as a bright alternative to a traditional headboard. The artwork, featuring bright yellows, whites, and pinks in a glass vase, injects personality into the room.
Frame a Map for a Vintage Headboard Statement
If you need an alternative headboard, a large-scale map framed in an ornate gold border brings vintage charm. Its detailed city streets offer a unique texture that pairs well with neutral bedding.
Introduce Rich Pattern with a Textile Wall Hanging
Indigo-dyed fabric, with its detailed white motifs, can create a striking focal point above your bed. This large-scale textile introduces both color and a rich pattern.
Macrame Wall Hanging Creates a Textured Boho Headboard
A large macrame piece on a wooden rod adds texture above the bed.
Round Jute Rug as a Textured Headboard Statement
A large, round jute rug makes a natural, textural headboard alternative. Position it on the wall directly where your headboard would typically sit.
The woven circular design brings a bohemian atmosphere and a distinctive focal point to your bedroom walls, adding organic warmth.
Layer Round Jute Rugs for a Textured Statement
By arranging several round jute rugs on the wall behind your bed, you can create a layered, textured headboard using natural fiber pieces that form a unique focal point and bring a warm, bohemian feel to the overall space.
Mount a Longhorn Skull for a Southwestern Flair
Above the bed, a mounted longhorn skull can be a bold, rustic centerpiece. The natural bone and dark horns create a strong contrast when placed against a white wall, providing a unique Southwestern touch.
Woven Basket Wall Art Creates a Textured Boho Headboard
Arrange a collection of woven baskets in various sizes and shapes to create a textured, bohemian headboard, with their varied depths and weaves adding an organic look against the wall.
Design a Versatile Gallery with a Pegboard
Mount a large pegboard behind your bed to display a collection of framed art, small shelves, and decorative objects. The setup allows you to easily rearrange your gallery wall over time, adjusting the layout as your style evolves.
Adjustable Pegboard Shelves For Small Plant Displays
Hook small, light-colored wooden shelves into a pegboard wall above your bed. These shelves are perfect for showing small potted plants or decorative items.
Reflect Light with an Oversized Gilt Mirror
Above the bed, a large, carved mirror with a gilt frame can be positioned. This dramatic piece then reflects light around the room.
Antique Mirror Creates an Ornate Arch Headboard
An antique mirror with a distressed gold frame and arched shape makes a bold headboard.
Curate a Gallery Wall of Art Above Your Bed
If you're looking for a personalized headboard, hang a chosen collection of framed art above your bed. The arrangement features a mix of styles and sizes, including a large cactus print, abstract patterns, and minimalist line drawings.
Woven Room Divider Creates a Sunburst Headboard
A woven room divider featuring a sunburst pattern can serve as a textured headboard alternative behind your bed, bringing a bohemian flair with its natural material and the added benefit of being easily repositioned if you want to change the room's layout later. It's a movable piece.
