Upholstered Headboards

This past weekend, I had the time to organize all of the tear sheets I've collected over the years. When I say years, there's no exaggeration, I had hundreds of magazine clippings, some of them dating back to 2001. At least it's good to know that my tastes haven't changed, since I still like all of the features I had saved. In particular I noticed that almost all of the bedroom photographs I had saved contained upholstered headboards.

The bed is generally the focal point of every bedroom, so having a beautiful headboard (combined with luxurious bedding) is the most important feature. There are so many styles of headboards with printed and solid fabrics, camelbacks, winged sides, frames, nailhead and tufted details. I have gathered an assortment of great headboard photos here for inspiration.

Steven Gambrel

Sarah Richardson
Sarah's Cottage Master Bedroom

Tom Stringer

Tom Scheerer

Sarah Richardson
Sarah's House Season 1 Master Bedroom

Lynn Morgan

Tom Scheerer
Brooklyn Townhouse

Domino Magazine

Steven Gambrel

Steven Gambrel

Sarah Richardson
Sarah's House Season 2 Master Bedroom

Marshall Watson

Stephen Shubel

Sarah Richardson
Sarah's Cottage West Guest Bedroom

Hotel Saint Cecilia

Sarah Richardson

Sarah's House Season 2 Guest Bedroom

Sarah Richarson
Midcentury Family Home

Jacqueline Derrey Segura

Miles Redd

Amanda Nisbet Design

Sarah Richardson
Hilltop Contemporary

Williams Sonoma Home
Humphrey with Camelback and Wings

Williams Sonoma Home
Gramery with Double Row Nailhead Detail

Room & Board
Wyatt low profile with Polyester Micro Velvet

Room & Board
Belmont with Velvet Insets

Pottery Barn
Jameson Microsuede

Pottery Barn
Georgetown with Tufted Detail

West Elm
Jute with Nailhead Detail

West Elm

Twill Slipcover

Cherish Toronto

Replacing the Foot Board

As the focal point of the bedroom, every bed needs a headboard, but it seems that the foot board is currently out of fashion. I recently wrote a post about Upholstered Headboards, and while browsing through photos of designer bedrooms, I noticed that (where space allows), an alternate item of furniture is used to replace foot board. There are no design rules here, the piece could be a bench, a settee, a trunk, or a pair of stools or chairs.

In my condominium, I use an upholstered ottoman at the foot of my bed where I store extra towels and bed linens since I don't have a linen closet. You can catch a glimpse of it in this earlier post. And when it's not covered in laundry that needs to be put away, I can even sit on it while I put my socks on.

These are some of my favourite images of great ideas for how to finish the foot of the bed:

Jonathan Adler
via House Beautiful
Contemporary Tufted Bench

Unknown Designer
via Apartment Therapy
Leather Bench with Nailhead Detail


Elizabeth Dinkel
via Veranda
Twin Beds with Upholstered Velvet Benches


Taylor Howes
via Apartment Therapy
Upholstered Velvet Bench with Piping Detail


Unknown designer
via House Beautiful
Antique Upholstered Stools

Unknown Designer
via Coastal Living Magazine
Upholstered Divan

Unknown Designer

via Coastal Living Magazine
Rustic Bench

Kay Douglass
via House Beautiful
Pair of Tufted Chairs

Marshall Watson
via House Beautiful
Antique X-Leg Benches

Meg Braff
via House Beautiful
Upholstered & Tufted X-Leg Benches

Marshall Watson
via House Beautiful
Pair of Cubes

Betty Burnham
Bamboo & Nylon Webbing Stools

Chad Eisner
via House Beautiful
Rustic Chest

WSHome
Pair of Leather & Chrome Crosby Stools

WSHome
Pair of Leather X-Based Stools

Pottery Barn
Blakely Rustic Bench

Pottery Barn

Steamer Trunk