Written byPeter O. Whiteley and Ann Bertelsen,October 11, 2007
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As a key feature in a bedroom, the headboard helps set the decorative tone.
If you think of a headboard as a picture frame ― it can even be a real picture frame if you wish ― you’ll get a sense of how easy it is to change a bedroom’s look.
The three examples described here demonstrate the range of possibilities.
PICTURE FRAME
Create a headboard picture frame by using decorative molding from a home improvement store. Screw the molding to a fabric-covered wood panel sized to fit the bed.
Or adapt a prefabricated picture frame by screwing it to a fabric-covered plywood panel. Match the frame and the fabric to the bed linens.
Design: Jan Kavale Interior Design
Next: canvas screen
CANVAS SCREEN
Start with several prefabricated frames ― available from art stores ― sized to fit the width of the bed. Cover with canvas and hinge together to make a screen.
Or hinge together several prefabricated artist’s canvases. Then paint them to match the decor of the room.
Here, we used acrylic paint to create a plaid pattern that complements the floral designs on the bed linens.
Design: Francoise Kirkman, Palo Alto; painting by Therese Heynderick
Next: changeable center panel
CHANGEABLE CENTER PANEL
Build a simple frame for a plywood panel sized to fit the bed. Then, before attaching the frame, cover the panel with fabric, wood, or other materials.
Lengths of ½-inch quarter-round molding can line the inside of the frame to act as a stop for the panel, which is held in place from behind with metal straps or lengths of ¼-inch plywood. Different panels can be inserted to change the style.
Here, the plywood is painted to match the color of the walls and then faced with pieces of bamboo.