One of the easiest ways to freshen up things in the bedroom is to focus on the bed – or should I say the bedhead to be exact.
Image via Vogue Paris
The bed is the focal point of every bedroom. It’s generally the largest item and the first thing your eyes rest on (no pun intended). Its placement and style can dictate the entire mood of the room. Think of the moment when you first enter a hotel room. The condition and grandure (or not) of the bed usually trumps anything else in the room, the bedhead typically acting as the majestic moment.
In recent years we have embraced the no-bedhead look, a design statement in itself when done well. Crumpled linen sheets layered in analogous colours, styled to look relaxed and effortless (immediately Instagram-able when situated in a light, bright warehouse-style room), it’s beauty lies in the fact there is no bedhead. The focus is all on the bedding and the ‘I-didn’t-have-to-try-mood’. It’s the equivalent of the normcore of fashion, the ‘no-makeup, makeup’ look of beauty and the wabi sabi of design.
Image via domino
If you are currently sans-bedhead but have perfected the blogger-worthy ruffled, bed look, good for you. Personally, I love it. However, just like fashion styling gone wrong, if not done correctly, the sans-bedhead look can look a bit, well… just sans.
The point I’m trying to make is that a new bedhead, or, bedframe with a beadhead, can make all the difference to the overall look and feel of your bedroom. Consider how impactful one or all of these would be in your space:
Room dimensions: The shape and form of the bedhead can visually alter the shape and size of the room. This is a great way to play up good features and down play bad features of the architecture of the space. It could be bringing focus to a very high ceiling, making the most of a feature window or making a small room feel grander. It’s all about tricking the eye. A low, wide elongated bedhead will have a very different spatial aesthetic to a tall, four poster bed.
Mood:
Choose a contrasting colour (to the rest of the room, or the wall behind) for impact, choose a harmonious colour for a sense of relaxation and harmony. The design style of the bedhead will also affect the mood. There’s a big difference between the feel of a room that has a metal, industrial bedhead, to a plush, upholstered bedhead.
Texture:
What is the bedhead made from? Materials such as metals, timbers, leathers and fabrics all bring very different textural properties to a space. Texture, as we know, is a super important design element to give a room a sense of layering, energy and warmth.
Style:
If you are struggling to create a design style in your room, let the bedhead be the anchor. Even if everything else is fairly vanilla, a strong bedhead will give you an immediate ‘look’. You can also consider any strong architectural elements which may inform the style of bedhead that you choose.
Also consider the non-bedhead, bedhead. By that I mean using tape, decals, paint or other raw materials on the wall in place of an actual bedhead. These options can still have the same impact as a purchased bedhead. Art can also look great, just remember that you cant really lean back on it.
Before you race out and find your new dream catcher, use the checklist below to ensure it fits well your existing space. In the meantime, check out our gallery of luscious beds, bedheads and inspiration ideas to get your bedroom rocking.
Bedhead Checklist
Points to consider when purchasing a new bed / bedhead
1. Be sure to measure your space. A bedhead (or full bed frame) can add both width and length to your mattress, often more significantly then it appears at first glance. If your bedroom is a small space, be very careful to measure well before you embark or you may find you can’t actually fit the new bed in or have appropriate circulation space around the bed for movement. Also consider any wardrobe doors or drawers that may open close to the bed to ensure they can still be operated. If considering a four-poster, don’t forget ceiling height.
2. Stand-alone bedheads are generally designed to be used with an ensemble. They often attach to the wall to prevent them moving. If you are renting, make sure you get landlord approval before you drill bolt holes into their wall.
3. Consider the existing design style of the room. You may find that the new bedhead makes you want to change up the whole space – which is great, however, if that’s not entirely possible, make sure the style of bedhead you choose complements the other large furniture pieces in the room. They don’t have to match, but they do need to complement and not jar.
4. If you are considering a timber bedhead and already have a lot of timber in the room, again make sure the timber or stain colours either match (in this case) or complement each other in their tones. For example, a modern, raw-timber bedhead in a room full of heavy, mahogany-stained furniture may end up looking cheap instead of chic.
5. If you are used to not having a bedhead, you most likely use the wall (with strategically placed pillows) to lean up against when you sit up in bed. Unlike the wall, a bedhead has a shape. Consider how low, high, hard, soft or padded you desire your bedhead to be for comfort sake. Will it continue higher up the wall than your neck, so your head can rest back on it, or is it low and minimal, in which case your head will not really be supported when you are sitting up.
feature image via pinterest
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