4 Fresh Headboard Ideas

Just because it's in your bedroom, doesn't mean your headboard has to be a snooze. Get the designer look at the head of the bed with these four headboard designs.

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Padded Headboard
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With wraparound views of New York City, this penthouse apartment in Greenwich Village has plenty of natural light. To bring that sunshine into the apartment's interior and keep the space airy and fresh, designer Clodagh divided the space with partial walls. Sunlight and fresh air flow freely, and the effect is the openness of a loft with the coziness of a traditional apartment.

In the master bedroom, a partial wall conceals a walk-in closet on its far side, with a large master bathroom beyond the closet and dressing room. On the bedroom side, Clodagh upholstered the wall in Lexell Cobblestone leather so the expanse can function as a headboard. "I like headboard materials that can be sponged clean," says Clodagh, author of Total Design. "This leather can be wiped with a barely-humid sponge to keep it fresh."

Adjustable Artmetide lights installed right into the headboard allow the bibliophile homeowner to read in bed, and a comforter from Ann Gish and simple pillows keep the look clean, spare and serene.

"I like to bring a bit of a color into a bedroom with a pillow or throw," says Clodagh, "but I don't like piling the bed with 15 pillows that you have to remove before you can lie down. A bed should be inviting, should allow you to just hop on and sleep, read or make love right away without any fuss."

Photo by Daniel Aubry



Susan Kleinman writes about home design and renovation for a variety of publications and websites. Her work has appeared in House Beautiful, Do It Yourself, Country Living and Metropolitan Home, where she is also a contributing editor.