How to Choose an Upholstered Headboard That Matches Your Bed Frame
An upholstered headboard is the first thing you see when you walk into the bedroom, and it's what you lean against when you sit up in bed. Getting it to match your bed frame comes down to five decisions: size, fabric, colour, shape and how the headboard connects to the base. Work through them in that order and you'll end up with a bed where everything matches.
Start With Size And Proportion
A headboard needs to be designed for the same bed size as your base and mattress. UK mattress sizes are standard, with a Double measuring 135cm wide and a King measuring 150cm wide, but the bed frame and headboard themselves can be wider depending on their design. Winged and upholstered styles often extend beyond the mattress, so always check the full dimensions on the product page and measure the wall where your bed will sit.
Height is the more personal decision. A taller headboard makes a statement and gives you more to lean on when you're sitting up. A lower one keeps the room feeling open, which works well under a sloped ceiling or a window. As an example of scale, the largest headboard on our Didsbury bed measures 142cm high, 200cm wide and 21cm deep once it's unboxed.
Choose A Fabric For The Way You Live
Fabric changes both the look and the feel of a headboard. Here are the four fabric families we offer, and what each one brings.
- Velvet is soft, durable and lustrous, with a subtle, silky sheen, a dense pile and a rich texture. It's a lovely choice if you'd like a more luxurious look.
- Tweed has a distinctive heritage character. It's naturally low maintenance, it's durable, and it holds its shape well for years.
- Brushed chenille has an understated, luxurious look, with a brushed finish that feels velvety and full of depth. It's resistant to wear and tear, which makes it a very practical choice for a bed that's used every day.
- Plush fleece is our softest bed fabric. It's delightfully tactile, and it adds instant warmth and texture to a room.
If you have pets or young children, a textured weave such as tweed or chenille is a forgiving choice. If the bedroom is your calm, grown-up space, velvet or fleece will feel wonderfully indulgent.
Match Or Contrast The Colour
The simplest way to make a headboard match a bed frame is to have both upholstered in the same fabric and colour. That gives you one continuous piece of furniture, and it always looks considered.
After that, think about how the bed sits in the room:
- Neutrals such as cream, oatmeal, stone and dove grey work with almost any scheme, and they let you change your bedding and wall colour as often as you like.
- Deep colours such as navy, olive, oxblood and chocolate turn the bed into the focal point. They look especially good against pale walls.
- Mid-tones such as mink, mole and taupe sit comfortably between the two, adding warmth without dominating.
Colours look different on a screen from how they look in your bedroom, and they change again between morning light and lamplight. Order fabric swatches before you decide, and look at them next to your flooring, your curtains and your bedding. Our swatch service is free, and there are plenty of gorgeous colours and textures to choose from.
Pick A Shape That Suits The Room
The outline of the headboard has as much impact as the fabric. These are the main shapes you'll come across, with an example of each from our own collection.
- Winged. Side panels wrap gently around the head of the bed for a cocooned, hotel-style feel. Our Didsbury has an elegant winged headboard with deep tufting.
- Curved or rounded. A rounded top edge is calming and works in any style of bedroom.
- Waved. A waved edge feels current while staying timeless.
- Scrolled. A scrolled silhouette has a classic, chateau-inspired look that suits period homes.
- Arched. A simple arch adds height and elegance. The Harewood is our arched design.
- Clean and rectangular. Straight lines suit modern and minimalist rooms, and they're easy to live with for a long time.
Make Sure The Headboard And Base Belong Together
Buying a headboard on its own and fixing it to a separate base is where matching goes wrong. Fabrics that share a name rarely share a shade, fixing points and heights differ from one maker to the next, and a headboard bolted to a base it wasn't designed for can wobble or sit at the wrong height behind the mattress. That's why we don't sell headboards separately.
The reliable way to get a perfect match is to choose the headboard and the base as a set, so the fabric, colour and fixings are all made to go together.
That's how our upholstered beds work. You choose the headboard design you love, and then you choose the base to go with it: plain, two-drawer, four-drawer or Ottoman. The base is covered in the same fabric as the headboard, so the match is exact. Across the range there are over 500 possible combinations, and every one is made to order in a long-established UK factory using FSC-certified wood.
You can see all of our bed frames with matching headboards in one place, alongside our wooden and metal designs. If you like the warmth of timber with the comfort of fabric, the Yasumi Solid Oak Upholstered Bed combines a solid oak frame with an upholstered headboard.
Think About Comfort, Too
A headboard is something you use as well as something you look at. If you read or watch TV in bed, choose a design with generous padding and enough height to support your shoulders. Tufted and winged designs are popular for exactly this reason.
FAQs
Our upholstered headboards are sold as part of a complete bed, with a matching base in the same fabric. It's the best way to guarantee a perfect match. You choose the headboard design first, and then pick a plain, drawer or Ottoman base to go with it.
Follow the care guidance supplied with your bed, which is specific to the fabric you've chosen. Our brushed chenille and tweed fabrics are both noted for being durable and low maintenance.
Single, Double, King and Super King. Two-drawer and four-drawer bases are available from Double upwards, and you can see the full dimensions on each product page.
Usually within 10 working days. Standard delivery is free to most UK postcodes and is a two-person delivery to your room of choice. If you'd like the bed assembled for you, choose VIP Delivery for an additional fee.
Yes. Every Simba bed comes with a 200-night trial and a 10-year guarantee against manufacturing faults. If you're not happy within 200 nights of delivery, we'll collect the bed free of charge and refund the cost.
Our beds are on display in a number of Barker and Stonehouse showrooms. Use the store finder on our website to find your nearest. You can also order free fabric swatches to see the colours and textures at home.
