Headboards (especially tall, ornate ones) have no trouble standing alone. Even Maxwell's colorful headboard--plus the two examples after the jump aren't in need of anything extra (especially if you're going for a spare, minimalist vibe). But what we love about artwork above the headboard
is that it adds height to the room. Your eyes are instantly drawn upwards to the ceiling which makes the space feel open and tall. This trick is great for small bedrooms or when you want to add a "wow factor" to the master bedroom.
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(Images: 1. Color Me In: Paint A Headboard Above Your Bed, 2. House Beautiful, 3. The Easiest Headboard Ever Contrived via Martha Stewart)
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Comments (15)
I "commissioned" two killer whale watercolours from my mom, just for the purpose of hanging over my bed. I love them to bits. ("Commissioned" in quotes meaning I didn't have to pay; she's my mom! LOL. Handy that - I have no trouble finding art for my walls. I have more trouble finding walls for my art!)
DodieGoldney, no way! My mom is an artist too (mixed media collage mostly) and I just asked her for a large whale painting/collage for my wall, so weird!
Love the look, but it's a bad idea here in earthquake country (two major faultlines nearby). We went with dramatic lighting for now, but are (I think) working our way up to hanging a silk kilim - my partner has a powerful aversion to having anything on the headboard wall, having grown up with earthquakes.
I'd rather have art where I can see it, when I'm lounging in the bed.
I want the bed to be the centre of the room. I like it when the headboard has a really big piece of art above it and really draws your attention to the sleeping area. I also love the idea of small pictures above the bedside tables. I can't help it I love symmetry!
I'm also in earthquake country, but for a client's recent bedroom re-do, I just *had* to put something above their huge headboard and chose some framed sketches:
http://retrogradesf.blogspot.com/2010/02/this-time-i-know-its-for-real.html
BUT I secured it well. They're not coming off unless the big one happens. (Let's hope that doesn't happen, though. Knock on wood.)
I love our six antique prints of birds' eggs framed above our bed:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualingual/2437958937/in/set-72157594505190197/
We've actually since put a huge vintage frame around all six prints, which looks even better, I think.
FantasticMrFaux, my SO completely agrees with you. You both have a point, but I really like the look of art above the bed!
LOVE those egg prints. Tried to get a client to do that exact same look, but we ended up with art over the nightstands instead.
Ironically when I last visited MY mum, the big landscape oil hanging over the bed in the spare room fell down. It was a frayed string, not a failed wall plug or hook. Fortunately I wasn't in bed at the time, and the painting was unframed and thus lightweight.
I like the look of paintings over the head of the bed, but they're often impractical. It makes it difficult to sit up in bed without bumping them, and if you're an active sleeper (ie tossing and turning a lot) you can easily knock them askew (or even down).
I've compensated in my own bedroom by having a couple of small, high artworks over the bed, and two massive, low artworks flanking the bed over the bedside tables. The big pictures draw the eye up and the little pictures provide a focal point once the eye gets there.
I love over scaled art, but the large frame above the bed in picture 1 seems to unbalance the room. The visual interest in the art needs to land at about 2/3 the height of the window and not exceed the height of the window unless the ceilings are very very high.
Right now the eye travels too far up the wall so the bed and the art aren't working together visually. They are competing for attention.
Love the art, though.
what a cozy bedroom.
what is the deal with the plant pot at the foot of the bed in the first picture? Doesn't it get knocked down whenever the occupants move the counterpane?
I too live in earthquake country, but I don't worry too much about art above the bed. I wouldn't put a shelf with heavy objects or anything like that, but I don't worry about smaller or light-weight art, like the arrangement in the second picture. In the Loma Prieta quake in 1989 the awesome framed unicorn print above my bed fell, but it was way too light to hurt anything. It basically slid down the wall behind the bed anyway (I do always leave a few inches between the bed and the wall). But a giant, heavy framed piece like the one on top probably wouldn't be my choice.
I always put art over my bed. It makes for a lovely scene when you walk into the room and see it all. Here is my current arrangement (with furbabies contributing to the overall cuteness factor):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dilettantedotinfo/4387240875/
can anyone source the pillowcases in the second photo?