While cruising through house tours in search of inspiration, I started to see a few patterns for ideas that work.
Big and/or bold art: By virtue of its size and function, the bed is clearly the focal point of a bedroom, and over-sized or brightly colored art will immediately draw the eye there. While I have to assume Kevin's Sharkey's giant painting (Image 3) is out of my modest price range, Jeremy's tessellation art is an impressive DIY solution (Image 6). Really, if I had my way, the height-emphasizing Tord Boontje tyvek curtain (Image 7) would already be in my room.
Headboards: Headboards are an obvious answer, but they really can set the whole tone for a bedroom. I have to say I've coveted the green one in Rachel's "Door's Open" House since I first saw it (Image 2).
Work with windows: With colorful curtains, windows can act as a substitute headboard (Image 10). On the other hand, sheers let the sun in for all those plants in Christopher's SF home (Image 5).
Walls that talk: Be it a bold color or something textural, focusing on the walls can have just as much of an impact as picking perfect artwork (Image 8). The simple bedding and minimal, meta art let the woodwork stand out in the bedroom from John & Tyke's Modern Cabin (Image 4).
Go low-key: If any room should be peaceful, it should be the one where you snooze. In Sharon & Chris' Monochrome Wonder, the artwork provides interest but blends seamlessly into the room and home's subdued color scheme (Image 1).
Images: 1. Sharon & Chris' Monochrome Wonder 2. Rachel's "Door's Open" House 3. Kevin Sharkey's High Over the Hudson 4. John & Tyke's Modern Cabin 5. Christopher's "el Corazon"Mission Flat 6. Jeremy's Endless Energy and Resourcefulness 7. Philippa's Worldly Vignettes 8. Chelsea Loft Redux by Justin Shaulis 9. Shannon's Colorful Canvas 10. A House-Wide Cabinet of Curiosities
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I'm not sure I could sleep knowing that if a nail snapped or a wall shook I could end up with a picture frame crashing down onto my head. Is that just me? As a result, I've got a blank space over my iron headboard. Any suggestions? Maybe a piece of fabric?
it's not just you..;) fabric you love and have to have but very expensive..just buy a yard and just 'flounce' it using clear pushpins even...pushed waayyy in...that 'earthquake' thing..and you'll enjoy it when you walk into your bedroom and know it won't end up killing you...: O
Two more ideas:
Meg's DIY Wall Art: $10 & 10 Minutes: the recent twig project
Reader's Art: Maya's Paper Quilt: this was my DIY a few years ago.
I agree, Cookieg, I don't live in an earthquake prone area but I absolutely do not want anything above my head that would hurt if it came crashing down....for whatever reason.
If you pull the bed away from the wall, wouldn't the artwork just slide behind the bed were it to fall?
that painting in the 3rd bedroom is fantastic and perfectly placed - you don't see it when you're falling asleep, but you'd be inspired by it at "other" times
No beds under the window in an earthquake zone!! Paintings would hurt but shattered glass is really bad news!! Pretty though!
I just moved into a studio/loft - AT has been such an inspiration! I decided to put the bed under one of the HUGE windows and I love it - I can look up at the stars/moon at night and I wake up with tons of sunshine.
Oh darlings! Do not let fear prevent you from having wonderful art over your bed. I could create a respectable version of number 3 (which is fab!) on a blank canvas. Don't really need the frame. If it fell it really wouldn't hurt you. Might really just be like a an old silent film gag. And you just need to make sure heavy art is hung properly. Don't go the wire on one little nail route.
I had a painting over my bed for years and nothing ever happened. And it was beautiful!
I recently framed 10 pages from vintage books and hung a mini-gallery above my bed in lieu of a headboard (and for super cheap). I used 3M command strips to adhere them to the walls, so no adjusting crooked frames and/or falling artwork in the middle of the night. It looks awesome!
Also, @visuallingual...my brother has two of your upcycled prints in his apartment! (Xmas gift from yours truly.) Everybody just adores them.
I live in NH where the one earthquake I ever experienced merely felt like a big truck passing on the highway -- nothing, if you pardon the expression, earth shaking!
My bed is centered on a wall flannked by two smallish symmetrical windows with floor-to-ceiling sikl drapes. The headboard is dark wood, Asian styling. Over it I have a huge starburst mirror! I think it looks great, but I certainly don't recommend it for earthquake zones!!
However, where there are legitimate concerns, I think you should be able to hang things securely in any of a number of ways so it wouldn't be dangerous to have stretched canvases, or tapestries, over the bed. Command hooks (or just the Command sticky pads without the hooks), Velcro, and attaching things with wood screws through the picture frames are some ideas.
If even that isn't something you are comfortable with, there is still a graphic or adhesive wall sticker to visually fill up the space.