20 Headboard Alternatives That Use Clever Design to Anchor Your Bed

Whether it’s due to a lack of space or budget, skipping a headboard doesn’t mean a bedroom is doomed to imperfect design (a common misconception!). In fact, more design pros are crafting ways to anchor a bedroom through exciting methods (paint or otherwise!) to replace the need for a headboard. New Jersey-based Interior designer Kristina Phillips of Kristina Phillips Interior Design says that some bedrooms may even benefit from avoiding a headboard altogether. 

“In attic rooms, loft conversions, or tucked-away guest spaces, a headboard can feel cramped or awkward,” Phillips explains. “Letting the wall flow uninterrupted elongates the space and keeps it from feeling top-heavy.”

Smaller or multipurpose bedrooms could feel much larger than they are without headboard, too. “Skipping the headboard creates flexibility,” Phillips continues. “You can shift the bed, layer pillows higher, or even tuck in a shelf or console for a more fluid layout.”

Opting out of a headboard gives your room numerous design opportunities as well. “Headboards tend to define and confine a room, anchoring it to a single purpose,” North Carolina-based interior architect and designer Ayten Nadeau of i-Ten Designs says. “Removing that boundary allows the bed to blend seamlessly into its surroundings, giving the space a more adaptable and open-ended quality. It becomes less about where you sleep and more about how you live.”

Nadeau explains that rooms without headboards offer the flexibility to adapt to a person’s changing needs. For example, she says “built-in ledges, shelves, or sliding cabinetry” can be hung over the top of the bed for handy storage while also keeping an aesthetic look.

Phillips admits that headboards have some benefits — such as grounding the room, adding texture, providing an opportunity to highlight your individual style, to create comfort, and frame bedding —there are several instances where smart design choices can achieve the same effect without the need for this bulky staple.

While I tapped designers to showcase their expert opinion (and projects!) on the topic, some of the best real-world headboard alternatives came from clever designs in real bedrooms. I’ve collected these ideas from the archives of Apartment Therapy’s home tours, where space-saving solutions are usually key. If you’re wondering what amazing alternatives to headboards look like in practice, keep reading. 

Of course, windows provide a view and natural light in smaller bedrooms, if the only option is to push the bed up against the wall, then (literally) lean into the situation and use a windowsill as a headboard like Phillips did. 

“I opted to forgo the headboard as the bed was placed directly in front of the windows,” Phillips explains. “Instead, I used decorative pillows to provide a buffer.”

Sometimes an alternative is so good that I can’t even tell it’s not a headboard. Phillips definitely caught me with this gorgeous room. 

“Rather than a freestanding headboard, I used full-height upholstered wall panels in a pale blue grass cloth (similar to Phillip Jeffries’ “Coastal Weave”),” she shares. “The panels framed the bed beautifully while keeping the space feeling open and tailored. To finish the look, I layered crisp white linens and a patterned lumbar pillow for texture.”

When artist and ceramicist Laetitia Rouget moved into a bright Lisbon home, she had a vision — every room should be known by its color. Unsurprisingly, this is called the “blue room,” and what makes it so special is that, although there’s no headboard to center the room, it’s anchored by a big, bold piece of artwork that matches the floors, creating a sort of symmetry.

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Bedrooms are all about being cozy — and that should be the case whether or not you have a headboard. A soft, thoughtful, and bold fabric, like the one above the bed in another room in Rouget’s home, encourages tranquility while also distracting from the fact that there’s not a proper headboard. 

Looking for a headboard alternative that adds drama? Consider building a DIY altar. When Diana Yen, a food stylist, cookbook author, and owner of Studio A la Carte, moved into her earthy Ojai home, the detailing was already in place; but it was painted in stark black. To make it feel cozier, she DIY limewashed the feature. 

If you look at most of the walls in artist Scott Csoke’s maximalist Brooklyn apartment, you’ll see a common theme: trompe-l’œil-inspired frames. So, instead of a headboard, above their bed, they painted a faux gallery wall with one real art piece in the center. Regardless of whether they fill them or not, it’s so stunning to look at. 

As the phrase goes, wake up and smell the roses. Having a bedroom without a headboard affords you that opportunity. Just look at what chef and baker Ashley Huston did in the primary room in her bohemian Philadelphia apartment. Instead of a headboard, she backed her bed up against a wall of windows and installed a board that holds several plants. 

User experience designer Katy Ma didn’t use a headboard in her 400-square-foot Manhattan apartment; she actually did something better. 

“I screwed a few hooks into the ceiling, got two wooden dowels from the hardware store, and found sheer curtains online,” Katy told Apartment Therapy. “I hung the dowels from the hooks and threaded the curtains through.” She loved the “playfulness” that the project added to the room.

Sometimes, a sculptural piece of art is the perfect replacement for a headboard. At least that was the case in Gwyneth Yuma’s eclectic Brooklyn apartment. The original fan she found is sold out, but a similar one is available. (There are multiple sizes to fit your bed width!)

When Shiva Farrokhi and Hakhamanesh Mashayekhi purchased an industrial loft in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood, they made serious updates — except to the brick in their bedroom. The original brick is a nod to the building’s former purpose (a furniture manufacturing and storage facility) and is a sturdy, gorgeous headboard. The cutouts for storage make it even more special! 

Even if your home or apartment didn’t come with striking architectural features, you can add that charm into the equation with stock molding. A great place to try box panels, as seen in the Georgia home of Jodi Bond, is behind your bed instead of a headboard. Skipping a piece of bulky furniture here allows the DIY woodwork to take center stage.

If you forgo a traditional headboard, you can use a large painting or dramatic printed canvas in its place, just like artist Sam Michelle did in her Melbourne, Australia, family home. This look definitely skews modern, since the art will likely be oversized and the bed low-slung, so the entire piece of art is visible. But it’s a visually stunning look that could be much cheaper than a headboard, especially if you DIY a canvas yourself.

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If you have extra medium-density fibreboard or plywood leftover from a project, you can create a 3D mini-wall topped with a handy shelf behind your bed instead of a headboard, just like Puno and Daniel did in their shared Los Angeles loft. Or you can head to the hardware store or home center for fresh new materials for this DIY.

In Chela’s globally inspired Australian home, brightly colored fabric hangs from the wall behind the bed, serving as an eye-catching alternative to the headboard. It’s an easy way to get a pop of color without committing to a hefty piece of art. 

Almost every inch of Joel and Kristin Cedar’s colorful apartment is covered in vibrant paint — there are gorgeous patterns everywhere. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that the couple used paint to create a headboard alternative. With black paint, they painted a rounded shape that resembles a headboard but could easily be swapped out for another design. 

Try installing a pair of louvered doors or some shutters as a headboard, as seen in this chic Michigan cabin designed by Wes Trammel (who saved these pieces from a basement reno). It’s a cozy strategy for defining a bedroom nook that adds a ton of visual interest to a room and hardly takes up any space.

No headboard? No problem. Just take a peek at Carlos Huber and Dr. Andrew Timberlake’s primary bedroom in their cozy West Village apartment. The wallpaper (coupled with the gallery wall) is so striking that it took me a minute to realize there wasn’t a headboard.

Windows often dictate the layout of a room, and that’s the case in Shannon Kelly’s primary bedroom. In her vintage-inspired San Diego home, she doesn’t use a headboard; instead, she places her bed between two gorgeous corner windows. Talk about waking up with the most beautiful natural light.

It turns out that runners aren’t just meant for the bedroom floor; Chyelle Milgrom displays hers in the opposite direction, actually, in the sleeping area of her maximalist Brooklyn apartment. Instead of using a headboard, she hung a long rug behind her bed and extended it onto the ceiling. 

In the bedroom of their gorgeous New Orleans home, Apartment Therapy’s house tour director, Adrienne Breaux, and her partner, Keith Fields, didn’t use a headboard. Instead, they placed a fabulous divider that adds pattern, texture, and height behind their bed.

If you’re on the fence about buying a headboard, or are unsure of how to design a room without one, consider Phillips’ insight on when they may not be necessary at all.

• When you’d prefer to keep things simple: “In more modern, Scandinavian, or globally inspired spaces, the absence of a headboard can feel intentional — a nod to ease and collected simplicity,” Phillips explains. “Layered textiles, low lighting, and sculptural side tables can make the space feel grounded without extra structure.”
• To create space — especially in cramped bedrooms: “It allows the eye to travel uninterrupted, giving the room a sense of calm and spaciousness.”
• With a blank wall: Without a headboard, you’re free to get really creative with what you do on the walls — whether it’s a jazzy wallpaper or gorgeous millwork, you can use the free space to express yourself. 
• When you know your style may evolve: It’s no surprise that headboards can often be expensive (unless you’re DIYing them), and so it’s often a commitment when purchasing them. However, not having one frees you from that long-term burden and gives you space to change the room as your taste does. “When you stop labeling a bedroom so literally, it opens up possibilities for how it is used,” Nadeau shares. “It can evolve into something more fluid: a place for reading, seating, reflection, or even displaying art.”