Eclectic Headboard Ideas

Mood Lighting

• A white Plexiglas or similar acrylic material headboard is easy to make yourself, and you can cut the top edge to create whimsical shapes or sleek rounded corners. Space it a few inches away from the wall as a "floating" style headboard that doesn't connect directly to the bed or place it on posts that fit into the bed frame. For nighttime entertainment, place color-changing LED string lights behind the Plexiglas, then watch as your room takes on a cool, colorful glow. Plug the lights into a timer if you want to have the shifting colors lull you to sleep, then shut off automatically during the night.

Modern Canopy

• Canopy beds don't have to look stuffy or girlie. Modern headboard designs include a wall-style headboard that can be solid or inset with bookshelves or other amenities. A solid canopy made of either lightweight wood or stretched fabric attaches to the top of this headboard and curves over the bed and down to the floor at a graceful angle. If you are designing your own, consider having the headboard itself arch over the bed in a large, swooping shape that is open at the foot end of the bed. If made of sturdy material, either floor-mount or open-ended models can have a small flat-screen TV embedded near the foot of the canopy for nighttime viewing. Fabric models can use projection technology for video viewing. For homemade canopy headboards, install a small under-counter style TV that folds up when not in use to keep your bedroom looking sleek.

Windows and Doors

• Wall-mounted windows and doors make excellent floating-style headboards and are easy projects for do-it-yourselfers. Select a multi-panel door and lay it on one edge, mounted to the wall over a full or larger bed. You can paint the door to match your decor or paint the raised areas a neutral color and create murals or abstract paintings on the inset panels. For window headboards, paint the frames and affix one window to the wall over each sleeper's position. Use one window for twin beds and two for larger beds. Add curtains and decor as if the windows were real, for an extra eclectic touch. Use double-hung windows with the bottom pane open or removed and use the bottom frame piece as a shelf for small curios. You can also string LED rope lights behind the windows, then close the curtains for a soft glow. Hang artwork or other decor items behind the windowpanes to add to the look when the curtains are open, or back the panes with mirrors to add light and the perception of more space.