A bespoke headboard is one of the easiest ways to bring comfort and luxury to a bedroom.
We are often designing and crafting bespoke headboards in our joinery and upholstery workshops. But where did the design inspiration for bespoke headboards – and even headboard walls – come from? And what needs to be considered when specifying a bespoke headboard? We share our knowledge and expertise.
What is a bespoke headboard?
A bespoke headboard is a headboard that has been designed and custom-made to fit a specific bedroom. It will incorporate comfortable padding and upholstery, and additional elements such as electrical sockets, lighting, control switches, bedside tables or shelving.
What is a headboard wall?
A headboard wall is a bespoke headboard that has been designed to cover one wall of a bedroom anchoring the bed in the middle, and often includes mirrored, upholstered or other decorative panels either side of a central padded section.
Where has the trend for bespoke headboards come from?
The biggest influence on residential bedroom interior design – and bespoke headboard design in particular – is arguably boutique hotel bedroom design. The homely touches, eclectic looks, luxurious elements, and mixes of textures, trims, fabrics and colourways have been borrowed by designers and homeowners everywhere.
Technology has also played an important role; hotels focus heavily on giving guests time to relax and part of that experience is having everything at your fingertips. Hotel rooms offer a lot of smart technology not least the ability to set the room’s temperature, charge devices, control AV equipment and select multiple lighting options at the bedside.
Hotel guests that appreciate the design and enjoy the experience are recreating it at home with bespoke headboards and headboard walls.
Crafting a bespoke headboard
We design and manufacture our headboards at our workshops in Esher either to the instructions of an interior designer or the homeowner. Our highly experienced joinery and upholstery teams work closely together to achieve the vision of the designer and client.
Each headboard is custom-made to fit the homeowner or bedroom, taking care to match the interior design and décor. Most of our bespoke headboards are upholstered in fabric, suede or leather and fitted with electrical sockets or charging points and reading lights. As each headboard is tailored to the needs and desires of each customer, they are all different. In our experience, there are five different ways to tailor a headboard to your requirements:
What to consider when specifying a bespoke headboard:
1. Height
Most bedroom furniture is at or below table height and a bespoke headboard will add interest by mixing the height levels. Made-to-measure headboards can be any shape or height, but we would recommend the height be between a minimum of 1.2m above mattress level right up to ceiling height.
2. Width
A bespoke headboard can match the width of the bed exactly, extend slightly to each side of the bed by 5cm to 10cm, or extend further to incorporate or continue behind bedside tables. We often handcraft bespoke headboard panels that cover the full length of a wall; however, a good bespoke headboard design always indicates the edge of the bed in some way. This can be done with the upholstery or joinery and it helps to frame and anchor the bed in the room.
3. Design
When it comes to colour, shape and decorative details, a bespoke headboard should either complement or accentuate the interior design scheme of the bedroom. A headboard with a decorative or sculptural shape will create a statement, and mirrors to either side of a central upholstered panel adds depth to a room and creates a luxurious look. The fabric, trim and finish choices we offer are endless, and our upholstery team can create a shape and style to fit any interior. To complete the look, divans can be upholstered, and valances sewn to match the bespoke headboard. A service we regularly undertake for our clients.
4. Comfort
We spend more than a third of our lives asleep in bed, so it is crucial this space is comfortable to relax in to encourage the best sleep. A made-to-measure headboard is the ultimate in comfort and functionality. Deep upholstered padding in a traditional, abstract or contemporary style can provide the perfect surface to lean on when reading or sat in bed. Bedside tables can be built-in, or the headboard designed to flow behind freestanding options with any electrical sockets hidden away.
5. Lighting and electrical elements
Light switches, electrical sockets, charging points and other controls can be integrated into the headboard within easy reach on each side of the bed or tucked away. We frequently incorporate discreet pocket reading lights (as in our Richmond Park project) and bedside lighting that is practical and beautiful from all angles into the bespoke headboards we make.