13 Winning Bedroom Walls to Wake Up To
The wall behind your bed is a blank canvas just waiting for your personal touch
The most important piece of furniture in the bedroom is, of course, the bed. It’s usually the biggest item in there, and defines the room’s primary function. Designers often suggest positioning it in the centre of the longest uninterrupted wall, allowing for bedside furniture and ease of movement, preferably in view of the door. But then what?
A well-placed bed with gorgeous linen and cushions needs a complementary background, rather like a work of art needs a great frame. Give some thought to this spot to create an inviting sleep space that’s a joy to tuck yourself into. See how these bedrooms work a behind-the-bed wall – and take inspiration from whichever one you would most like to wake up to.
A well-placed bed with gorgeous linen and cushions needs a complementary background, rather like a work of art needs a great frame. Give some thought to this spot to create an inviting sleep space that’s a joy to tuck yourself into. See how these bedrooms work a behind-the-bed wall – and take inspiration from whichever one you would most like to wake up to.
There are practicalities to consider with above-the-bed artwork, namely weight and scale. Even firmly attached to a wall stud, there’s something uneasy about a heavily framed picture behind glass hanging overhead. Keep it light, like a stretched canvas or minimally framed work.
Also assess the visual weight of your possible pieces. Take a tip from Japanese ikebana, where heavier-looking elements anchor the arrangement, while less substantial ones float above. Scale matters too – don’t swamp a tiny picture on a wide or high wall, or overload a small wall with big artworks.
Also assess the visual weight of your possible pieces. Take a tip from Japanese ikebana, where heavier-looking elements anchor the arrangement, while less substantial ones float above. Scale matters too – don’t swamp a tiny picture on a wide or high wall, or overload a small wall with big artworks.
2. Salute the sun
The ‘keep it light’ rule applies to mirrors too. What could be more fitting to wake up to than a glorious sunburst mirror announcing a new day? Choose one with a delicate halo and link it to other elements in the room – like the design on the cushions and the mirrored bedside cabinets in this delightful bedroom.
Make your statment mirror the fairest of them all
The ‘keep it light’ rule applies to mirrors too. What could be more fitting to wake up to than a glorious sunburst mirror announcing a new day? Choose one with a delicate halo and link it to other elements in the room – like the design on the cushions and the mirrored bedside cabinets in this delightful bedroom.
Make your statment mirror the fairest of them all
3. Take poetic licence
Do you have favourite lines of poetry or song lyrics that trigger happy thoughts? Have them printed on cloth, canvas or heavy handmade paper, or even transferred directly to the wall, so you can take them with you into your dreams or see them when you wake up. These lovely lines from Bertolt Brecht’s ‘Pleasures’ list things that bring joy: from Brecht’s favoured “first look from morning’s window”, to the change of seasons, the newspaper, the dog, comfortable shoes … think of everyday things we sometimes forget to enjoy and make a feature of them.
Do you have favourite lines of poetry or song lyrics that trigger happy thoughts? Have them printed on cloth, canvas or heavy handmade paper, or even transferred directly to the wall, so you can take them with you into your dreams or see them when you wake up. These lovely lines from Bertolt Brecht’s ‘Pleasures’ list things that bring joy: from Brecht’s favoured “first look from morning’s window”, to the change of seasons, the newspaper, the dog, comfortable shoes … think of everyday things we sometimes forget to enjoy and make a feature of them.
4. Create posh panels
If your bedroom is truly your castle and you ‘retire’ rather than just ‘going to bed’, then give the behind-the-bed wall gravitas with timber or plaster beading. Painted to match the wall, this easily achieved embellishment adds grandeur and a certain stately elegance to any room. Goodnight, duchess!
If your bedroom is truly your castle and you ‘retire’ rather than just ‘going to bed’, then give the behind-the-bed wall gravitas with timber or plaster beading. Painted to match the wall, this easily achieved embellishment adds grandeur and a certain stately elegance to any room. Goodnight, duchess!
5. Tip your hat
The rise and rise of the juju hat is one of those mysterious trends, with no beginning and apparently no end. These giant discs of dyed chicken or fowl feathers, up to 1.2 metres across, are traditionally worn as ceremonial headwear by the Bamileke tribes of West Africa and symbolise prosperity and the fragility of life. In interiors, they are wonderfully stroke-able, come in every colour, and have a delicacy well suited to hovering weightlessly over your dreams.
The rise and rise of the juju hat is one of those mysterious trends, with no beginning and apparently no end. These giant discs of dyed chicken or fowl feathers, up to 1.2 metres across, are traditionally worn as ceremonial headwear by the Bamileke tribes of West Africa and symbolise prosperity and the fragility of life. In interiors, they are wonderfully stroke-able, come in every colour, and have a delicacy well suited to hovering weightlessly over your dreams.
6. Paint your way to perfection
The traditional painted ‘feature wall’ is an effective way to create a beautiful background to the bed. Painting this wall is a low-effort, high-impact trick to bring decor elements together, to draw attention to the colours and textures of bedlinen, and to manage the shape of a room. Whether you choose a dreamy dusty pink, moody blue, chic slate or sexy scarlet, it’s all about you. A mood change is only a few hours’ work away.
What’s next for the feature wall?
The traditional painted ‘feature wall’ is an effective way to create a beautiful background to the bed. Painting this wall is a low-effort, high-impact trick to bring decor elements together, to draw attention to the colours and textures of bedlinen, and to manage the shape of a room. Whether you choose a dreamy dusty pink, moody blue, chic slate or sexy scarlet, it’s all about you. A mood change is only a few hours’ work away.
What’s next for the feature wall?
If a block of colour is too tame for an eclectic bedroom, make a template, grab masking tape, paintbrushes and a rainbow of your favourite paint colours and whip that wall into shape, your way.
7. Wind down with wallpaper
Another take on the feature wall – let’s call it an ‘accent wall’ – is wallpaper. Again, let your choice reflect the mood you want to create. A fabulous wallpaper that really speaks to you can be the starting point for your bedscape – take an off-cut with you when you shop for linen and accessories.
Luxury wallpaper for the whole room is expensive – save it for that all-important accent wall. An economical option is a framed panel of gorgeous wallpaper hung behind the bed. For an interesting alternative, check out some very cool DIY wallpaper ideas to spark your imagination.
Another take on the feature wall – let’s call it an ‘accent wall’ – is wallpaper. Again, let your choice reflect the mood you want to create. A fabulous wallpaper that really speaks to you can be the starting point for your bedscape – take an off-cut with you when you shop for linen and accessories.
Luxury wallpaper for the whole room is expensive – save it for that all-important accent wall. An economical option is a framed panel of gorgeous wallpaper hung behind the bed. For an interesting alternative, check out some very cool DIY wallpaper ideas to spark your imagination.
8. Add vintage value
There’s such a thing as too perfect. A touch of pre-loved, time-worn vintage is one of the best ploys to bring a very polished bedroom down from the design clouds, and give it a relaxing and homey ambience. A wall of pressed metal tiles with shabby vintage charm tells you instantly this is a place where you can exhale and kick off your shoes.
There’s such a thing as too perfect. A touch of pre-loved, time-worn vintage is one of the best ploys to bring a very polished bedroom down from the design clouds, and give it a relaxing and homey ambience. A wall of pressed metal tiles with shabby vintage charm tells you instantly this is a place where you can exhale and kick off your shoes.
9. Take to textiles
Exposed brick isn’t the friendliest surface for a bedroom, despite its on-trend aesthetic. Counteract its ruggedness with lots of plush bedlinen and a well-trodden rug hung behind the bed. A maxi-sized rug weighs a lot, so ensure you use appropriate fastening techniques and a strong dowel support at the top.
Exposed brick isn’t the friendliest surface for a bedroom, despite its on-trend aesthetic. Counteract its ruggedness with lots of plush bedlinen and a well-trodden rug hung behind the bed. A maxi-sized rug weighs a lot, so ensure you use appropriate fastening techniques and a strong dowel support at the top.
Boho bedrooms can get away with anything – like turning a lacy tablecloth into a bed canopy. Ferret through secondhand shops for old bed and table linen or pre-loved curtains, and drape them artistically behind the bed with the help of a few hooks and screws for a look that’s purely you.
10. Shelve it
When horizontal space is restricted, as in this partial wall, recessed shelving can hold books and bedtime bits and pieces. Elegant pendant lights take the place of bedside lamps and the shelves themselves are framed with strip lighting. Keep the switches low so they can be turned on and off from a comfortable lying position.
When horizontal space is restricted, as in this partial wall, recessed shelving can hold books and bedtime bits and pieces. Elegant pendant lights take the place of bedside lamps and the shelves themselves are framed with strip lighting. Keep the switches low so they can be turned on and off from a comfortable lying position.
Another shelving option is a trio of shelves or boxes. Staggered like this, it’s a more interesting arrangement than one long linear shelf. Measure carefully to keep them at a safe height. See some smashing shelving suggestions for even more ideas.
11. Shine a light on metals
Metallics have mellowed. Rather than bright golds and cold silvers, the preference now is for colours that have a warm glow – rose and burnished golds, pewter, aged brass, verdigris bronze and oxidised steel are modern metallic favourites.
A search through a salvage outlet may net you a cast-off grille or screen with a ready-made patina, or you can add it yourself with paint finishes. These panels warm up a concrete wall, coordinate with bedside items and put a pinch of Moroccan seraglio mystery into the mix.
Restful bedroom schemes that strike gold
Metallics have mellowed. Rather than bright golds and cold silvers, the preference now is for colours that have a warm glow – rose and burnished golds, pewter, aged brass, verdigris bronze and oxidised steel are modern metallic favourites.
A search through a salvage outlet may net you a cast-off grille or screen with a ready-made patina, or you can add it yourself with paint finishes. These panels warm up a concrete wall, coordinate with bedside items and put a pinch of Moroccan seraglio mystery into the mix.
Restful bedroom schemes that strike gold
12. Drift off with driftwood
The sound of the waves is the perfect sleep aid for some. Enhance a seaside feel with a beachy bedscape. Nothing does it like the unique bleached silvery grey of weathered timber. Old fence palings, reworked into a distinctive untraditional bedhead, contrast with crisp ruffled whiter-than-white pillows and bedlinen. Ragged ends and nail holes just emphasise the comfort of the bed. Make sure the front surface is sanded free of anything sharp before you put them up though.
The sound of the waves is the perfect sleep aid for some. Enhance a seaside feel with a beachy bedscape. Nothing does it like the unique bleached silvery grey of weathered timber. Old fence palings, reworked into a distinctive untraditional bedhead, contrast with crisp ruffled whiter-than-white pillows and bedlinen. Ragged ends and nail holes just emphasise the comfort of the bed. Make sure the front surface is sanded free of anything sharp before you put them up though.
Wall sculptures are a case of ‘each to their own’. A shark isn’t everyone’s preferred bedfellow, but for a keen surfer, a rustic timber shark above the bed is a biting reminder of the perils of the ocean!
Bedheads on a budget
Bedheads on a budget
13. Sleep in an indoor garden
The importance of plants in our homes can’t be over-estimated. Houzz writer Anne Ellard says, “House plants can improve our lives in many ways, from cleaning the air we breathe to helping us to have a restful night’s sleep.” Read more ways house plants can improve your health and how to keep indoor plants thriving.
The importance of plants in our homes can’t be over-estimated. Houzz writer Anne Ellard says, “House plants can improve our lives in many ways, from cleaning the air we breathe to helping us to have a restful night’s sleep.” Read more ways house plants can improve your health and how to keep indoor plants thriving.
Not the real deal, but the next best thing – modular panels emulating a floating kelp bed in injection-moulded plastic. This sleek bedroom shows how a light touch overhead offsets the weight of the bed furniture for beautiful balance and visual comfort.
TELL US
What’s behind your bed, and how does it enhance your bedroom and express your personality? Share with us in the Comments section
MORE
How to Lay Out a Master Bedroom for Serenity
Words of Warning: How to Avoid Getting Patterned Wallpaper Wrong
The Burning Bedhead Question: To Blend in or Stand Out
TELL US
What’s behind your bed, and how does it enhance your bedroom and express your personality? Share with us in the Comments section
MORE
How to Lay Out a Master Bedroom for Serenity
Words of Warning: How to Avoid Getting Patterned Wallpaper Wrong
The Burning Bedhead Question: To Blend in or Stand Out
Artwork or framed photographs are a popular choice for a wall behind the bed. Whether you match it to the decor, or just pick something you love or with personal meaning, make it more than a token wall filler. It will be the first thing you see when you enter the room, and one of the first you’ll see in the morning, so make sure it evokes a positive feeling – tranquillity, joy, energy, humour, or simply happy memories. These calm curves are a serene and relaxing contrast to the striped bedlinen.