Fabric headboards are so comfortable and pretty, but do they need to match your curtains? We've looked to our favorite design experts and have thoughts on this subject for you here.
If you choose a fabric headboard for your bedroom, one option is for it to match your curtains. But there are other options too, like contrasting colors or related fabrics.
Let's take a look at some of the ways you can make your fabric headboard work with your curtains. We've also found a short video for you about reupholstering your fabric headboard if you need to change the fabric out. In addition, we'll have a little discussion about the best bedroom curtains and how to choose the right color.
Whether Or Not Your Headboard Should Match Your Curtains
Fabric headboards are a comfortable choice for your bed. They give you a cushioned spot to lean your pillows against and they also allow for color and pattern versus a wooden or metal headboard. But do they need to match your curtains? The short answer is that they don't, but if they don't match your curtains, what should they match? Let's take a look at some options that can work.
Matching Curtains To Headboard
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Matching your curtains to your headboard is a tried and true way of tying in all the elements of a bedroom. In this room, beige walls, light-colored wood floors, and a white rug are offset by the darker tan bedding, headboard, and curtains. It's a soothing and elegant look.
Here, gorgeous grey curtains are matched perfectly to a contemporary gray upholstered headboard. The color works well with the concrete walls and parquet wood floor. Grey is such a can't-go-wrong sort of color for today's interiors.
Contrasting Curtains And Headboard
In this room, the design has taken a different approach. The headboard, in beige, is closely related to the wall colors and floor colors. But the curtains are a bold forest green that pairs beautifully with the golden tones of the beige. A similarly green bed skirt ties everything together.
Here's another example of contrasting colors between the headboard and curtains. In this case, the headboard is a light grey and the curtains are a chocolate brown. They are both neutrals, so they play well together but are not matching. This is a way to break up the colors in the space while still keeping things related to one another.
This tufted linen headboard in beige is a great height and has a nice finish with the buttons. It will work in many different room styles.
Click here for this headboard on Amazon.
These soft blue patterned curtains would make a gorgeous contrast to the headboard above. The color combination is super soothing for a bedroom and we love the airy, delicate pattern.
Click here for these curtains on Amazon.
Matching Headboard To Bedding Or Paint Colors
Rather than thinking you must match your headboard to your curtains (maybe you prefer blinds), why not consider matching it to your bedding or your paint colors? This is another great way to create a cohesive and soothing look for the bedroom. One thing picks up the colors from another and draws the eye back and forth.
Here the salmon color of the headboard is replicated in the trim on the bedding. A slightly darker salmon throw pillow on the bed really brings the look together. The curtains match the walls rather than the headboard.
Here the cream-colored headboard matches the colors of the wall and rug of this room. The curtains actually relate to the inlay color of the ceiling.
We found a similarly styled headboard in a peach-colored fabric if you want to emulate the style above. It has the same royal shape and tufted upholstery. The headboard attaches to any standard bed frame and will make a gorgeous statement in your room.
Click here for this headboard on Amazon.
This subtly striped peach and white bedding is not the exact same look but is similar and would work well with the headboard shown above.
Click here for this bedding on Amazon.
Other Ideas
Maybe you don't want curtains and simply want blinds to allow optimal light but minimal coverage. That works too. In this room, they've used an oversize grey upholstered headboard and paired it with bright cellophane blinds. Sometimes less is more and in this bedroom, that is certainly the case.
In this next room, a dark tan headboard and bed are paired with floral curtains that pick up both the headboard and the wall color. This is a fun, vibrant bedroom with great tall ceilings and bold colors at play. It's not often we think of painting our bedroom walls such a bold pink, but it absolutely works in this combination.
Rather than match just your bedding, or just your curtains to your headboard, why not match both? In this airy and feminine room, soft pink and greige have been combined on both bedding, headboard, and curtains to give the room a soothing and unified look. It's so stunning.
How Do You Reupholster A Headboard?
If you have a fabric headboard that you'd like to reupholster, do you have to send it out? Or can you do it yourself? Some of that depends upon how handy you are and if you want to reupholster it yourself. In case you do, we've found a short and sweet video that explains the steps needed to reupholster your fabric headboard:
Steps to reupholstering your headboard:
- Choose an upholstery grade fabric
- Remove any hardware and set aside neatly and carefully
- Take off the backing fabric neatly and carefully (but keep it to reattach)
- Measure your headboard from top to bottom, adding a few inches to be able to wrap the new fabric around the sides
- Cut fabric
- Lay the fabric down with the inside facing up
- Place headboard (bed-side down) onto fabric
- Staple the new fabric to the frame along one side (directly over the old fabric)
- Pull the fabric taut around the other side and stretch and staple it to that side
- Tuck and staple the ends
- Replace the backing and hardware
Which Curtains Are Best For The Bedroom?
In the bedroom, it's nice to be able to let in light, but it's also nice to be able to block it out completely if needed. For people who need to sleep during daylight hours, blackout curtains or blinds may be advisable. See link here: What Are The Best Blinds For Blocking Out The Light?
A combination of sheers, which let in the light, and heavier curtains is the best curtain combination for a bedroom.
These blackout velvet curtains, when combined with a pair of sheers, will allow for light when you want it and sleeping darkness when you need it. They're shown here in black but are available in several other colors as well.
Click here for these curtains on Amazon.
Should Curtains Be Lighter Or Darker Than The Walls?
The lightness or darkness of your curtains does depend on your wall (or trim) color, but there are no set rules. You might choose to have light colored-curtains against a dark-colored wall. In the bedroom below, white curtains are matched to the paint trim color which is much lighter than the wall color.
For light-colored walls, you might choose to go darker. In this beige bedroom, a lovely dark green curtain was chosen to correspond with the bedding.
In this navy blue bedroom, a slightly lighter shade of blue has been chosen for the drapes, but light white sheers brighten up the space by letting in tons of filtered daylight.
Really the choice you make for your curtain color in the bedroom has more to do with your style than any kind of set rule. Do you love it? Does it block out or let in the right amount of light? Does it work with the other colors in the room? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you're on the right path.
See our post here: What Color Curtains With Tan Walls? [11 Examples with Pictures]
How Do You Pick The Right Curtain Color?
There are some tips for picking great curtain colors for your bedroom. Let's look at them:
- Pick a color that corresponds to your bedding
- Match your curtain color to the color of your painted trim
- Pick a curtain color that is a different tone or shade from your wall color but in the same color family
- Choose a color palette for your bedroom and include the curtains in those choices
- Pick a color that you love
Curtain Call
Now that you know the options available to you when picking curtains and headboards, it's time for the fun of picking things out. Whether you match them up or opt for a different approach, great design choices are at your fingertips.
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