'It's the best way to give a bedroom an update' – these 9 headboards can be added to an existing bed for an instant upgrade

Headboards are an important tool to define the room both aesthetically and spatially, here are 9 to snap up now

A fluted headboard
(Image credit: Regan Baker Design)

Headboards are the perfect addition to your bedroom. They add a focal point to the room, can tie a color scheme together, and work wonders in place of bedroom artwork. 

Meanwhile, practically, they can add support and comfort to make your bed a space for relaxation, while they also protect your bedroom wall from scuffs and getting dirty. The best thing about them? They're the best, quickest way to update a bedroom, as you can change a headboard without having to buy a completely new bed. 

To suss out the best headboards on the market, I've scoured some of my favorite homeware brands to find the best bedroom furniture of the bunch that can all be added to an existing bed. 

Best wooden headboard

Best statement headboard

Best upholstered headboard

Best storage headboard

A headboard made of shiplap

(Image credit: Daniel Schwartz. Design: Field Theory)

What kind of headboards are in style in 2023?

When it comes to the debate as to whether to go headboard vs no headboard, mostly, designers are choosing to go with a headboard rather than go without. We seeing headboards evolving into all-singing, all-dancing pieces of furniture that not only create a beautiful focal point in the bedroom, but are solving our small bedroom woes by becoming clever storage solutions. From headboards with built-in shelving where you can store nighttime necessities and display your bedroom decor, to some bedside tables that even encompass bedside tables, our headboards are working harder and harder in the bedroom. 

Headboards can be an important tool to bring color to your space, tying a bedroom color palette together. Don't be afraid to go big or bold and make a statement. On the other side of the spectrum, those who are looking for a more minimalist style in the bedroom might want to embrace wood and rattan to soften the space, bring nature, and add warmth. 

For those feeling a bit more adventurous and creative, designers are also combining shelf and headboard into one clever design. Analysis of Pinterest data has found that larger headboards, even ‘headboard walls’, are a steadily growing luxurious trend. San Francisco-based design firm, Field Theory, recently completed a project where they added shiplap paneling only partially up the wall and painted in the same color to further that sense of width, as well as giving the illusion of more ceiling height. The shiplap also acts as a headboard for the bed, helping to maximize space in the room.

Oonagh Turner
Livingetc content editor and design expert

Oonagh is a content editor at Livingetc.com and an expert at spotting the interior trends that are making waves in the design world. Writing a mix of everything and everything from home tours to news, long-form features to design idea pieces on the website, as well as frequently featured in the monthly print magazine, she's the go-to for design advice in the home. Previously, she worked on a London property title, producing long-read interiors features, style pages and conducting interviews with a range of famous faces from the UK interiors scene, from Kit Kemp to Robert Kime. In doing so, she has developed a keen interest in London's historical architecture and the city's distinct tastemakers paving the way in the world of interiors.