Earth tones and neutral palettes with splashes of bold color characterize a modern style bedroom. Whites, grays and blacks are commonly used as main or accent wall colors. Color is always used sparely: in a modern interior design bedroom, color is an exclamation instead of a conversation. If you’ve chosen a bold color like red, orange or intense blue as an accent color, select neutral colors for other items in the room such as lamps, window treatments and carpets or area rugs.

To the unfamiliar eye, furnishings can look stark or devoid of personality. Clean lines, natural elements, lighter finishes and polished, gleaming expanses typify modern style bedroom furniture. Because form is function, decorative detail is viewed as “unnecessary.”

Visual interest is commonly created through the design and appearance of the individual bedroom furniture piece. Shape, both strictly geometric and asymmetrical, is often used for dramatic effect. The result is bedroom furniture that is deceptively simple; but because lines are uncluttered, the eye isn’t working overtime, and the sleek profiles work just as well in smaller spaces as they do in larger ones.

When accessorizing – don’t! As with modern furniture design, when accessorizing your modern style bedroom, less really is more. While you do want the room to be inviting, you don’t want to add anything that does not have a specific purpose; including items that are solely decorative will not reflect true modern style principles. 

Modern style furniture has clean lines and streamlined detail. Profiles are strictly angular, geometric or asymmetrical. It can even have a “space age” appeal; so decide which modern vibe will work for you.

“Make Upholstered Headboard” was first posted by my predecessor, Nicolette the Design Diva, on July 7^th, 2009. After reading the blog entry, Sandra Barton made her own headboard and she recently sent me the pictures to show other Furniture and Design Ideas readers that it’s not too difficult.

Sandra writes:

Hi Heather,

Here are some pictures of the headboard. The instructions were great. I did add some coordinating upholstered buttons to give it a more tailored look – I measured and drilled holes in the back of the plywood and then used quadrupled button thread to pull it tight. All in all, this cost me about $100 to make.  The most expensive supply was the foam.

Thanks so much … Love your blog!

Sandra Barton

Thanks for the kind words, and thank you for sharing this with us Sandra – your upholstered headboard turned out great. It’s always good to hear from readers and even better when they send pics!

If you’re DIY-ing your headboard, then like Sandra, you already know how you want it to look. But what if you’re not DIY inclined? Here are some tips on how to get the headboard you really want.

The bed or headboard, like the Fashion Bed Group Dunhill Wood Headboard, is the automatic focal point of the room. Consider what kind of “statement” you would like the headboard to make. After all, when you (or someone else) enter the room, it will be the first thing you see. Do you want it to be imposing? The old headboard was made of wood: do you want your new headboard to be upholstered or to be made of metal? Would you like the look of a traditional poster bed but don’t want a footboard?

When purchasing a headboard for a room that has already been furnished, you will want to match the headboard to the bedroom’s existing décor. This means it should be the same color and/or style as your bedroom furniture and should blend with the other color elements in the room such the walls or the curtains.

The most obvious requirement when selecting a headboard for your bedroom is that, if you already have a bed frame and don’t intend on replacing the mattress/foundation (box spring), then the headboard size will have to match the mattress size.

But there are other things to consider as well. If you are in the habit of reading in bed, you may want the added comfort an upholstered headboard will provide or the convenience of additional storage a bookcase headboard offers.

Don’t forget height. Especially if you are selecting a headboard for a bed that has a plush or thick mattress, you will want the headboard to be tall enough to be seen. Buying high or tall headboards or pairing one with a low-profile type of bed can be useful when you want to showcase a specific type of material, such as a leather headboard, or a modern metal headboard like the Fashion Bed Group Brooklyn Metal Headboard with a unique design. As you can see in Sandra’s second picture, the height of her upholstered headboard really makes the bed “pop,” a combination of how tall the headboard is and the fabric she chose.

When buying a headboard, also give some thought to how it will work with your current bed or bed frame. Some bed frames are independently freestanding, but most are designed to be mounted on a wall, like an upholstered headboard. Don’t panic! If you have purchased a headboard that ends up not playing nice with the bed frame you already own or just bought, you can always secure it to the wall and place the bed in front of it.

Thanks again Sandra for sharing your DIY upholstered headboard with us. For those of us who can’t find the time to DIY, Cymax Stores is offering 10% off Skyline Furniture headboards, including upholstered headboards. Should you like to take advantage of these savings, use the coupon code SKY10 at checkout.

To view other entries in the “Design Files Of Heather B.” series, click here.

Hi! My husband and I just got married and bought our first home! I want our bedroom

to have an amazing décor! I would love rich, deep, beautiful colors. Something that

conveys emotion, passion, and happiness! Do you have any ideas?

Thank you!!

Kara M.

- – -

Dear Kara,

Congratulations to you and your new husband! It must be thrilling to be newlyweds in your first home!

I love that you have an excitement for color, so to help you out, I’ve selected some beautiful wall colours by using http://www.benjaminmoore.com’s Personal Colour Viewer, along with some bedroom furnishings to match!

Colour Combo 1 – Purple and Brown

In Western society, the color purple signifies royalty and wisdom. It is also a sign of creativity, spirituality, and enlightenment. Painting your walls purple will give off a regal, luxurious feeling to your room.

When you select a bold wall color, try to keep your furnishings a bit more neutral. Black goes well with any shade of purple, because it’s such a strong hue, so the black won’t overpower it. You can add silver or chrome accents for a little extra pop.

Hillsdale Hawthorn Black Leather Platform Bed

Wholesale Interiors Baxton Studio Black Leather Rectangular Bench Ottoman

Mystic Valley Traders Boheme Wheat Boudoir Pillow

Powell Z-Bedroom 3-Drawer Nightstand

Adesso Bella Table Lamp in Chrome

Colour Combo 2 – Green and Cream

Green can translate as natural and pure, but also stand for wealth and good luck. It produces a calming affect when looked at, so using it as your bedroom’s paint color will make you feel relaxed and rejuvenated.

A traditional colour combination like green and cream can mix well with rich browns, like mahogany or bronze.

Green is almost considered a neutral because it can go with most colours, so you can choose any accent colour you want – I’ve selected a muted purple decorative pillow or burgundy sheet set.

Modus Santa Barbara Tropical Mahogany Sleigh Bed in Sable

Modus Santa Barbara Two Drawer Nightstand

Stanley Furniture Barbados Mahogany Bed End Bench with Cane

Burgundy Sheet Set

Mystic Valley Traders Cafe Cherry Square Pillow 18 x 18 (but not with the burgundy sheet set a more neutral duvet set would be perfect!)

Kenroy Home Emilio Bronze Table Lamp with Tan Textured Woven Shade

Colour Combo 3 – Blue and Gold

The color Blue signifies trust, relaxation, sedation, harmony, trust,  tranquility, and peace. It represents the ocean and skies, making it a calm, non-threatening, safe colour.

It is ideal for a bedroom because blue is believed to keep the “bad spirits” away.

The regal combination of blue and gold goes wonderfully with espresso tones – black would seem too harsh against the yellow in the gold. Since both hues are very bright, keep your furnishings very neutral.

Try to accent with creams and even gold as well.

Stanley Furniture Toluca Lake Santa Monica Panel Bed

Mystic Valley Traders Cafe Cinnamon Square Pillow 18 x 18

Stanley Furniture Toluca Lake Maple Rectangular End Table in Dark Espresso

Stanley Furniture Toluca Lake Maple Bed End Bench in Dark Espresso

Pulaski Devon Accent Chest

Red Satin Sheet Set (Red represents passion, energy, confidence, and protection from fear or anxiety)

Lawrence Home Fashions Enchanted Comforter Set (this would be great with cream color satin sheet set)

Fangio Lighting 4253 Black Table Lamp

Nicolette Interior Design Diva

(Do you have an interior design question let me know I would be happy to help!)