Extra Wide Headboard Ideas: Our Top Picks, plus Styling With Lighting, Bedsides & Art

Extra wide headboards, or oversized bedheads (however you choose to describe them) are undoubtably delicious. But when considering this idea for your bedroom, I bet you’re not thinking about the potential issues you’ll face when it comes to lighting, bedside tables, and artwork.

That’s what I want to talk you though in today’s post. Because while I do love the look of an extra wide headboard (and have specified them for design clients), they do come with challenges. They’re challenges we can overcome, of course, but they’re worth thinking about before you buy.

Not only am I packing this post with extra wide headboard ideas and tips, but I also want to share some of my fave designs with you too. These are from local interior businesses we work with all the time (for the most part) so we know they’re amazing.

PS the hero image in this post comes via my mates at Metricon. Stunning setup, right?!

Which Extra Wide Headboard Style is Best?

What started off as a pretty standard slab of delicious upholstered furniture has definitely evolved in recent years. While you can still get extra wide headboards in a minimal vibe, there are other more elaborate options worth exploring.

Wide headboards featuring vertical lines are the most popular, but you can also get them in more Hamptons/Provincial styles with tufted button detailing too. Outside of those two styles, you’ll also see designs with subtle curves, interesting arches, winged sections on the side, and even built-in shelving. You’re only limited by your imagination, it seems!

The style you choose comes down to one question: how eye-catching do you want the headboard to be? Think about whether the bed is to be a focal point in the space, or more of a supporting player to another element in the room (like wallpaper or lighting).

A good way to get the best of both worlds is to go for an interesting shape, but a soothing colour. The above option is perfection on that front.

Extra Wide Headboards in Small Rooms?

You read so many tips about small bedrooms that convince you it has to be an all-white approach with low, nothing furniture. To that I say: lies, lies, lies! Truth is, a small bedroom can take a piece of furniture like an extra wide headboard, but you just have to allow it to be the one moment in the room. Let other elements be the supporting players.

Here’s all of our tips for decorating a small bedroom to make it feel larger.

In fact, a wide piece of fabric on a headboard, spanning most of the one wall in a smaller bedroom, can actually make it feel larger. I’d just advise you to keep the profile simple (don’t have wing details on either side of the headboard, for example, or make it too bright). 

The headboard above is a great option for a small bedroom. But in a space like this you could actually go wider, and have it run wall to wall to make the space feel bigger.

via temple & Webster

Extra Wide Headboards and Lighting/Power Points

Now here’s the big conundrum to overcome: what lighting do you choose for an extra wide headboard and do you have power points in the right location?

This is a pretty important factor to consider, and it could have huge functionality issues for you if not planned out right. Let’s take a look at the three options in terms of lighting, and their pros & cons.

Extra Wide Headboards with Table Lamps

Table lamps might seem like the easiest option but they can become problematic. This is because the cord has to run under the headboard to a powerpoint behind it. This isn’t an issue if your extra wide headboard is attached to a bed frame (the frame can just sit out from the wall ever so slightly).

But if it’s a standalone headboard, it can’t fully attach to the wall because of the plug. There is a workaround for this, in some instances. There are brands, like Heatherly Design, whose standalone headboards feature an L-shape leg design which sits in behind the mattress to hold the weight of the bedhead and rest it securely against the wall.

Do check with the supplier about this if you want table lamps with your headboard.

Extra Wide Headboards with Pendant Lights

Pendant lights are a nice option to pair with an extra wide headboard, but you’ll need to think about how you’ll turn them on and off. Ideally you don’t want a switch sitting above the headboard (it looks ugly) so you’ll have to decide on which of the other alternatives you’ll opt for.

Depending on the supplier, you can get some pendants on a remote control. You can even hook them up to your phone and operate them via it when you’re in bed. This is an easy workaround to keep the overall look and feel of the space clean. But check with the lighting supplier on this.

The other idea is to have a custom headboard made where the supplier cuts holes in the fabric and installs the switch into it for you. While this is obviously an option, it would not be my preferred look. But it’s definitely doable (see it in action in the example below).

And if you need tips on choosing pendants lights for your bedroom, this post will help.

Extra Wide Headboards with Wall Sconces

Wall sconces are another fab option to pair with an extra wide headboard. They look great if you ensure the design is in-keeping with the vibe of the headboard, and create a wonderful hotel feel if that’s the look you’re going for.

In terms of operation, you’ll encounter the same issues as you do with pendant lights: switch placement versus remote control operation. As you can see in the image above, you can get the headboards with holes cut in them to accommodate switches, but it’s not my preferred solution.

What the wall sconces do though, which is nice, is give you a defined space on the wall to put some artwork, which is what I want to guide you on in a moment.

Extra Wide Headboards and Bedside Tables

The images in this post will show you a lot of different ways to pair extra wide headboards with bedside tables. But I’ll touch on a few things to keep in mind before you buy.

Ideally you want the bedside tables to sit inside the frame of the headboard when you’re looking at the bed front-on. By that I mean, once the bedside table is sitting beside the bed/mattress, you should see some fabric on the headboard coming out past the table.

Now, in some instances you’ll see the outer edge of the bedside table perfectly aligns with the outer edge of the extra wide headboard. This is OK as well, and won’t look out of place. But I prefer more fabric on show, as it makes the space feel grander and more sophisticated.

What you don’t want is the bedside tables to extend beyond the bed frame. If this has happened, you might be able to get away with a little overhang, but if your bedside is sitting halfway out of the bed frame’s outer edge, the bedsides are too big or the headboard isn’t wide enough.

Extra Wide Headboards and Artwork Above Them

The other conundrum I see people face is trying to figure out what size art to put above an extra wide headboard, or how many frames are required.

The image above shows you how I would do it. Two square artworks side by side (purchased as a pair) work really well. You don’t have to have artwork span the entire width of the headboard by any means. The image below shows a nice gallery wall of art, which is certainly an option, but not the only one.

On a long wall, artworks side-by-side in a portrait orientation often look too narrow and too tall. It throws off the balance of the long wall the headboard is sitting against. And if you just put one artwork, even if it’s a landscape orientation, it’s often still not wide enough to work on the wall.

So always go for two square artworks if you can, and make sure the width of them when they’re on the wall aligns with the inner edge of the bedside tables.

A Few of Our Fave Extra Wide Headboard Suppliers

Extra Wide Headboards from Brosa

Brosa has a variety of extra wide headboards you can shop online, and they come in an array of different styles, from modern to Provincial (which you can see above). A few of my faves are:

• The Megan Wide Bedhead comes in five divine colours
• The Emily, seen above, features a classic tufted button detail
• The Megan Bed Frame is gas lift so you get extra storage included
• The Megan and Frank introduces a welcome moment of timber

Extra Wide Headboards from Interior Secrets

The amazing Interior Secrets is another fave go-to brand of ours here at TLC Interiors and they stock a variety of extra wide headboards you’ll want to take a look at:

• The Amado bed frame is simplicity at its best, in a variety of colours
• The Greta (above) features delicious curves and grey upholstery
• Ralph is a classic with plushly upholstered vertical panels
• Last but not least, Reylon sports five thick panels for minimalist feels

Extra Wide Headboards from Create Estate

If you’re after an extra wide headboard that’s chic and interesting, you can’t go past the creative solutions via Create Estate. Here’s just a few of the best ones:

• The Long Time features clean lines but makes a statement
• The Brooklyn combines American oak with the sumptuousness of velvet
• The Scotch Finger is a unique design with curves for days!
• And the Zion (above) is a dream for lovers of boucle fabric

Extra Wide Headboards from Heatherly Designs

Everyone knows Heatherly Designs right? They’re a favourite for bed lovers across the country. If you weren’t aware they stock stunning extra wide headboards, you are now. Here’s a few best buys:

• The Chelsea bedhead features tufted buttons for a touch of elegance
• The Bailey bedhead comes with contrast linen bordered edge – divine!
• The Marcel is sports a striking modern vibe for lovers of contemporary design
• The Oslo (above) is a dream if you love simplicity but impact

Are you across extra wide headboard ideas, designs and all of the considerations you need to make before you shop? Drop me a comment below if you have any questions or know a supplier who stocks phenomenal options not mentioned here!

This post includes images and/or videos of Metricon display homes and events, reproduced with permission. © Metricon Homes Pty Ltd 2021.