SPRING A HEADBOARD

Some of my friends call me "Martin Stewart" ala Martha but with the obvious nod to gender.  I guess I do get crafty from time to time.  I think anyone working in the staging and redesign industry has to be.  Even as homeowners, if something is lacking we find ourselves forced to create or approximate it until the real deal can be found or afforded.

One of my favorite "crafty" projects is the creation of a headboard.  You've already seen some clever creations from my fellow bloggers.  From Diana's post on creating tufted headboards to DesAnn's clever use of window treatments to create the illusion of a headboard, we all have our favorites.  Mine is more along the line of the illusion of a headboard.  I have done it a few times now with great success for some of my staging and redesign clients.



In most cases, like the one pictured here, I've started with a blank wall or at the very least one painted a solid color.  Since the bed is almost always the focal point of a well designed bedroom, I use paint to help draw the eye to the bed.  I accentuate the bed by painting a "stripe" from ceiling to floor exactly as wide as the bed.  A darker tone of the same color usually does the trick.  (You could even paint a rectangle slightly above the bed the same width but why tape off more than you have to!).  To get a clean, crisp line, I use painters tape and make sure to press down the edges (of the tape) with a flat head screw driver to virtually eliminate bleed.

After the paint is dry and I've removed my tape, I hang artwork above the bed.  I leave just enough room for pillows to rest against the wall below the art.  You can use a long, horizontal piece or I've also combined two or three identically framed pieces in a row to create the illusion of a headboard.  Abstract art or objects could also be used to draw the eye to the faux headboard.  Just be careful to secure whatever you use since it is right above the bed.



You're really only limited by your creativity and what's on hand.  And that's it... another relatively quick, easy and green way to create the illusion of a headboard when you need one.

Jeffery Rice, PIR, PRS
Decor Designs, Inc.
www.decordesignsinc.com