Sweet deco dreams

Curved or square, multicoloured or in your favourite hue, coloured headboards can make a stylish statement in a bedroom. They anchor the bed, drawing the eye in and adding a vibrant dimension in colour and shape.

By making your own MDF headboard, you can easily change it with the seasons. Go for masculine, cosy shades in winter, then swap it out for one with pretty, summery pastels in the warmer months.

The bonus of painting a headboard is that you aren’t restricted to using one colour. Just ensure it ties in with your bedroom’s existing palette. The deco-style curves of the panels seen in this headboard, echo the lines of the bed. Such circular forms add to the comforting feel of the room.

You can either coat your headboard in a dramatic hue or an understated shade. Either way, an extra layer of colour will bring depth to your room.

For your starting point, choose your colours. Seek inspiration within the room itself. Look at your bedlinen, artwork or curtains for ideas, even if it’s a hint of colour on a bedspread pattern or curtain print. You want it to extend whatever colour scheme you have already established in the room.

Once you have an idea of what you like, give yourself time to get to know the colours. Visit your local Resene ColorShop and choose some Resene testpots. Select variations of that colour and paint two coats onto large card leaving an unpainted border around the edge. Place them on the wall in mixed combinations, seeing how the colours change in the natural light. Treat it like a mood board, analysing how your emotional response to the colours alters over time.

The dreamiest bedroom is one that celebrates the senses. It embraces tactile fabrics, a clutter-free aesthetic and harmonious colour, which are all elements here. The soulful neutral of Resene Triple Merino on these walls evoke a comforting setting. Peaceful and calming, it is a shade that summons ease and relaxation, which is what you want to experience in your bedroom. Flooring in Resene Merino, a lighter hue than Resene Triple Merino, brightens the space.

With the gentle neutral of Resene Merino in place, work on this visual warmth with multiple shades. Resene Tide in its complex beige carries plenty of character, the ideal partner next to the rich yellow of Resene Tussock; the dusky grey-blue of Resene Nepal is a welcomed cooling hue. It balances beautifully next to the romantic brown of Resene Americano; while the soft ochre of Resene Smooth Operator blends in beautifully. The relationship between most of the colours is that of warm, earthy neutrals, but it’s not too perfect – Resene Nepal breaks up the earthy tones, without making too much of a statement.

The tactile fibres in the bedroom offer an inviting setting, a soft juxtaposition to the vertical panels of the headboard. The colour balance is just right in the linen, with neutral tones and a hint of grey-blue. Doesn’t the sight of the lush rug make you want to remove your shoes and feel its softness underfoot? These textiles prove how effective they are in creating a soothing retreat against a neutral backdrop. The hanging pendant keeps the room visually tidy, allowing for more space on the bedside tables.

Layers of colour are essential in this bedroom, so remember, when it comes to painting your headboard, you’ve only got yourself to please. Bring in a colour you adore and add shades to it. Break it up with a surprise – a complementary hue. Rest assured, it will provide you with dreamy results.

How to paint your own cushion design

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Take a large plain cushion cover and draw your design in pencil onto the front of the cushion cover.

2. Insert a large piece of cardboard inside the cover so the paint doesn’t get through the cover.

3. Paint the outline of your chosen shape with a small thin brush then use a Resene testpot brush to fill in the shape. We used Resene Nepal for the round circle, Resene Gold Coast for the half circle and Resene Tide for the small circle.

4. Leave to dry for a few hours before adding the cushion insert.

How to make your own arch headboard

Step-by-step instructions:

1. You’ll need 5 pieces of MDF board which are 400mm wide and 8mm thick. Cut the boards so you have two boards at 1.6m in length two boards at 1.4m in length and one board at 1.2mm.

2. Draw your curved corners using the pencil and string method to get the perfect curve or use something you have with a rounded curve as a template.

3. Using a jig saw cut the curve pieces.

4. Give corners a light sand.

5. Then apply to coats of paint for each board (using a small roller is best).

6. Once dry screw boards to the wall or attach some pine slats of wood to the back of the wooden arch panels so the headboard becomes one piece. It can then be lent up against the wall with the bed pushed in front to hold it in place.

Accessories: Duvet cover, bedspread used as throw, cotton cushion and pillowcases from Citta, blue cushion from Adairs, artwork from Etsy, arch ceramic (on wall) from Shut the Front Door.

Project by Vanessa Nouwens. Images by Melanie Jenkins. 2021