July 2023
Adding a painted headboard was originally last on my list of home to-dos. I had decided that our bedroom will be the last thing updated in our home. However, no matter how many throw pillows I add, a bed without a headboard just felt incomplete. So, I’m breaking my own rules and adding a little neutal color to the space – beginner level.
I would say our bedroom is average size. It’s enough space for us to comfortably move around, but not so much that we can bring in extra furniture.
When thinking about a painted headboard, I couldn’t decide on a style or texture that felt right.
I came across a post displaying a marble-like blend technique and it felt kind of dreamy.
I went back and forth on exactly what I wanted. There were a few options of a low, wide arch, covering the width of just about the entire wall.
Additionally, I saw vertical blocks from floor to ceiling, sometimes spilling over.
However, I was still a little arch crazy after the dining room corner, so I decided to stick with what I knew I would like.
Mental Health Takeaway
Trying something new is overwhelming. Building on something you just did, however, can really pump up your self-esteem.
Doing things that make you feel better about yourself is like kicking mental illness in the shin.
Step 1. Measure (10 times) & Draw.
Unlike the kitchen project, I had no corner to dictate the middle of my arch. So I started by finding the middle of the wall.
I drew a straight line from the baseboard about 2/3’s of the way up the wall, to the height I wanted the arch to be.
The next step was a little more trial-and-error. Using the width of our bed as a guide, I wanted the middle arch to fill the entirety of the wall behind the bed. I drew straight lines about halfway up the wall from those point, giving me three straight lines.
From there, I took my pencil and string and held it on the line in the middle, making sure the string was just long enough for the pencil to reach one of the outside lines. Then I drew my circle.
One arch down, and two to go. I did similar measuring on the side to be sure that the two side arches would fill the space behind nightstands.
Step 2. Tape & Painit
Taping was the easy but time-consuming process. Using the method mentioned in the kitchen corner post, I taped off all three arches, leaving an even inch between the side and main arch.
You won’t find a lot of neutrals in our current home (our last one was a different story), so I let myself choose a few different grays for this project.
After separating the space into thirds, I used the lightest color as a base and covered all 3 arches. Then filled in the other thirds with the medium and darker shades accordingly.
This is where they say Trust the Process. To be honest, I was not feeling confident.
In a solo cup, I mixed the two lightest colors, about 50/50 and started painting between those colors on the wall.
To be sure I was always working with wet paint, I started with a small area and used a damp sponge to pat and blend the color.
Then, repeat a literal thousand times. My shoulders are still trembling a little.
A Little More Than Blending.
After doing this for both the light and the dark color, I wasn’t super impressed. It didn’t feel intentional and I was going over the same area multiple times with little change.
Then, an ah-ha moment finally happened. Taking the darker of the blends, I added a little to the light point of the wall, and blended it until it was almost cloud-like.
This added a water-color aesthetic that made the space look a little bit dreamier.
Hours later – I’m talking multiple days worth of hours – I finally stepped away to let it dry.
Step 3. Adding the Details
As a final touch, and to make the space a little more intimate, I found some wire prints that were simple and didn’t cover much of arch.
If you are not sure that adding a simple painted headboard will make a big difference to how it might feel crawling in bed at night. I am here to tell you that is absolutely can.
There is definitely more of cozy feeling curling up at night and I know it’s the best start to giving us a space to retreat at the end of everyday rather than ‘just somewhere we sleep.’