DIY: Wood Paneled Headboard With a Little Heart

I always find it interesting where a bit of inspiration can take a design. Often we start with an image or concept and then the constraints of the project (i.e. budget, time, and skill) and our own aesthetics transform it into something personal and unique to us.

My master bedroom's headboard is one such example.  Our bed  completley lacked any type of headboard or treatment that helped call attention to it as the focal point of our room.  But it was this image from Better Homes and Gardens of a "Patchwork Headboard" that jump started my headboard solution.

Photo Credit.

Like I said last Thursday, I've got a thing for the repetition of a single form so I liked the idea of repeating the upholstered square in several different fabrics. It seemed more manageable to upholster several small squares, than one large head board. I also liked how tall it was, to really have an impact my headboard needed height.

As I set off on my quest for supplies, my first stop was Joanne Fabrics to find the perfect fabric. I quickly realized that to get the fabric I wanted and the foam to upholster it in the quantities I needed- it was gonna cost me. Plus, none of the in-stock fabrics were in a pattern or color that worked for my space and when you've got a design itch you can't possibly wait for special order fabrics. So, I left Joanne's feeling a bit defeated.

I decided to journey over to Lowes to find the wood I'd need to mount the foam and fabric (should I actually go through with the project). That's when I came across birch plywood in 2'x'2 squares.  And I immediately became smitten with the raw panels.

Suddenly, my inner cheapskate, architect, and DIY-er collectively jumped for joy. Instead of upholstering these individual squares I could scarp the fabric and foam and just mount the squares to the wall creating wood paneling above my bed. The solution would anchor the bed and bring some much needed architectural character to the space all while helping establishing a focal point.

Here's how I made it happen:
Supplies included:

• (9) 1/4"x2'x2' Birch Plywood panels. The key to selecting the birch panels was selecting those that had minimal nicks and scratches and are flat so they hang nicely on the wall.
• Stain, I went with the same natural finish stain as my bedside table.
• (3) packs of 1/4"mirror mounting clips, I needed a total of 18 as I would mount one at the top and bottom of each panel.

• I also used a drill, tape measure, and pencil.

I started by sanding and then applying 2 coats of my stain to all nine panels. I discovered that by alternating the direction of each of the panels' wood grain in a checker board pattern it added more visual interest. I also found that some panels where darker than others, so I embraced the variation, and decided to mount them with the darkest panels at the bottom and working up to the lightest panels at the top, fading into the ceiling.

I then established a datum line that was created by my curtain rods already in place and on either side of the bed, this is where I would begin mounting my panels. By aligning the top of the panels with something already in the space, like my curtain rods, I am pulling together other elements in the room so the panels feel more permanent and their placement, intentional.

Each of my mounting clips were drilled into the wall and as snug to the panel as possible. Having a second set of hands to hold the panels while I drilled would have ensured a bit more sanity in the process, unfortunately my other hands were deployed at the time of install (about a year ago). 

I used the following order to mount the panels to the wall.

And I Repeated! To create the bottom row of panels.

The final solution brings a warmth to the space that can only be achieved by the rich grain and warm tones of wood and there is now no questioning the bed's status as focal point in our bedroom.

While my original inspiration for our headboard had been that image from Better Homes and Gardens the end result is something much more personal than the original idea ever could have been.

I was not thinking about it when I installed the headboard, but in reflecting on the final solution, it seems that the warm wood walls of my childhood's log home in Illinois followed me to our white box in North Carolina.

Where I grew up. Photo Credit: my mom, Lauri.

And the hotel suite of the Sofitel Hotel in Chicago where Dan and I stayed on our honeymoon (3 years ago last week!) with its sleek modern design and wood paneling behind the bed, clearly had some influence as well.

Dan at the Sofitel in Chicago.

So while it was the patchwork headboard that got this project rolling it was the spaces that held a special place in my heart that brought me through to a final solution.

-Grif