Use an Extra-Wide Headboard to Make a Bedroom Look and Feel Bigger

# Summary

This story argues a simple design switch—choosing an extra-wide headboard—can make bedrooms look and feel bigger. The author noticed a custom headboard that matched the mattress width and, despite its quality, made a small room feel smaller. Extending the headboard a few inches (or wall-to-wall) rebalances scale, creates a more intentional composition, and keeps the eye moving across the room.

# Why an extra-wide headboard works

• A custom headboard that matched the mattress felt too small and made the room look cramped. The author points to that as a missed opportunity. The piece cost about $4,000 but still underscored the effect of scale.

• A widely shared 2017 DIY headboard was low but extended across the wall, leaving windows unobstructed while creating a strong horizontal anchor.

• Malcolm Simmons made a reeded wood headboard to take advantage of an architectural feature and extend the eye across the space. That choice used texture and width together to enlarge perception.

# Practical ways to apply this in your room

• Add width, not necessarily height: aim for a headboard that extends beyond the mattress by a few inches on each side or goes wall-to-wall if the room allows.

• Keep window sightlines in mind: choose a low but wide headboard if you need to preserve light and views.

• Use materials intentionally: fabric, reeded wood, or a continuous painted panel all work. Texture can add interest without breaking the visual plane.

• Consider DIY options: the story links several step-by-step DIY builds (fabric-covered wide panels, reeded wood, low-profile spans) that recreate the look at lower cost and with custom sizing.

# Quick decision checklist

• Is the room narrow or visually chopped by standard furniture? Go wider.
• Do windows sit behind the bed? Choose a lower headboard that still extends laterally.

• DIY or buy? If you need custom scale or a tighter budget, a DIY wide panel can achieve the same visual effect.

# Bottom line

A wider headboard changes how a bedroom reads at a glance. Instead of fitting your headboard to the mattress, think about fitting it to the room's frame so the bed becomes a horizontal anchor that makes the space feel larger and more purposeful.