Just like how the living room doesn’t feel complete when the space above the sofa or fireplace isn’t adorned with some kind of focal point, your bed is going to look rather lost if the wall behind it is left to fade into obscurity.
Above-bed decor comes in many different forms, some of which are quite adventurous, while others work beautifully because of their simplicity, so there’s something to suit every temperament.
We understand the urge to get your living spaces looking and feeling like the finished article in record time, which is why we saved you the hassle of ransacking the web by shortlisting the 29 best ways to decorate over the bed.
1. Delve into the abstract world
Many of us want to escape reality after a long day of work, so it would seem rather counter-intuitive to fill that prime spot above the bed with something that depicts the real world as we see it.
Unlike a photograph or any art based on realism, abstract art is much more imaginative, if a little mind-boggling at times, but that’s all part of the fun of it, and the nonsensical use of colors and shapes is perfect for giving a boring wall heaps of personality.
2. Keep it budget friendly
Who knew that basic household items can sometimes make fabulous wall decor?
That’s certainly the case with the handy wicker basket, and the good news gets even better as it’s not like they cost a fortune.
Most baskets are made from natural materials and if that doesn’t win you over, their beautifully woven patterns will bring more character and texture than any bland wall could ever ask for.
3. Find the missing link
Your decorating decision will be judged on how things look and the hidden meaning conveyed.
The latter is usually very subtle and often ignored, but to overlook the symbolism behind your choice of above-bed decor could cheapen the look of it.
It could be something as simple as chain link decor to symbolize your pursuit of a key piece of information you need in order to complete some sort of journey, goal or project. Using wall decor to tell a story always wins over hearts and minds.
4. Play with some wood blocks
Sure, wooden blocks are favored by kids for building towers and fortresses and the like, but it turns out you can fashion some nice-looking above-bed decor out of them, too.
This is because the inside of a tree is just as attractive as the exterior – we’re talking about the organic lines of wood grain.
It’s a great way to bring a small and manageable piece of mother nature into the bedroom while making a big impact from an aesthetic perspective.
5. Square the circle
Doing the impossible and squaring a circle is guaranteed to put your above-bed aesthetic in a league of its own – it would seriously impress the mathematical community at the very least.
Alas, squaring the circle is an impossibility, but putting a square inside a circle and vice versa is the next best thing, such as by framing a vinyl record, and this contrast of shape provides an interesting design twist that will delight the eye.
6. Lay down the blueprint
Maybe you have a passion for engineering and all things technical, in which case you won’t need persuading to decorate the wall behind your bed with blueprint wall art.
These are highly detailed drawings of anything from locomotives to famous buildings, and it means blueprint artwork isn’t just enjoyable to stare at for hours upon hours, you could actually become smarter and more technically-minded as a result!
7. Let the edges do the talking
The varied wood tones inside of a log is not the only characteristic that will fill your bedroom with a warm and inviting energy.
The natural edges of the wood are just as mesmerizing to follow with the human eye, offering a lovely organic alternative to the clean lines that often dominate our living spaces.
The manufacturing of furniture where the periphery of wood is left untouched is a style known as live edge. Luckily for you, this unique style also lends itself to amazing wall art.
8. Decorate with books
If you have an entire library of books sat gathering dust on the shelves, it’s time to re-home them.
Since this conversation is about decorating above the bed, you can guess where they will take up a new residency…
But before you raise an eyebrow, consider that a wall of books left open on pages with quotes or passages that mean something to you on a deep and personal level is an excellent way to use that empty space to express your personality, which is what good interior design is all about.
9. Leave your plates out
You’re not alone in putting off small jobs like returning dinnerware to the cabinets after use, and to be honest we don’t blame you for leaving them out for longer than necessary when you consider that some plates carry delicious themes and patterns.
If the same can be said for your own plates, don’t think twice about displaying them on the wall behind the bed where their good looks can be fully appreciated, and maybe frame them too for that added focus.
10. Chalk it up
Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could sleep under a totally different work of art every night?
Depending on how whimsical a person you are with regard to wall decor, and so long as your drawing skills stand up to scrutiny, it could make perfect sense to put a chalkboard over the bed.
Heck, even if you can’t draw to save your life, the act of drawing on one helps to improve hand-eye coordination, and it’s not like your failed attempts at making art will be permanent, anyway.
11. Lean against the wall
Artwork is your best friend when assigning a decorative voice to that big empty wall, and it’s easy to achieve a very precise look and feel as there’s a whole host of ways to display art above the bed.
If you’re after casual vibes, forget about the hammer and a few nails – try placing the art directly on the headboard and leaning it against the wall, as this never fails to loosen the atmosphere, and you can swap it out for something else whenever you feel like it.
12. Display a macrame wall hanging
Obviously the hippy era of the 1970s was a long time ago and so on the surface it doesn’t seem relevant to your present-day decorating woes. However, trends come and go… and come back again!
Indeed, macrame is experiencing a huge resurgence right now and it’s easy to see why when you hang one up on the wall in all its knotted glory.
If your bedroom walls are running with a muted palette, a colorful macrame wall hanging above the bed is going to be the perfect accent piece.
13. Shape it
Nature doesn’t conform to basic mathematical principals, which is why the kind of shapes you see in the real world have little resemblance to what you studied in math class.
If you take a great deal of comfort in things that are regular, measurable and adhere to the rules, you’re going to fall head over heels in love with geometric decor.
What’s more is circles are a bit of an outlier because they are deemed to be geometric despite their lack of straight lines and angles, and so you can still showcase some eye-catching contrast.
14. Inject some lush greenery
While nothing can replicate the health benefits that come with living alongside houseplants (they are said to improve your mood and reduce stress levels, among other things), you can absolutely replicate their visually stimulating appearance without the chore of ongoing care and maintenance.
Artificial plants are the real deal as far as the eye is concerned, and it’s possible to display them vertically like artwork using wall panels so that you can sleep under your own succulent parcel of earth.
15. Reach for the ceiling
It’s not rocket science: lines that travel horizontally will prompt left and right movements of the eye, making it ideal for wide spaces, whereas vertical lines are better for flexing a tall ceiling.
Whichever direction you want to take your bedroom in, just know that adopting a slat wall will usher in as many clean lines as you require.
And guess what? Slat walls provide so much pleasurable appeal that it doesn’t even matter if the space you’re working with is neither tall or wide.
16. Enjoy your mirror reflection
Life becomes a whole lot easier in terms of finding that missing piece of the decorating puzzle when the rest of the bedroom is already looking mighty fine – simply use the space above the bed to reflect your beautiful surroundings!
Mirrors work in any room concept, and better yet, they have this unique ability to open up small spaces and make them brighter.
We could spend days on end singing the praises of this one-of-a-kind decor, but then you’d have no reason to check out our list of ways to display mirrors above the bed.
17. Expand your storage
Not everyone is searching high and low for that winning centerpiece – there are some lucky souls out there who are spoilt for choice, and the challenge they face is how to whittle their choices down to one.
Then again, why have one centerpiece when there’s nothing to stop you from having several?
This is the perfect scenario in which to insert a bookcase behind the bed so that you can display your favorite decor and prized possessions in large quantity.
18. Give yourself the butterflies
Granted, one insect on the wall probably isn’t going to garner much attention. Two or three insects could leave your bedroom feeling a bit unhygienic, and any more than that could look like you have an infestation on your hands.
However, a kaleidoscope of butterflies is a sight to behold both in the outside world and in the home, what with the high drama and keen sense of movement it evokes, and not to mention this kind of wall decor is ideal for celebrating the changing seasons.
19. Shelve it
When toying with the idea of putting up a shelf, you probably find that you get a bit ahead of yourself and begin imagining the kind of objects you could fill it with.
Of course, good shelf styling is important, but the look and design of the shelf itself can also have a big say in the overall aesthetics.
As a case in point, your regular slim shelves are nice and all, and do a perfectly fine job of providing display space, but when you go up in thickness, suddenly there’s competition for the limelight, and the rusticity of a chunky wooden shelf wins out every time.
20. Go for a groovy glow
Once heavily relied upon by bars and restaurants to make their presence known when darkness fell, neon signage is now a lot less common and more of a novelty to make you feel nostalgic about the past.
But hey, you can’t go wrong decorating a wall with nostalgia in mind, and besides, seeing a fun or meaningful phrase lit up with the groovy glow of LED neon lights will provide a daily source of dopamine.
21. Take the wheel
Some planning and a logical mindset will serve you well in your home decorating efforts, and in life in general for that matter.
Nonetheless, you should never underestimate the role that randomness can play in finding creative solutions. After all, nobody bats an eyelid when there’s something on the wall that you’d totally expect to be there.
For example, bicycle wheels have no business acting as wall decor, but with a little consideration for size and arrangement, it can make for a truly remarkable sight that gets people oohing and aahing.
22. Upcycle
Some people follow the “out with the old, in with the new” approach to home decorating to such an extent that they are being unnecessarily wasteful.
Play your small part in helping the environment by checking if you can find a new purpose for items that you had originally planned to chuck out.
For example, as for that wide area above the bed, something sizeable like old French window shutters will fill the void with ease, generate visual interest in abundance, and more importantly it means that one less item is sent to landfill.
23. Achieve a distressed effect
We talked earlier about upcycling as an eco-friendly answer to that problematic wall, using French window stutters to illustrate the point.
Be under no illusion that with a little extra tinkering, small-scale items can land some hard visual punches too.
A wall mounted coat hanger isn’t going to blow you away on its own terms, but if you paint it and then sand it down in select areas – known as the distressed paint effect – your bedroom will be deep into shabby chic territory.
24. Load up
If the primary aim is to create something highly personal to you and not so much about earning wide applause then you basically have free reign to go down the humorous route and no one can tell you otherwise.
Let’s say you have a passion for video games and you’re not known for your patience, in which case decorating the wall behind the bed with an art decal that reads “Loading” and depicts an incomplete progress bar is quite honestly the only acceptable course of action to take.
25. Propel your above bed decor
One surefire way to elevate that tricky bit of wall is to make it airborne!
On a serious note, wind spinners may well be at their most productive outside harnessing the power of the wind, but their retro appearance has a lot of aesthetic value to offer as well.
And if you’re the type of person who enjoys living in the present moment, a motionless spinner will emphasize the stillness in the air, which sends a powerful message about focusing on the here and now.
26. Deck it out
Whether or not skateboarding is an art is not something we really want to get into, though there’s no question that deck art is a legitimate artistic movement.
Yep – the underneath of a skateboard deck has become a canvas for some incredibly creative and original designs, and you don’t need to possess skateboarding skills to see that, which is brilliant news for anyone who wants to get off the beaten path in their search for statement-making wall art.
27. Put up a sign
A space that practically beckons you is a space well decorated.
This is clearly a difficult feat to achieve, not least for spaces where you sleep, so here’s a time-honored trick that always feels like an open invitation: put up a sign with a cute phrase to woo yourself to bed, or try something random.
And by the way, it’s not just the use of words that can make you want to spend more time in your bedroom – some materials are more inviting than others, including wood.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a nice phrase on a wood plank sign is a recipe for a really warm, really inviting atmosphere.
28. Map your favorite destination
Our deepest thoughts tend to occur while lying in bed. Some of these thoughts are quite negative and keep you awake at night, but there’s also stuff to look forward to and maybe end up dreaming about.
Travel is definitely in the latter category for most people, especially among certain age groups where time and freedom becomes more plentiful, such as school graduates and retirees.
If you have aspirations to go globe-trotting or visit a specific place, why not tease the travel bug within you with a map above your bed?
29. Grab the bull by the horns
There’s wall decor that makes you happy, puts you in deep thought, or has you feeling nostalgic.
Then there’s wall decor that gets you pumped up and ready to seize the day! If you would describe yourself as someone who lacks that go-getter attitude in the morning, waking up to the outline of a bull skull is going to change that in an instant.
Words like ‘headstrong’ and ‘determination’ are symbolized by the bull skull, and the long horns conjure up images of the wilderness for that added visual impact.