Other Ways to Decorate a Bed Besides Shams

Bedding

• Add another layer to your bedding to inject more color into the scheme. For example, take one of your grandmother's quilts and lay it across the end of the bed for additional contrast and texture. If asymmetrical is more your style, fold a comfy throw into a square and set it in one corner at the end of your bed.

Headboards and Footboards

• Putting a headboard and footboard on any bed will add texture and color to the room. Options include upholstered headboards for comfortable reading or TV watching, carved wooden footboards for a traditional look, and custom-made headboards if you cannot find one that fits your design personality. For example, create a headboard with special shelves to display a treasured collection.

Decorative Items

• Place other decorative items behind your bed If you cannot install a headboard directly to the bed. Consider folding screens for hidden storage, large plants and floor reading lamps. Plants on pedestals add warmth to the setting, while perfectly complementary nightstands finish off the entire look.

Paint

• Paint is another way to dress up beds. Coat the entire frame, whether wood or metal, in a color that matches the rest of the room décor. Paint a mural for the wall behind your bed if you lack a headboard. You might create a custom ocean scene in a beach-themed room or a black-and-white geometric design for a contemporary space.

Canopies

• Hang a canopy from the ceiling to add instant softness, texture and color to your bed. Buy a premade canopy, or make one yourself from your choice of material. Even if you do not have sewing skills, hang finished fabric from a decorative hook above the head of your bed to mimic the feel of a canopy.

Other Pillows

• Using different types of pillows, besides shams, is another way to decorate a bed. Layer decorative throw pillows of different shapes, sizes and textures to create an oasis that you dream about jumping into all day long. Match the pillows to the rest of your bedding for a monochromatic look or place a few of complementary hues and patterns to bring accent colors into the space.