Bedroom romance and glamour

Make your bed, literally, with these four unique headboard-decorating ideas that will suit an existing bedroom décor or inspire a new one. We gave a plain-Jane headboard four fresh looks using paint, stain, fabric, and decorative moldings. Then we dressed each bed with linens and accessories that complement the style of the headboard, from clean-lined to dressed to the nines. The result: a quartet of dreamy retreats you'll love snuggling into. Sweet Swedish From the acanthus leaf motif along the top to the delicate scrollwork in the panels, decorative resin moldings transform this headboard from Shaker to Swedish. Arrange the moldings on the unfinished headboard, steam to release the glue inside them, and press them in place. Attach purchased finials by drilling holes into the top of the headboard, inserting a wood dowel, then setting the finials on top of the dowels with wood glue. Once all the embellishments are in place, paint everything pale blue, then use a combination of staining, glazing, ragging, and sanding to achieve the charming aged finish that highlights the delicate carved look of this headboard makeover. To give the room a graceful vintage look, choose antique or reproduction linens and a tablecloth and curtains edged with lace or tatting. Pile on a striped duvet and cherry red quilt to keep the scene from looking too old-fashioned. And don’t shy away from red on the walls. Romantic and right at home in a bedroom, cool reds pair well with light blues. Glamour Shot Easy on the eyes describes this fetching boudoir. With its its padded headboard and soothing palette of creamy yellow and white, it looks like it could host Marilyn Monroe or another Hollywood starlet. Sophisticated tone-on-tone bedding keeps the look from being too fussy. And the crystal chandelier hanging low at bedside adds a touch of glamour. The headboard’s luxurious tufted treatment takes bedtime reading to a new level of comfort. Working with an already painted headboard, cut a piece of foam-core board for each panel, layer polyester fiberfill over the foam-core pieces, stretch fabric (we chose a subtle diamond-pattern woven) over the fiberfill layers, and staple the fabric to the frame. Glue a band of fabric around the panel to hide the staples. For the tufts, cover 10 buttons with the same fabric, turn 5 screws into each fabric-covered board, then hot-glue the covered buttons to the screws. Natural Selection This beautifully understated headboard and the room it inspires gives a nod to peaceful Asian style. Ordinary bamboo place mats take center stage on the headboard makeover — they’re simply cut to size and glued inside the panel frames after the headboard has been stained in two contrasting hues. The wood grain that shows through adds more texture and interest. Mixed greens are naturals for the walls, bedding, and accents. A generous pillow brings sassy chartreuse from the walls to the bed. And the olive green paisley vines on the duvet keep the organic style flowing, while a small bamboo-covered trunk doubles as a bedside table. Fairy-Tale Ending A pastel-painted cornice and spindles combined with panels covered in an embroidered floral fabric make this headboard fit for a princess. Decorative wood accents, available at home improvement stores, are an easy way to dramatically change the whole character of a piece. To attach the spindles, drill holes in the top of the headboard, sink dowels into the holes, and top the dowels with spindles. We used a Kreg Jig to secure the cornice, but a pair of L brackets would work, too. To accessorize such an elaborate bed, choose elements rich in texture rather than competing colors or patterns. We selected a solid-color duvet with a raised harlequin pattern, a sheer canopy, and ruffly pillows, all in shades of dusty pink.