In our last house the bed in our master bedroom was an oh-so-practical but oh-so-boring Divan bed. The drawers were brill for storing things like duvets, towels and handbags but I used to lust after beds that had fancy tufted headboards like this one from The White Company or ornate wooden spindles like this Ercol one.

To fill that gap over the bed I ended up attaching a gorgeously embroidered rug – a charity shop find – to a piece of dowel to create a wall hanging of sorts. It may sound a tad odd but it prettied up the wall no end without blowing the budget. And I’ve noticed that on the Urban Outfitters website they often use images of their rugs hanging on walls so I reckon I’m in good company. Whilst we are talking rugs, how epic is this flamingo one?

Here’s some other ideas which show that there are some lovely alternatives to headboards that won’t necessarily break the bank.

Alternative #1 {Macrame}

I’m all about the macrame trend that is currently enjoying a moment. I’ve got my eye on this one for my lounge and a wider one would look perfect above a bed, a la the above image from Almost Makes Perfect. So simple but so effective. And if you’re strapped for cash then it’s worth following one of the YouTube tutorials on how to make your own macrame wall hanging – I recently made a hanging planter out of twine – it’s much easier than it looks and costs just a couple of quid.

Alternative #2 {Picture Ledge}

Get yourself down to Ikea or B&Q and pick up a couple of photo shelves (I bought a couple of these ones for our kitchen and completely disagree with the 1* review – they’ve been fab). Stack with your favourite pictures, album covers and an alarm clock. This is also a fab option if you’re short on space: rather than using a bedside table you can attach lamps, like the ones above, to either end.

Alternative #3 {Window}

Have a reshuffle of your room so that the bed is positioned beneath the window, and it takes pride of place instead of a headboard. Our bedroom overlooks a park so I wish I’d had this idea before I used wallpaper to create a feature wall behind our bed.

Alternative #4 {Antique Window}

Or if it’s not possible to position your bed under a real window, why not trawl the antique shops and flea markets for some vintage windows instead.

Alternative #5 {Shutters}

In Charlotte’s old house she used whitewashed shutters as a headboard which I thought was a lovely idea so I was delighted to stumble across some very similar ones in Hudson Home. You can also buy similar shutters from Cox and Cox.

Alternative #6 {Gallery Wall}

I’m a big fan of a gallery wall and the above image shows how you really don’t need a fancy bed. Just choose a colour scheme (monochrome is high impact and easy peasy), print off your favourite photos and pick up a few arty prints. Just make sure the pictures are securely attached to the wall …

Have you ever used rugs, plates or the like as an alternative to headboards or as general wall decor? I would love to hear all about it. And if you fancy even more interiors inspiration then pop over to Rock My Family today for a tour of my little boy’s new nursery.