How to Decorate Above Your Bed
The space above the bed can be one of the trickiest spaces in your home to decorate. There are so many options for what you can hang above your bed, but it’s hard to know which option to choose. Should I hang one big art piece? A gallery wall? Something totally unique?!
I’ve tried a ton of things over the bed in my bedroom over the years – I’ve made DIY art, I’ve hung a gallery wall, I’ve tried one large piece, and I’ve even had a faux deer head hanging above my bed at one point!
I thought it might be helpful to put together a quick guide to all of my favorite options for how to decorate above the bed, and share a few great pieces that you could try out in your space. So, read on for a detailed look at all of my faves!
How to Decorate Above Your Bed: 20 Great Ideas
1. One Large piece of art
My current favorite route for decorating above the bed in our room is to find one really large, impactful piece of art and let it shine. It’s really simple (only one piece to shop for!), and in a space that already has a lot happening visually, it’s a really great way to keep things from feeling overwhelming.
The art we have above our bed is this piece from Juniper Print Shop, framed with this really affordable mega-sized frame. This was a really low-budget way to get some giant art in here, but if you’re going to splurge anywhere, why not let it be your bedroom?!
Here are a few other great options for statement art pieces for your bedroom.
2. SOMETHING ROMANTIC
I love the idea of something soft and romantic hanging above the bed, and I’m a sucker for a good line of poetry. This is something you could easily make yourself (I did it right here!), or you can find endless gorgeous options on Etsy as well.
This can be done on a canvas, in a large print, or even spread out across a couple of prints. The sky’s the limit, just find something romantic that speaks to your heart!
You can choose a sweet quote, a beautiful and simple line drawing, a photo from your wedding, or just something that makes you feel sweet and cozy feelings!
3. Black & White photography
Little Green Notebook // Design Milk
I’m a giant fan of a large-scale black & white photo hung in the bedroom. . I love the idea of a close-up or more abstract photo, and this would be a great way to show off a romantic wedding photo or something along those lines.
This is a really fun way to make things feel more personal in your room – choose a favorite photo from your collection, or even two or three, and give them a place to shine. You can stick to family photos, or you could find a landscape or still life style photo that makes your heart sing.
Make Something special
The State of Things // Design Sponge
If you know me at all you know I’m a huge fan of getting creative and making something totally unique! A DIY macrame wall hanging is a beautiful idea, or you could put together a favorite word (or even your last name) with some pretty wooden letters!
There are tons and tons of great DIY options available out there – here are a few from my archives that could be a good fit:
Gallery wall
The House That Lars Built // Domestic Imperfection
Who doesn’t love a good gallery wall? I particularly love that both of these photos have a different take on the standard gallery wall – one of them spills over the sides of the bed (which we attempted to do above our bed in our first house), and the other with the overlapping frames. I think this is a great way to take a concept that a lot of people use and make it completely your own!
Something Unexpected
And, of course, you can never forget the option of just hanging up whatever suits your fancy! If it’s scaled properly and chosen well, just about anything would look awesome hanging above your bed. I’m particularly fond of the deer antlers (and we did something similar in our last house!), but a grouping of baskets would look so beautiful too!
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Need some help getting started with your shopping? Here are some ideas for you!
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I love all the decorations but I still don’t like the idea of hanging something heavy above my head when I’m sleeping for safety reason.
Yeah! I absolutely agree but I’m so keen to put something up there. You can ensure that things are really secure and nailed in etc too – so as long as you don’t live somewhere where there are earthquakes etc (I live in the UK so no issues!) I think there is a workaround!
I loved the 5 pictures 3 large 2 smaller lined up and sort of stacked on each other in a straight line above the bed. Simple but it made a huge statement to me when i saw it. I don’t like cluttery walls especially in my bedroom I thought that was perfect and the best for my taste i have seen to date.
thank you for your attention to this area.
So glad the post helped!
I put a long canvas picture I love on the back wall in my bedroom. I love it cause it’s a pic of pRt of a tree with birds. My walls in my bedroom are a dark brown and this picture stands out cause of the white flowers. I have white in my door and big closet doors and white ceiling. Soo there is a black dresser on the other wall. What should I put there. ? Another canvas picture of what. Mirror? I am frustrated!
I always love a good mirror above a dresser! They’re so functional to have in the bedroom and always make the room feel bigger. 🙂
I really enjoyed your style only after waiting forever for all your adds to display. Just a suggestion….take a few and put elsewhere,my goodness.
Sorry to hear the site was loading slowly! It’s been acting up in the last few days, I’m working on it. 🙂
Finding the perfect decor above the bed is challenging. I would not do family pictures above or around the bed. I wouldn’t add any actually in the bedroom; only bc when you and your husband are having an intimate moment, you don’t want to be looking at pics of your family or children! I would add pictures of a landscape, or a serene waterscape that will evoke peacefulness and relaxation but also something that inspires you. Possibly a beautiful mountain range that symbolizes strength, courage, determination and beauty…all the things your marriage possesses. Be careful hanging heavy or large objects over your head. Research Feng shui bedroom options and see if any of those suggestions are appealing to you. There can be strange suggestions, but good take aways too.
Great tips, Jen! Family photos in the bedroom have never really bothered me, but I know a lot of people are weirded out by it! You can go here to see what we ended up doing in our room, if you’re interested! 🙂
The Gallery Wall is cool and amazing. I love pictures and I want a lot of them in my bedroom. Although the idea is simple, the result is an elegant display of memories. Thank you for sharing these awesome decorating ideas.
I agree, Gail – gallery walls are one of my favorite ways to decorate!
That’s some amazing ideas! Normally I would put a large scale photo that I like the most in my room 🙂
I love big photos on the wall! That’s definitely something I’m considering for our room, too. 🙂
These are some really gorgeous ideas for hanging art above the bed. I especially love the quote art! We’re in the middle of a master bedroom redo, so this is just perfectly timed and gave me some great ideas to think about!
I’m glad it was helpful! 🙂 The quotes are one of my favorites too!