I purchased an Arlem Bedhead Cushion a few years ago and we are still loving it. The quality has held up beautifully.
No headboard? Your bed can still look finished.
Eight headboard alternatives that work in real Australian bedrooms, including one that never touches your wall.
See the ideaThe idea
One cushion instead of a headboard. Done.
Of every headboard alternative we compare below, one earns its place morning and night. Here it is first, so you can get on with your day.
Our pick01 of 08
A bedhead cushion
A long, styled cushion that leans against the wall behind your sleeping pillows, spanning the full width of your bed. It gives the bed the presence of a headboard, with none of the hardware.
- Kind to rental walls: no drilling, no marks, nothing to patch
- Comfortable to lean against for reading or morning coffee
- Removable covers you can throw in the wash
- From $349, designed in Adelaide
The catch: it is a considered buy. If your wall only needs decoration, the seven ideas further down cover that for less.
The range
Pick the colour your room is asking for
Ruffled edge, double sided or classic. Every colourway leans the same way, and every one leaves with you at the end of the lease.
Ruffled Edge
From$379
Double Sided
From$379
5 from 14 reviews
In real bedrooms
See how it leans.
Try it on your room
See your own bedroom, without the headboard problem
Take one photo of your bed and the Arlem Styler shows it styled with a Bedhead Cushion, in any colourway you like. The fastest way to know before you buy.
Style my bedroomThe other ideas
Seven more headboard alternatives, compared honestly
Every option here works in the right room. What matters is whether it suits yours: how long you are staying, whether you sit up in bed, and how your landlord feels about walls.
02
Oversized wall art
One large piece above your bed draws the eye up and fills the empty wall. Go wider than feels natural, a small print floats away above a queen bed. Hang the bottom edge 20 to 30cm above your pillows.
- Best for:
- Blank-wall drama in owned homes
- The catch:
- Needs proper mounting, and there is still nothing to lean on.
03
A large mirror
A generous mirror bounces light around the room and makes a small space feel bigger. Centre it over the bed and let it do the work of a second window.
- Best for:
- Small or dark rooms
- The catch:
- Mirrors are heavy, so the mounting has to be serious. And not everyone loves sleeping in front of one.
04
Stacked euro pillows
Two or three euro pillows against the wall, sleeping pillows in front. It photographs beautifully and needs no installation at all. A bedhead cushion behind the stack keeps the structure while the pillows do the styling.
- Best for:
- Styling you can do today
- The catch:
- They squash when you lean and wander overnight, so the look needs rebuilding every morning.
05
A fabric wall hanging
Macramé, a woven tapestry or a draped panel softens the wall and adds texture without any furniture bulk. It suits coastal and relaxed rooms especially well.
- Best for:
- Texture without bulk
- The catch:
- Mounting again, and it collects dust if allergies are part of your life.
06
A paint or wallpaper feature
A painted arch or rectangle behind your bed creates a headboard zone with no objects at all. Peel-and-stick wallpaper is the lower-commitment version.
- Best for:
- Homeowners who like a project
- The catch:
- You are committing to a colour and a shape. If your bed moves, the paint stays where it was.
07
Floating shelves
A shelf above your bed adds visual weight plus a home for books and the morning glass of water. Handy in rooms short on surfaces.
- Best for:
- Storage in small rooms
- The catch:
- It hangs above your head while you sleep, so mount it like you mean it.
08
String lights or a canopy
Warm lights or a draped canopy soften the head of your bed and glow gently at night. A favourite in rentals and first apartments.
- Best for:
- Soft evening light on a budget
- The catch:
- It leans playful. Beautiful in the right room, out of place in a formal one.
At a glance
Which headboard alternative fits your situation?
| Option | Renter-friendly | Comfy to lean on | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedhead cushion | Yes | Yes | $$ | Renters who read in bed |
| Oversized wall art | Needs mounting | No | $ to $$$ | Blank-wall drama |
| Large mirror | Needs mounting | No | $$ | Small rooms |
| Stacked euro pillows | Yes | Some | $ | Budget styling |
| Fabric wall hanging | Needs mounting | No | $$ | Texture lovers |
| Paint or wallpaper feature | Usually not | No | $ | Homeowners |
| Floating shelves | Needs mounting | No | $$ | Storage seekers |
| String lights or canopy | Mostly | No | $ | Cosy evenings |
Renting? Your shortlist is short
- A bedhead cushion. Freestanding, leaves no marks, and gives you real back support.
- Stacked euro pillows. Zero installation, daily upkeep.
- String lights. Light enough for adhesive hooks.
The cushion is the one that solves both problems at once: the bed that looks unfinished, and the wall you cannot lean on.
See renter favouritesThe why
Why a bed against a bare wall looks unfinished
Pillows against a bare wall make the whole room feel temporary. The bed seems to float, the wall above it sits empty, and no amount of beautiful bedding fixes it.
What is missing is a visual anchor. Something with enough height and presence to say your bed belongs exactly where it is. Every idea on this page works because it gives the bed one.
Created by an interior designer
Designed in Adelaide
Free shipping Australia-wide
14+ five-star reviews
The Arlem Bedhead Cushion
Made for the wall it never touches
Visual weight
Holds the head of your bed, touches nothing
An Arlem Bedhead Cushion leans against the wall behind your sleeping pillows and spans the full width of your mattress. The eye stops exactly where the bed begins, the way it would with a built-in bedhead.
Nothing is drilled, mounted or stuck down. Your pillows hold it in place, and it moves out when you do.
Real comfort
A backrest you will use every day
Most headboard alternatives are only there to be looked at. This one earns its place every time you sit up: reading, morning coffee, one more episode.
It is the difference between a bedroom you look at and a bedroom you live in.
Made to change
Covers that keep up with you
Covers come off and go in the wash, and swap out entirely when your room changes direction. One cushion, as many looks as you feel like.
Designed in Adelaide by interior designer Emily Widdas, in colours picked to sit quietly in real Australian bedrooms.
Questions, answered
Popular headboard alternatives include a bedhead cushion, oversized wall art, a large mirror, stacked euro pillows, fabric wall hangings, a painted feature, floating shelves and string lights. A bedhead cushion is the only option that is both renter-friendly and comfortable to lean against.
A bedhead cushion. It leans against the wall behind your bed with no mounting, no drilling and no damage, and it comes with you when you move. Stacked pillows and string lights are renter-friendly too, though neither gives you real back support.
No. It leans against the wall behind your bed, held in place by the weight of your pillows and bedding. No mounting, no adhesive, nothing to patch at the final inspection.
Match your bed size. King is 183cm wide, Queen is 153cm and Double is 138cm, so the cushion spans the full width of your mattress and reads like a built-in bedhead.
The weight of your pillows and bedding holds it in place. Some customers also tuck the bottom edge between the mattress and the bed frame.
Yes. Plenty of customers layer one in front of a timber or metal headboard for a softer look and somewhere comfortable to lean.
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