Headboards are one of those bedroom features that are easy to underestimate. When the height is right, the whole room feels balanced, comfortable and thoughtfully put together. When it is wrong, even a beautiful bed can end up looking slightly lost. So how tall should a headboard actually be? The answer depends on your room, your bed and how you use the space day to day.

Why Headboard Height Matters

A headboard acts as a visual anchor in the bedroom. It frames the bed, sets the scale of the space and helps everything else around it feel connected. If it is too short, it can disappear behind pillows. If it is too tall, it risks overwhelming the room.

This is where made-to-measure headboards really come into their own. Standard sizes do not always suit real homes, particularly in the UK, where ceiling heights, room proportions and bed sizes can vary so much.

General Height Guidelines

As a starting point, most upholstered headboards sit somewhere between 120cm and 150cm from the floor. This range tends to work well in average-sized bedrooms with standard ceiling heights.

That said, it is only a guide. Mattress depth, bed base height and even how many pillows you like to pile on the bed all affect how much of the headboard you actually see once the bed is dressed.

Consider Your Ceiling Height

Ceiling height plays a big part in deciding how tall your upholstered headboard should be.

In rooms with lower ceilings, a headboard that rises just above the pillows usually looks more balanced and keeps the space feeling open. In rooms with higher ceilings, a taller headboard helps fill the vertical space and stops the bed from looking undersized against the wall.

A taller made-to-measure headboard can add presence and structure without the need for extra furniture or wall decoration.

Think About How You Use the Bed

How you use your bed should also influence the height you choose. If you often sit up to read, watch television or work, a taller upholstered headboard offers better back and neck support and generally feels more comfortable.

If the bed is mainly for sleeping and the room is on the smaller side, a slightly lower headboard can feel more practical and less dominant in the space.

How the Headboard Works with the Wall

It is also worth considering what sits above the bed. Wall lights, artwork or shelving all need room to breathe. The height of your headboard should work in harmony with these elements rather than competing with them.

Leaving a small gap between the top of the headboard and anything mounted above helps the wall feel balanced and keeps the bed as the natural focal point.

Rectangular Headboards and Proportion

A rectangular upholstered headboard relies on clean proportions to look right. Height and width need to work together. A wide bed paired with a very low headboard can feel out of scale, while a taller headboard helps ground the bed and restore balance.

This is another reason made-to-measure headboards are worth considering. Adjusting the height to suit the width of your bed and the scale of the room makes a noticeable difference to the finished look.

Fabric and Visual Weight

Fabric choice also affects how height is perceived. Heavier fabrics like velvet, bouclé or textured weaves carry more visual weight and often suit taller headboards well, as they look substantial and intentional.

Lighter fabrics can still work at greater heights, but they benefit from clean lines and good padding so they do not feel flat against the wall.

There is no single answer to how tall a headboard should be. The right height depends on your ceiling, your bed and how you use the space every day. If you want a headboard that fits your room properly and feels right for years to come, invest in a made-to-measure headboard from The Sewing House.