The year is 2021. It seems like everyone and their mother is making headboards out of pool noodles. And that’s mostly because curved headboards are back in style, but arched decor hasn’t been in the big box or big-ticket stores yet. But now? If you like shopping for home furniture at all, you’ve probably seen your fair share of half-circle designs and sophisticated scalloped pieces everywhere, especially in bed and headboard offerings. I’ll tell you that though there’s the new-old silhouette of the bed that begins to wave again — what I call peak headboards, which resemble the profile of two mountains with a valley in between.
I credit the shape’s resurgence to designers Louisa Pierce and Emily Ward of Pierce & Ward, an interior design firm based in Los Angeles (and now Alabama). This design duo has put a custom top bed or headboard in several of their latest celebrity design projects, including actor Johnny Galecki. Architectural Digest-featured Nashville guest room shot for the magazine’s March 2024 issue.
Visually, there is something so fresh yet familiar about the shape of the top. It combines clean lines and sharp angles, but still has a calming effect, perhaps because it resembles a form from nature. The slopes can also be curved, if you want to eliminate the pointed edges entirely and go with a gentler double arch design. Whichever way you choose, the double tilt is the perfect shape for sitting up in bed and reading; the top frames your head nicely as you lean back with a good book.
Pierce & Ward tend to go custom with premium textiles when it comes to their premium headboards and beds, but you can find several ready-made styles on the market right now. Some options are made of fabric, while others resemble the wooden bed shown above. Check out these picks if you want to literally lead the way. I think we’ll be seeing more of these interesting silhouettes soon.