Keystone, Stepped, Ogee, and Peaked Headboards
When the curves and cutouts move from the corners up toward the highest arch of the headboard and form ornate “shoulders” — did you know that headboards can have both shoulders and arms? 🙂 — you can get lovely shapes like these!
The shape we call “keystone” has a large arch or square in the middle with either flatter or curved sections to either side — you could consider it the dressed-up cousin of the simple camelback shape.
The most commonly popular keystone headboard shape combines a short scooped corner with a short stepped edge leading into the keystone arch, like these:
This variation is more cloud-like, with curved corners building to a curved arch — perfect for these twin girls’ headboards!
Or you can get a little bit fancy and add in a couple of peaks like these:
Or flatten out the curve on top to look more like one of these:
The graceful curves of this scooped keystone style are perfect for a neutral headboard against a bold wall:
but it also looks lovely in a bold pattern on the headboard itself!
A stepped headboard has square or rectangular “steps” going up either side.
And the addition of a couple of curves makes it even sweeter!
Top it with a triangle and we’ll call it a peaked headboard.
And bring those lovely side curves (shoulders) up to a point and create an ogee or pointed arch shape — it resembles a teardrop and is a great way to add the modern Moroccan style that is so popular!
Ready for more lovely headboard shapes? Keep reading!
See more headboard shapes and styles on the next page –>
IN THIS POST | Guide to Headboard Shapes
page 1: introduction to sizes and styles
page 2: basic flat (rectangle) headboards
page 3: circle, arched, and camelback headboards
page 4: scooped, inset, and beveled headboards
page 5: keystone, stepped, ogee, and peaked headboards
page 6: combination ornate headboards
Hi Cassity and Justin my name is Rick and I am recently retired and I want to hold a head board and I want it to have a scalloped head board but I would like for it not to be upholstery but to have a wooden panel with a wooden molding to go across the top of the head board I also do not want this the molding to have any end grain showing at all I have some experience at
cabinet making an I did it for all living over 44 years ago I also have I fairly well stocked woodshop to work at So U would also build this piece of furinture with the use of all the different types of major pieces of equipment available to me So I will also look at building this out of 3/4 – inch Walnut plywood plywood and the molding would be made out of solid walnut So any ideas u would have about this would be greatly appreciated Oh I will also try to download a pic of a head board that I like the shape of but where the upholstering is I would have the walnut plywood there Thank you Rick
I am redecorating a bed room and have found your information on heights and widths of headboards most helpful. I am hoping you can help with some ideas with using a footboard for the headboard… My daughter has given me the footboard to her queen bed that she is no longer using. I am struggling to attach pictures, but I can share that the back edges are flat just the legs are too short. Also my email address is all lower case.