You fit a headboard to a divan bed by bolting two metal struts to threaded sockets in the top of the divan base, then sliding the headboard onto those struts and tightening the bolts. Almost every UK divan uses this arrangement, and the fixing points are usually hidden under the base fabric near the head end.
The job takes around twenty minutes with an adjustable spanner or a socket set. The parts you need are normally supplied with the headboard rather than the base, so check the box for two struts, four bolts and four washers before you begin. If the struts are missing, they can be bought separately, but the bolt thread must match the sockets in your base.
Start by pulling the bed away from the wall so you have working room behind it, and remove the mattress. On the top surface of the divan base at the head end you should find two threaded sockets, one towards each corner, typically set 5cm to 10cm in from the edge.
On many divans these sockets are covered by the base fabric. Run your fingers along the top edge and you will feel two firm circles under the material. Some bases have a small cross cut in the fabric over each socket, while others require you to make one. Cut a small cross with a craft knife rather than a wide hole, so the fabric closes neatly around the bolt afterwards.
Measure the distance between the two sockets. This centre to centre measurement is what determines whether a given headboard will fit, and it varies between manufacturers. Common UK spacings sit around 100cm to 110cm on a double base, though the struts themselves usually have some lateral adjustment.
Most headboard struts are flat steel bars with a series of holes running down their length. Two holes at the bottom take the bolts into the base, while the holes further up receive the bolts that attach the headboard itself. That row of holes is what allows you to set the headboard height.
Loosely bolt both struts to the base first, with a washer between the bolt head and the strut. Do not tighten them fully yet. Check that the struts are parallel and vertical using a spirit level, then tighten the bolts firmly with a spanner. Overtightening can strip the socket thread, so stop as soon as the strut is held solidly and cannot rotate.
If the struts are angled slightly forward or back, the headboard will lean. It is much easier to correct at this stage than after the headboard is mounted, so take the extra minute to check.
Height is the decision that most affects how the finished bed looks and works. The bottom edge of the headboard should overlap the top of the mattress by roughly 100mm to 150mm, so that pillows cannot slide down the gap behind the bed.
Put the mattress back on the base temporarily and measure from the floor to the mattress top. Add your overlap, and that gives you the height at which the bottom of the headboard should sit. Choose the strut holes that place it there.
Deep mattresses change this calculation significantly. A 30cm pocket sprung mattress with a topper can sit 20cm higher than a thin foam mattress on the same base, and a headboard set for the thinner one will disappear behind the pillows. If you are planning to change mattress in the near future, allow for it now.
Also consider what is behind the bed. A tall headboard in front of a window sill or a radiator can look awkward and may restrict airflow. Where a radiator sits behind the bed, keeping the headboard clear of it is sensible for both heat circulation and the fabric.
Lift the headboard into position with the struts sitting flat against the back of it. On most upholstered headboards the fixing points are pre drilled wooden blocks concealed within the padding, and the manufacturer marks their position.
Line up the strut holes with the headboard fixings and insert the bolts with washers. Hand tighten both sides first, then check the headboard is level and centred on the bed before tightening fully. A slight twist at this stage becomes very obvious once the bed is made up.
Do not overtighten bolts going into wooden blocks. Wood will crush and the fixing loosens permanently. Firm is enough. If a bolt spins without gripping, the block may have split, and moving to an adjacent fixing hole is usually the simplest remedy.
Finally, push the bed back against the wall and check the headboard sits flush. Skirting boards are the usual culprit when a headboard leans forward at the top. If the skirting is deep, leave a small gap between the headboard and the wall rather than forcing it.
Headboards are made to bed sizes, so a double headboard is sized for a 135cm base and a king headboard for 150cm. Mixing sizes rarely looks right and the strut spacing may not align either.
If the strut spacing on your base is narrower or wider than the headboard fixings, the adjustment holes in the struts often bridge the difference. Where they do not, universal struts with multiple slotted holes are available and solve most mismatches.
An alternative is to skip the struts entirely and wall mount the headboard on brackets or a French cleat, leaving the divan base untouched. This works well for oversized or floor standing headboards, and is the usual approach when the headboard is wider than the bed. Fix into studs or use fixings rated for your wall type, since a headboard takes repeated pressure from people sitting up in bed.
Where the existing base is worn or the sockets have failed altogether, replacing the bed may be the more sensible route. Our modern fabric beds UK sale range includes frames with integrated headboards, which removes the fitting question completely.
Once the mechanics are sorted, proportion does the rest. A tall headboard of 120cm or more above the mattress adds presence and suits rooms with decent ceiling height. Lower headboards of 60cm to 80cm keep a small bedroom feeling open and work better under a window.
Fabric choice affects how the bed reads. Pale linen and soft grey weaves recede and make a modest room feel calmer, while velvet in a deeper tone anchors the wall behind the bed. Buttoned and panelled designs add texture without additional colour, which is useful in a scheme that is already busy.
Tie the headboard to the rest of the room rather than treating it separately. Picking up its tone in your modern high gloss bedside cabinets UK or in a chest of drawers gives the room a settled, considered look. At Furniture in Fashion we group bedroom pieces by finish, which makes coordinating the bed wall straightforward, and our modern bedroom furniture sets UK sale take the guesswork out entirely.
Most UK divans have two threaded sockets at the head end for strut fitted headboards. A few budget bases omit them, in which case a wall mounted or floor standing headboard is the alternative.
An adjustable spanner or socket set for the bolts, a craft knife if the sockets are covered by fabric, a spirit level to check the struts are vertical and a tape measure for setting the height.
The bottom edge should overlap the mattress top by around 100mm to 150mm so pillows cannot slip behind the bed. Measure with the mattress in place, and allow for any topper you use.
It is not recommended. The headboard will overhang the base by 15cm on the width and the strut spacing may not align. Match the headboard to the bed size, or wall mount an oversized panel instead.
Usually the strut bolts into the base have loosened, or the bolts into the headboard’s wooden blocks are not gripping. Retighten both sets, and if a bolt spins freely move to an adjacent fixing hole.
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