Forget Wall Art: Joanna Gaines Has A More Unique Way To Decorate Behind Your Bed

The section of wall that sits behind and above your bed is something of a design conundrum. You could leave it as negative space, or hang wall art that becomes a major focal point in the room. But what if you don't want to hang photos or posters above your bed? Enter a solution from design guru Joanna Gaines. The HGTV superstar has no shortage of unique decorating ideas that will elevate your home, and the space behind the bed is no exception.

For The Green Mile House, which appeared in Season 3, Episode 14 of "Fixer Upper," Gaines went all out with a more nautical design theme and hung some salvaged pieces of driftwood on the wall behind the bed. The client in question was extremely fond of sea-inspired decor, so instead of building out a whole intricate accent wall, Gaines went for something decidedly simple, but theme-appropriate.

The three driftwood pieces were sourced from Lake Waco and arranged rectangularly to complement the square shape of the bed. The driftwood also perfectly complements the blue-gray, seawater paint color on the walls, while still managing to stand out thanks to the rough-looking texture. Despite being a simple design, it is unique enough to draw the eye in a way that something like a poster, or even a photograph, might not.

Using driftwood in interior design is interesting because you never know exactly what kind of shapes you're going to end up with. While the pieces Joanna Gaines used in The Green Mile House were not perfectly square, they are nowhere close to the kinds of twisted, gnarly, and downright sculptural shapes you can get from driftwood. This uniqueness is part of what makes the material so charming, and the fact that no two pieces are alike makes Gaines' design completely original to that house.

Driftwood also has the added benefit of being a natural material that brings texture and neutral tones into the space. As a material, wood in general brings added warmth, richness, and depth, and that is certainly the case with driftwood. Though the colors have been muted somewhat, they still bring a rustic, earthy quality to wall art that is really not matched by any other material. It works perfectly with the kind of coastal design Gaines went for in The Green Mile House, but also for more artistic and bohemian designs.

Driftwood also has the added benefit of being incredibly eco-friendly. It's created when waves, wind, and weather tumble wood over long periods of time. Since it's already fallen naturally and does not require logging for harvesting, you don't need to worry about any negative environmental impact from using the material.