Instead Of Tossing Her Bed Frame, She Put A $40 DIY Headboard In Front
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Maya Drozdz kept her queen-size bed frame and placed a $40 king-size auction headboard in front of its attached headboard. When reupholstering proved impractical, she painted the existing fabric with diluted chalk paint, added patterned fabric and used metal brackets to connect the new piece.

Maya Drozdz updated her bedroom without replacing a queen-size bed frame whose headboard could not be detached: she placed a $40 king-size headboard in front of it, repainted its fabric and added decorative trim. Apartment Therapy reported the project as a way to change the room’s look while keeping a bed frame Drozdz described as high quality.

Drozdz told Apartment Therapy that her taste had shifted from the bed’s vaguely modern look toward an eclectic, vintage style. She had hoped to replace only the headboard, but the existing one was attached to the frame. She found that a king-size headboard could sit in front of the queen-size headboard, allowing her to retain the bed while adding a larger upholstered focal point.

She bought the second headboard for $40 at a local auction and initially planned to reupholster it. That approach stalled when her stapler could not handle the thick fabric. After researching alternatives, she chose a dark gray-teal chalk paint mixed with water, rather than fabric paint, which she said was not opaque enough for the finish she wanted.

Drozdz said the first coats looked poor, but she continued with four light layers. She reported that the fabric was covered without becoming crunchy, then sealed it with furniture wax. To finish the piece, she attached Morris & Co.’s Golden Lily fabric in the Sunshine colorway along the upper border with fabric glue, added thick rope cord to cover the seam, and used metal adapter brackets to attach the added headboard to the existing frame.

At a glance
reportWhen: Reported by Apartment Therapy; the proj…
The developmentApartment Therapy reported on Maya Drozdz’s low-cost bedroom update, which reused her existing bed frame and transformed an auction headboard.

Keeping the Bed, Changing the Look

The project offers a specific example of reusing a functional piece of furniture when its style no longer suits its owner. Because the original headboard was attached, replacing the bed could have meant discarding a frame Drozdz said was still good quality. Placing another headboard in front gave her a way to change the visible part of the bed without replacing the whole item.

The reported $40 purchase price is the cost of the auction headboard, not a complete accounting of the project. The article does not provide a total that includes paint, fabric, cord, brackets or other materials. Still, the method illustrates how an existing item and a secondhand find can form the basis of a personalized update, while requiring a willingness to adapt when the original plan fails.

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From Reupholstery to Painted Fabric

Drozdz’s first plan was to reupholster the auction headboard, which she wanted to turn into an oversized upholstered feature without buying an entirely new bed. The thick original fabric made her stapler ineffective, prompting her to look into painting it instead. Her choice of diluted chalk paint followed research into painting stained fabric, according to her account in Apartment Therapy.

The decorative fabric and rope cord served both visual and practical purposes: the patterned strip added the look she wanted, while the cord covered the join between the new border and painted fabric. The article says the new headboard was connected to the existing frame with metal adapter brackets. It does not give measurements, a product model or detailed installation instructions.

““I have a really high-quality bed with a vaguely modern aesthetic that no longer suits me.””

— Maya Drozdz, as quoted by Apartment Therapy

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Project Costs and Fit Details

The source reports the headboard’s $40 auction price, but not the project’s full cost or the prices of the paint, fabric, cord, brackets and furniture wax. It also does not specify how much time the work took, provide dimensions, or describe the brackets’ exact type and installation.

The account reflects Drozdz’s experience with this particular headboard and bed. It does not establish that chalk paint will produce the same finish on all upholstery fabrics, or that a king-size headboard will fit in front of every queen-size frame. The article does not report long-term wear, cleaning results or whether the finished fabric remained comfortable to touch.

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No Follow-Up Date Reported

Apartment Therapy’s report presents the headboard as a completed bedroom project; it does not announce a later stage, planned test or follow-up. Readers considering a similar reuse project would need to check the dimensions and attachment points of their own bed and headboard, and confirm that the added piece can be secured appropriately. Further durability or cost details were not included in the report.

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Key Questions

How much did the headboard cost?

Drozdz said she won the headboard at a local auction for $40. Apartment Therapy did not report the total cost of all project materials.

Why did she paint the headboard instead of reupholstering it?

Her stapler could not handle the headboard’s thick fabric. After researching other options, she chose chalk paint mixed with water to cover the original material.

How did she finish the headboard?

She applied four light coats of diluted chalk paint, sealed the fabric with furniture wax, and added patterned fabric and rope cord along the upper border.

How was the added headboard attached?

The report says Drozdz used metal adapter brackets to attach it to her existing bed frame. It does not name a bracket model or provide installation details.

Can this method work with any bed?

The report describes one queen-size bed and one king-size headboard that fit together. It does not show that the arrangement will suit every bed, so dimensions and attachment points would need to be checked for each setup.

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