Remember this old door and the black trim beside it? Inspired by a project I saw on Pinterest earlier this summer, I went searching for crown molding and a solid old door. I found them at the Habitat Humanity ReStore in a nearby town.
An hour working here and there, a pint of apple green paint and voila! The door has been transformed. Into this:
It is hard for me to find the words for how much I love this. It is huge and lovely. I would have made my bed up with fresh clean sheets and then shot these photos but I couldn't wait. (It might be weeks, you know.) And really, this is what it looks like on a good day so I'm shooting for honesty.
We have never had a headboard. Never. Pete and I have been co-habitating in one form or another for almost two decades and only now do we have a headboard. I am tickled by the sight of it every time I walk into our bedroom.
The process was pretty simple.
1. We (read: Pete) removed the hinges and the door knob.
2. I filled the holes with wadded up paper and then wood filler.
3. We sanded down the wood filler.
4. The crown molding was a bit more difficult but Pete figured out how to do the complex miter cut required to have the trim wrap around back towards the wall. (If that scares you off just skip the trim and use the door only. It would still be awesome.)
5. He attached the crown molding to the door with wood glue and brads, then
6. I filled the little holes with more wood filler.
7. One more quick sanding and it was ready for
8. priming and
9. two coats of paint.
10. We hung it up using some nifty little clips from the hardware store that hook together. You attach two to the wall and two to the headboard. Picture an interlocking letter M and W. I have no idea what they are called, but they were slick to use and solid.
Did I say I love it? I love it. You may also recall that I painted the nightstands a while back. The color was close to what I chose for the headboard so I just gave them one more coat in the new punchier apple green and they were done.
As for how we sleep around here, I've talked about it before. Personally I am a big proponent of having space for anyone who might need some parenting in the middle of the night. (We grown ups get so caught up in rules and "normalcy" sometimes, don't we?) And waking most mornings four-across in our king size bed was getting a bit, um, painful. To me, telling my kids they aren't welcome where we sleep was not an option that felt good in my heart so our family bed came back. (We have had one since Sage was born but dismantled it a couple of years ago when we were usually only two or three across by morning.) We now have a king with an attached twin, affectionately referred to around here as the Viroqua King. (Indeed, we're not the only ones bucking the "norm" around here.)
If you are wondering, I've got a duvet tutorial over here. And next up? A new quilt for our bed. I'd love to hear your color suggestions. Orchid, apple, and…? I'm open!
Orchid, apple, and navy!!! Or white. 🙂
I love the creativity!!! And Pete’s skills are admirable.
I love it too! Happy sleeping!
Looks FANTASTIC. We had a crib attached to our queen, but that’s the biggest our family bed got. We still have no headboard. Or bedframe. Our mattress and boxspring sit on the floor, just as they have four the past 4 + years. Easier for little ones to climb into and safer for them to roll out of.
A headboard we could totally do though.
And for the quilt…I agree that navy and maybe cream would be awesome additions to the orchid and green…
So a standard door would be long enough for a king then? we have a king with no headboard. i’d love to do this…just need to keep my eyes peeled for an old door!
I’d say some dark blue for contrast and in small quantity.
LOVE!! we’ve never had a headboard around here either, and this seems like a project i would love to do someday…..maybe when the littles arent so little… :)oh, wait — i say that about EVERYthing!
Yes it is! Just right in fact.
Project time will come. Really! One day youll open your eyes and be able to actually finish what you start. And it is so satisfying!
That’s awesome! Love the color. My vote for other colors would be a little dark brown and a lot of white or cream.
It’s beautiful! It’s so incredibly satisfying to love an object you made, isn’t it? I would add whites and off-whites, plus light blue and a little yellow to a quilt if I were to make one for that bed. Blessings on your weekend.
Shout out for the Viroqua King! We have one queen next to one full. Seems to work well for the time being. My vote would be for dark brown. You are an inspiration!
That looks great! I’ve been contemplating a headboard for a decade now. Maybe longer. But I haven’t mustered up the focus to create something. These door headboards are exactly what I like though in a project. Full of other life, simple, and endless. Perhaps you’ve inspired me to finally make one…someday. 🙂
PS. I always wonder, does a headboard make it more uncomfy to sit up in bed reading? Not that I read in bed almost ever. But I always wonder if the wall is just more comfy than some wooden thing that makes the room look so put together. Just curious. Cheers to you!
Jeanine,
It is very comfortable! We are loving it more each day. Cant believe we went so long without.
~ Rachel
i love your colours- stay with the pink and let the green be a stand alone!