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Maya Drozdz kept her functional queen-size bed frame and placed a king-size headboard in front of its attached headboard. After a reupholstery attempt proved impractical, she painted the auction find’s fabric, added patterned trim and used metal adapter brackets to attach it.
Maya Drozdz updated her bedroom without discarding her queen-size bed frame, which had a headboard she could not remove: she placed a king-size headboard in front of it and customized the $40 auction find. The project gave her room a new look while allowing her to keep a bed she described as high quality, according to Apartment Therapy.
Drozdz told Apartment Therapy that the bed frame’s modern style no longer matched her taste, which had shifted toward an eclectic, vintage look. 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 fit in front of the queen-size bed’s original headboard, avoiding the need to replace the full bed.
Drozdz bought the headboard for $40 at a local auction and initially planned to reupholster it. Her stapler could not handle the thick fabric, so she changed course after researching ways to paint the material. She used dark gray-teal chalk paint diluted with water, applying four light layers before sealing the surface with furniture wax.
She also glued Morris & Co.’s Golden Lily fabric in the Sunshine colorway to the headboard’s upper border. A thick rope cord covered the seam between the patterned fabric and the painted upholstery, while metal adapter brackets connected the added headboard to her existing bed frame. Apartment Therapy’s account describes the $40 auction price; it does not provide a complete project-cost breakdown.
A New Look Without a New Bed
The project illustrates a practical alternative for people whose furniture still works but no longer fits their preferred style. Because Drozdz could not detach the original headboard, replacing the bed would have meant discarding a functional frame to change one visible feature. Adding another headboard let her address that problem without buying a whole new bed.
The reported $40 purchase price is an appealing starting point for readers weighing a similar update, but it is not a confirmed total cost. The source does not list expenses for paint, wax, fabric, glue or brackets, and prices can differ by project. The broader takeaway is the reuse strategy: adapting an existing piece can reduce replacement needs, though the finished result depends on fit, materials and attachment.
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Why the Original Headboard Stayed
Drozdz said the bed was a high-quality frame with an aesthetic she had outgrown. Her initial plan was to change the headboard alone, but its attachment to the frame prevented that simple swap. Rather than replace the bed, she looked for a way to put a different headboard in front of the fixed one.
The auction purchase led to a second adjustment. Reupholstery was her first choice, but the stapler would not work with the thick fabric already on the headboard. She then researched painting fabric and chose chalk paint, describing the first watery coats as difficult to judge. Four light coats covered the fabric without leaving it, in her description, crunchy; she sealed it with furniture wax.
“I have a really high-quality bed with a vaguely modern aesthetic that no longer suits me.”
— Maya Drozdz, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
Total Cost and Long-Term Wear
Apartment Therapy’s report gives the auction headboard’s price as $40, but does not state the total cost after adding paint, wax, patterned fabric, rope cord, glue and brackets. It also does not specify when the work was completed, how long the painted upholstery has been in use, or how it has held up to wear and cleaning.
The account says the king-size headboard fit in front of the queen-size one and that adapter brackets were used, but it does not provide measurements, installation instructions or details about the bed’s construction. The report does not establish that the same approach will fit or attach safely to other frames.
A Personal Project, Not a Product Test
The source presents the makeover as a completed personal project and identifies no scheduled follow-up, testing or broader rollout. Readers considering a similar update would need to check the measurements and attachment points on their own bed, then account for materials beyond the price of the secondhand headboard.
Any longer-term assessment would depend on how the painted upholstery wears and whether the added headboard remains securely attached. Drozdz’s account offers one example of adapting furniture, not a tested guide or guarantee of results for other frames.
Key Questions
How much did the headboard cost?
Drozdz paid $40 at a local auction. Apartment Therapy did not report a complete cost for the paint, fabric, wax, glue, cord or brackets.
Why did she put one headboard in front of another?
The existing headboard was attached to her queen-size frame, so she could not remove it for a straightforward replacement. She found that a king-size headboard fit in front of the original.
How did she change the auction headboard’s upholstery?
After her stapler proved unsuitable for reupholstering the thick fabric, Drozdz used four light layers of watered-down chalk paint and sealed them with furniture wax, according to the report.
What fabric and finishing details did she add?
She glued Morris & Co.’s Golden Lily fabric in the Sunshine colorway to the upper border and added thick rope cord to cover the seam. Metal adapter brackets connected the new headboard to the bed frame.
Source: rss
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