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Maya Drozdz kept her queen-size bed frame, which had a headboard that could not be detached, and placed a $40 king-size headboard in front of it. After a reupholstery attempt stalled, she painted the original fabric with diluted chalk paint and added patterned trim.
Maya Drozdz updated her bedroom without replacing its queen-size bed frame, placing a separately purchased $40 king-size headboard in front of the frame’s attached headboard. In an Apartment Therapy before-and-after report, Drozdz said she painted the secondhand headboard’s fabric after her reupholstery plan ran into trouble, then added patterned fabric to create the look she wanted.
Drozdz told Apartment Therapy that her bed was high quality but no longer matched her preference for an eclectic, vintage style. She had hoped to replace only the headboard, but it was attached to the frame. Rather than discard a functional bed, she found that a king-size headboard could sit in front of the existing queen-size one without fitting issues, according to the report.
She bought the larger headboard at a local auction for $40 and initially planned to reupholster it. The stapler she had was not working with the headboard’s thick existing fabric, so she changed course after researching how to paint stained upholstery. She chose dark gray-teal chalk paint mixed with water, applying four light layers, then sealing the painted surface with furniture wax, she said.
To finish the design, Drozdz added Morris & Co.’s Golden Lily fabric in the Sunshine colorway along the upper border, attached with fabric glue. She used thick rope cord at the seam between the new fabric and painted upholstery, and attached the headboard to her existing frame with metal adapter brackets. The report does not provide a complete project budget beyond the $40 headboard purchase.
Keeping a Functional Bed in Use
The project offers a specific example of changing a bedroom’s appearance without replacing a bed that still works. Drozdz’s solution depended on the second headboard being able to sit in front of the attached one; it was not a detachable-frame conversion or a standard replacement installation. For readers with a similar bed, that distinction matters: the approach may be possible where dimensions and placement allow, but the source does not establish that it will fit other frames.
The story also shows how the finished look came from adapting when the original plan failed. Instead of treating the thick upholstery as a reason to abandon the auction find, Drozdz painted it and added fabric and trim. Her stated aim was an oversized upholstered look without buying a new bed, though the report does not compare the project’s full costs with retail alternatives or provide independent measurements of durability.
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From Reupholstery to Painted Fabric
Drozdz said she had owned the bed frame for years and that her style had shifted over time. Since the original headboard was attached, replacing only that component was not straightforward. The report describes the larger headboard as a way to preserve the bed while changing the visible feature she most wanted to update.
Her first plan was to reupholster the auction headboard, but the stapler she used could not handle its thick fabric. She then researched fabric-painting options and selected chalk paint diluted with water. The change in method was central to the project: the paint covered the original upholstery, while the patterned fabric and rope cord helped create a finished border and conceal the join.
““I have a really high-quality bed with a vaguely modern aesthetic that no longer suits me.””
— Maya Drozdz, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
Costs, Fit and Long-Term Wear
The source gives the auction price of $40, but it does not state the total cost of paint, fabric, glue, rope cord, wax or adapter brackets. It also does not provide the headboard’s dimensions, the exact bracket setup, or details about how the added headboard was secured against movement. The report says the king-size piece fit in front of the queen-size headboard, but does not offer measurements that readers could use to assess their own beds.
There is no reported long-term assessment of how the painted upholstery holds up to use, cleaning or friction, and no independent evaluation of the materials or installation. Drozdz described the result as covered without feeling crunchy after four light coats; that is her account of this project, not a general performance guarantee for painting fabric.
No Follow-Up Date Reported
Apartment Therapy’s report presents the completed bedroom project and does not identify a planned follow-up, testing milestone or additional work. Readers considering a similar update would need to check the dimensions and stability of their own setup and account for supplies and hardware beyond the headboard’s purchase price. Any claim about how long this particular finish will last remains unreported.
Key Questions
How much did the headboard cost?
Drozdz said she bought it for $40 at a local auction. Apartment Therapy did not give the total cost of the paint, fabric, trim, wax and brackets.
Did she remove the bed’s original headboard?
No. The original headboard could not be detached from the bed frame, so she placed the king-size headboard in front of it, according to the report.
Why did she paint the secondhand headboard?
She first planned to reupholster it, but said her stapler did not work with the thick fabric. She then chose chalk paint mixed with water after researching ways to paint the upholstery.
What materials did she add to finish it?
Drozdz added Morris & Co.’s Golden Lily fabric in the Sunshine colorway along the upper border, used rope cord at the seam, and attached the headboard with metal adapter brackets.
Will this approach work with any bed?
The report does not establish that. Drozdz said the king-size headboard fit in front of her queen-size headboard, but gives no measurements or general guidance for other frames.
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