Furniture can be an expensive prospect for those just starting out after leaving home, completing college, or getting married. Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to “make do” with pieces donated by family and friends, picked up at thrift stores, or purchased at garage sales.
A lot of us – – myself included – – wish we could own a big, beautiful new bedroom set. However, these tend to be a little on the expensive side. The lack of an immediate stash of cash, therefore, often puts them out of the reach of those who need “to make do.”
Here, in the Hampton Roads area, it is very difficult to find an entire bedroom set in a thrift store or even at a garage sale. For the most part, what can be found are individual pieces that tend to be somewhat out of date or in poor condition. While obviously someone with a good imagination can take such pieces and convert them into something usable, more often than not, time and talent may be an issue.
Another option is on-line auction sites like Ebay. They generally offer a large selection and variety of furniture pieces, which are amazingly high in quality. My daughter recently purchased a stunning $5,000 bedroom set for less than $2,500 on Ebay. While these are obviously good bargains, these pieces often remain out of the grasp of someone on a tight budget.
That brings us to another option: Making some of the pieces ourselves. It sounds difficult; like it would require a lot of talent, but it is actually pretty easy and simple to accomplish. I know because I’ve done it more than a few times in my lifetime.
When my husband and returned to Virginia from Oklahoma, we sold most of our heavy antique furniture rather than bringing it with us. We knew that we would be living in a much smaller space and that our old furniture really wasn’t suited for a small apartment. In particular, our huge, expansive heavy oak bedroom set wasn’t going to work.
Upon our arrival back in Virginia, we decided to purchase a new queen size mattress and box springs. That was the easy part. However, finding a bedroom set to go with it, proved much more difficult. In the end, I decided to purchase a few individual pieces including two chests and a vanity. Then, I made the headboard myself.
Making your own headboard can be both creative and fun. Because I love Victorian styling, I went for something tall that would definitely stand out and make a strong statement. I used a fabric to cover it that would be repeated in various other ways throughout the room and that could easily be treated with Scotch Guard.
For the base of my headboard, I chose inexpensive pressed wood which is about 1 ½” thick. I had my son-in-law cut the top into the shape I desired. Around the board base, I wrapped heavy cotton batting, in multiple layers. (Note: You could also use foam padding if you prefer.) Once I achieved the thickness and cushion I desired, I wrapped my fabric in place and used a staple gun to secure everything into place. I mounted the headboard directly to the wall.
Rather than making a footboard, I purchased an inexpensive brass bench with a cushion center. I painted the brass to match the antiqued gold accents of my other furniture pieces. I reupholstered the bench cushion in the same fabric as my headboard. The resulting finished product is a beautiful bed that also doubles as a sitting space during the day and a quilt rack at night; all for well under $100.
While this may not be the bedroom of my ultimate dreams, I really do love it. It suits me and it certainly suits the budget, which might be the most important thing of all.
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