Our big weekend project

*This is an old post from October 2009 but I am editing it to add to:

This is the "inspiration" picture.  This full size bed costs $799 (just the bed frame - not including matress or anything)


Here is what I picked up at a garage sale:
advertised as "antique girl's bed" - yeah it is not really an "antique" but I really liked the style of it, and $35 for a full size bed - headboard and metal frame was a really good deal.  It doesn't matter to me that this was a "girl's bed" even though I needed a bed for my 6 yr old son.



So how to give it a makeover anywhere close to the pottery barn inspiration?
Spray paint super quick and easy! So we go to Wal-mart, buy 2 cans of primer, and 4 cans of paint. I let Thomas choose which color bed he wants (I want a dark blue), I am thinking about this headboard project on one of my favorite blogs, but he is very strong in his opinion that he wants RED. I do want to give my kids choices and let them make decisions for themselves, and I am not convinced it will look good, but I think I can always spray paint it another color if it doesn't work out. Also, the red he wants is the cheap Wal-mart brand that is $1.12 a can, so it is not a huge investment if it doesn't turn out good.

So Chris helps me set up the spray painting station above (2 old curtains - one laying on the floor and one pinned to the garage wall. I have done this before when I painted my dining chairs black.
I start with the primer and one of the cans malfunctions somehow and the spray starts coming out in dots and it jams up so I throw that can away and continue with the other can. When the paint dries a little I wipe away the excess with a dry towel where the paint came out in dots.

So now the bed looks like this - I think it already has potential and can see it would look nice a dark gray or a blue color.


And now it's red - this is a bad picture because the paint was wet and the flash made it look worse.

I give the bed another good coat of spray paint and we let it dry well a few more hours.

So now the after pictures:


headboard - $35
sealy pillowtop mattress and box spring - $50 (from Craigslist)
spray paint - $7
much heavy lifting done by my lovely husband = happy wife
a big new bed and a good night's sleep = happy 6 year old


(see it's huge, all his bedding looks good with the red headboard and we did not have a bed skirt so one of his fitted spiderman sheets works to cover the box springs base)
*editing to add we did buy a navy blue bedskirt and that is what is on it now.

Some other little details in his room:

this big black car was from one of our garage sales a few weeks ago - the lego table was a garage sale find too we've had it several years.
these little stars are actually Christmas ornments
a few more "train" accessories


So now I need to find a cute desk like this I can paint to match his bed!