apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

oh, look.. it's S&M!

canvases can get expensive at craft stores. In the past I've taken used canvases at a thrift store and re-covered. It might be fun to have them in different sizes too.

If you just use stretcher parts and assemble them yourself in the size you want (at least 4" narrower than the width of the facing fabric) then back the stretcher with muslin, cover with batting then cover w/ the facing fabric, you can make a lightweight upholstered headboard all in one piece and save lots of time and $$$.

Canvases are really cheap at my university's book store--maybe you could try looking at a place that sells canvases to students?

I think it would be a lot cheaper (and less painful during more, um, strenuous bed activities) to make the headboard out of fabric stretched over and adhered to padded plywood/cardboard.

Canvases can be expensive, so for a tight budget I would use plywood and foam.

I love how the initials over the bed are S & M. Made me chuckle.

how are the canvases going to damaged during "bedsport?" they are on the wall. the bed itself is several inches below. Surely, the occupants would use the pillows to protect their precious domes..?

An alternative to canvas is also homasote/fiberboard/sound barrier available at building supply stores. It come in much bigger pieces, so you would lose the fun sectioned look of these canvases, but it is certainly an option. Layer batting between the board and the fabric. Staple in place.

another knucklehead chuckling over s&m here... where's patrick2 when you need him?

I too got a kick out of the initials : )

I like the color and pattern, an overall great DIY, but I would make sure the patterns all line up.

ikea makes frames for stretching fabric over

Well, apparently I'm in the minority, but I've definitely hit my head on the wall a few times, no matter how ~careful~ I am. The canvases aren't high up enough that they would be out of headway. I don't know, hitting your head against wood and maybe getting some sweet stitches doesn't seem all too awesome to me, but to each their own.

I love the fabric used but I'd prefer stretching it over one solid piece.

Ahh...yes. I knew when I put those initials up, there would be some giggles but I was not willing to change what side the of the bed I sleep on. For the record, the initials stand for Sarah and Matt.

Thanks for the comments.

Love the colors you have chosen and the feel of the bedroom.

Can you tell us anything about the light fixtures on each side of the bed? Brand and where you purchased them?

Thank you.

the thing about the plywood/batting/fabric option is, how do you mount it to the wall? (doesn't it get heavy, esp if you use thick plywood?) i've been thinking about making a headboard for a while now, and that's the most popular option, but i've never been eager to drill big ol screws into my bedrm wall. the upside of this canvas option, for me, is that each section is pretty lightweight, so simple nails would seem to work just fine. (hopefully.)

lovely idea, by the way. :)

Roxana --

I think that we bought those lights a couple of years ago at Home Depot. Unfortunately, I don't know the brand off-hand, but I will check so see if there's a name on them when I get home. They are halogen and have a dimmer, which is really nice if you ever have any disputes at bedtime over your reading light. :)

Sarah

do you hang the canvases just like normal pictures? i would think they would fall off, when you lean against them.

Katie,

Initially, we did had each individual canvas like normal pictures. At first, it worked well but they slowly began to shift and fall, often when we were sleeping :) So, I bought some brackets and connected two canvases together -- top to bottom and hung each of them like regular pictures. They occasionally shift from side-to-side but that's an easy fix. I hope that makes sense :)

Sarah