Hmmm... I think it could work if you added upholstered panels to the inset area of the headboard and footboard (so you would have an upholstered area framed by wood). You could use upholstery tacks to give it a finished look. But I wouldn't bother trying to upholster over the whole thing like the Colette bed. It would be a nightmare and I don't think you'd get the effect you're looking for.

Post photos if you try it!

Why not?! Go for it!

I can't picture it.

Structurally, the two beds are quite different. I think you could imitate the Colette look more successfully by starting with a hollywood frame. Have to agree with aschultz27. I can't picture it.

No matter what you do, your bed is not going to look like the Colette model.

Your bed = Masculine, straight lines, visually weighty

Colette bed = Feminine, curvy lines, visually delicate

Secondly, this is the not the project for your DIY skills. A good upholsterer could remake your bed, but he'd basically have to rebuild it. Waste of time and money.

you have the bed already, and if you don't mind the fact that you may hate it and have wasted some money in the end if it doesn't turn out like you want it, do it! let it be a fun learning experience! plus it will be a good way to go green if it turns out decent! why not...

Yes, I think this can definitely be done, with one more tool...a random orbital sander. This would be for the curved area at the head end of the bed. draw the curve that you want, make sure it is even on both sides, and sand away. Yes, this will make A LOT of dust but it will be worth it. (wear a mask) Just cut the foot end to the height that you would like then cover with fabric, probably with a few layers of batting in between. Oh, and before you add the fabric, sand the edges so they are less sharp. Have fun, hope this was helpful!

I don't think it would work with a foot board like that ... it seems like way too much upholstery.

This might help:
http://manhattan-nest.com/2010/07/23/a-whole-mess-of-staples/

Completely covering the bed wouldn't look right simply because of the ledges and angles. But adding upholstered insets as mentioned before is a great way to soften it up. You can also paint in a similar color as the fabric to get the right vibe, even if the lines are different.

As far as your skill set is concerned, I reupholstered a chair and a bed on the same day with no previous experience and they're both still kicking. They've also lasted through four owners. Gotta love passing furniture around to friends. Don't let anyone discourage you. Professional upholsterers are great if you don't have time or want to preserve the integrity of a piece. For the rest of us, DIY does the trick.

Great idea! I would think about doing a tailored slip cover treatment. easier to change out in the future, maybe even give you the option to change seasonally!
I have an antique tubular metal bed that I'm going to do this w/. i've either seen it done here @ AT or possibly on martha stewart.
best of luck! post after pics!

I'm all for DIY fun, but the thick, architectural lines make me worry that covering your bed in upholstery will just make it look fat and sofa-ish, rather than thin and light. The legs alone are going to be awful chunky if you pad them.

I don't want to stop you from diving into a fun project, but I'm worried you'll hate the final product if you want something like that other bed.

It might be better to start from scratch with a really cheap Ikea bedframe and upholster that. Much thinner lines to start with, so you can get the graceful look. Slap a piece of sawed MDF on the headboard and you can even get the curve.

Best part is that if it turns out awful, you're only out the cost of the basic materials and you won't have ruined a quite nice bed that you could probably resell!

Oh ha, never mind, I just clicked Annemc's link. Exact same Ikea bed, all described in much better detail.

Bad idea:

Upholstery has depth due to the foam & batting - Once it's installed, you may find that you can no longer fit the mattress into the frame, much less have sufficient clearance to fit sheets, blankets, etc.

How would you deal with the recessed panels? You're not going to be able to get foam to fit within those panels, then do an overlay of foam over the panels and the structural parts to get a smooth finish - plus those corner posts are chunky, so covering them is going to result in clearance issues (see above)

Better to sell the existing bed and start anew.

So headboards can be super cheap on amazon.com. I bought a queen sized one that was slip-cover ready and just stapled a fabric I liked to it. Much, much easier. Sell this one and get another headboard.

We just built an upholstered bed kinda like the collette (you can see the process here: http://viewalongtheway.blogspot.com/2010/08/we-made-bed-now-well-lie-in-it.html)

What about throwing that guy on craigslist and starting from scratch? I had *zero* upholstery experience on our bed, and it turned out halfway decent.

If you still want to start with that frame, you could lop off most of the footboard and use a jig saw to reshape the headboard... but I dunno, it seems better to me to start from scratch.

Good luck, I'd love to see pictures of whatever you end up with.

I have a bed with similar shape to yours and I made 'slipcovers' for the head and footboard. It was pretty simple sewing. It worked out great and I can slip it off and wash it! I'll try to post some pics.

I have thought of doing the same thing with a Pier One headboard I have. The top has a curve, but not exactly the shape I want. So I thought of building up the curve by using either foam cut into the shape I want, or layers of currogated cardboard glued together. This could be set on top of your frame. You might want to take off the top board because it looks like they stick out a bit. Then put foam all over everything, and put your upholstery on! You might want to consider upholstering it in muslin then putting a slipcover on it for washability. And the comment on making sure there is still enough room for the mattress after the upholstery is added is a good thought. Good luck!

I agree about making something that its not intended to be. Sell it and get the one you want many people like the natural wood vs an upholstered bed. You would have to cover the whole thing and the legs would get dirty not too mention looking clunky.

I suggest trying to infill the panels (as already suggested) as some fabric and batting won't cost much. See if you can tolerate the look until you can buy another bed.

I like your thinking and love the Colette bed as well. Have tried to do the same but found I couldn't achieve an even padded surface which further challenged a smooth line of upholstry tacks. So I ended up making a snug headboard cover. Have you thought of listing your "old" bed on Apartment therapy classifieds and using the sale to buy the bed you really want?

I have nearly the same fantasy about my old bed, but know that it would look crappy (too bulky, etc. What my compromise will probably be is to just get a simple bed frame with no headboard....that would work in my particular room, anyway.

Kelly2M has the right idea. Build your own bed that would have similar lines. You can also check out www.ana-white.com for DIY building ideas.

I don't think this is the piece to lose your upholstery virginity on; it's too complex and there's too much of a difference between the styles.

If you foresee needing a "saw" for a reupholstery project, I'd say "Don't even try it!"

Not to mention the cost of fabric, batting, and trim will be MUCH more than you probably anticipate.

sell it and buy the one you want.

What??!! No way! Those 2 beds are so different. There's no way you (with no experience at all) will be able to upholster a hardwood bedframe like that one. Sorry, but you just need to buy the one you want or paint the one you have white.

Yes softer and warmer and comfy YES~!!!!

If you were trying to go for something that isn't exactly like the C&B bed, you could take a circular saw to the footboard so that it's much lower and sand down the panelling detail. You could do the same thing with the ledges on the side of the headboard. It might be easier to just upholster the headboard and paint the rest of the bed nearly the same color or even a rich dark brown.

I've seen people make beautiful upholstered headboards on blogs and HGTV, and you could probably make one from scratch for less than your current bed would sell for on craigslist -- you could end up making money off the upgrade!

Yes, here's how: use the spray foam used to winterize windows in the panels, then buy inexpensive eggcrate mattress topper, attach (smooth side out) with a layer of batting (you staple on around edges to back). Then cover with fabric. To make it a little more fem., have holes drilled to pull through fabric covered buttons to create tufted look. I do not rec., light colored/plain fabric with the beds head/foot board size, pattern/texture/color are your friends in this case!

Sell your bed on Craigslist and buy the bed you want.

Other posters have explained why you can't turn your bed into the Colette bed. If you try, you will end up with a disaster you never finish or will never be happy with, and you won't be able to sell it -- it will be both a money and time-losing proposition.

Do not attempt is my advice...

I'm not sure you can turn your bed into the Colette bed. However you can sell your bed on craigslist and DIY a Colette bed like this person did here.

http://high-heelfootinthedoor.blogspot.com/2010/08/diy-colette-upholstered-bed.html

I'm planning on using Ana Whites chunky leg bed frame plan to build an upholstered bed that matches my tufted headboard that I also made.

I did exactly that - love my electric staple gun. Just be sure to use a very large batting material first underneith the fabric - staple that on first - I used a good thick one and doubled it. If your material has a pattern, just follow the rules, top staple, bottom staple, side staples and pull and staple from there checking the fabric once in a while as you go. Love it!!!

This bed will look super bulky if you upholstered it. Have you considered staining it and adding nailhead trim to the wood?

I would paint the bed a light gray and go with the upholstered panels idea (by dearmisha) in either a complimentary/similar gray or even white.

Even just painting it and doing nothing else would change the look of your bed completely.

Sell it and start over. It's rather nice, someone else might love to have it, and the amount of work you'd have to go through to end up with something you won't be satisfied with isn't worth the headaches.

You're crazy to think that!

haha not but really, these are completely different styles and it will be much much harder than you think it will be. Stain or paint the bed, or craigslit it and keep your eye out for a good deal on an upholstered bed. You will be disappointed in the result if you try to tackle this one, I guarantee it! :)