Easy steps to modernize an old metal bed frame by removing curvy decorations, adding clean straight lines, and spray painting it modern black.
Recently my husband and I have been removing the carpet from our bedroom and living room and installing luxury vinyl plank flooring.
So, of course we had to move all of the furniture out of the rooms.
But once I started moving our furniture back into the bedroom, the floor looked so nice that I didn’t like the way my old bed looked.
Someday I want to build a new modern oak bed, but that project is on a list for another year.
For now I decided to try to make a few changes to the bed frame I already own to make it look more modern.
I found a modern dark metal canopy bed online that I like, so I used it as inspiration to makeover my old bed.
I don’t think a canopy bed would fit in my small room and it was out of my budget. But it has similar bones as my bed, so I used the same design principals to transform my bed frame.
Table of Contents
DIY modern bed makeover – video
How to make an old bed look modern
Supplies
- Rust-Oleum matte farmhouse black spray paint
- Black primer spray paint
- 1/2 inch thick plywood
- Upholstery foam
- Linen look upholstery fabric
- Staple gun and staples
- Round plastic hole plugs
- Loctite professional spray adhesive
- 0.625 inch diameter and 72 inch long wood dowel (I used two)
- Saw to cut the dowel
- Drill
- Sand paper
Step 1: Remove Curvy Lines
The first thing I did to make my bed frame look more modern was remove any parts that had curvy lines: decorative balls on the tops of the posters, the headboard, and decorative feet.
The decorative balls slid right of the posts, but they left a hole at the top of the hollow metal tube. So I started thinking about how I was going to cover the hole to make it look more finished.
After my husband helped me cut the metal decorative feet off of the bed frame, I noticed that they had plastic hole plugs. I ordered some more from Amazon to fill the holes on the top of the bed posts left by removing the decorative balls.
Step 2: Add modern clean straight lines
To impart more modern clean straight lines to the bed frame I added a wooden dowel to the top of the headboard and the footboard posts to join them.
First, I cut the ends of the dowel so they would be curved to fit around the round bed post.
I would recommend skipping this step and just using the dowels cut straight. I wanted to try to make the wooden dowels look like they formed around the round bed posts. But, I don’t really think it was worth the time and effort.
If you do want to try to cut the dowels rounded like I did this is how I did it: I used a 1 inch, fine tooth, hole saw bit and some scrap wood and clamps to hold it in place. And then I measured the space in between the two headboard posts and cut the other end the same way.
Next, I drilled a hole through the outside of the bed post where I wanted to attach the wooden dowel and continued through the hollow metal tube to the other side of it.
Then, I made the hole on the outside larger so I could fit a screwdriver through it to attach the wood dowel to the bed post with a screw.
Note: When I assembled the bed, I realized that I should have waited to attach the wooden dowel in between headboard bed posts because I ended up having to remove it and cut it down some more to fit correctly.
Step 3: Spray Paint the Bed Frame
My metal bed frame was painted brown faux wood, so to give it a more modern look I spray painted it black.
First, I sanded the whole bed frame with 120 grit sandpaper and dusted it with a damp cloth.
Next, I primed the wooden dowels with black primer spray paint. And then I spray painted several thin coats of Rust-Oleum matte farmhouse black spray paint on the back and front of the bed frame.
I was worried that the spray painted wood dowels wouldn’t look the same as the metal, but they ended up looking great when I was done.
Once I had the bed frame painted I brought it back inside and assembled it.
Step 4: Make a Modern Head Board
To make the headboard part of the bed frame look more modern I added more straight, clean lines.
First, I made a rectangular headboard by cutting a piece of plywood to the correct dimensions.
Next, I attached 3 inch foam to the plywood using Loctite professional spray adhesive.
Then I covered it with a linen look fabric which I secured with staples on the back.
Then, I attached the headboard (see note above) back onto the bed frame.
What do you think? Do you like modern furniture or more traditional?
Now that I am looking at it, this bed looks like it could modern traditional.
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