We purchased this old bed frame off of Craigslist almost 8 years ago for $100. When I bought it, I had every intention of painting it right away, but it never happened! When we moved into our new home 6 months ago, we planned to use this bed in our daughter’s bedroom.
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To prevent me from avoiding this paint project any longer, I waited to set it up in my daughter’s room until I had it painted! Luckily, my daughter was ready to move from her crib to a big girl bed and it worked well having her sleep on a mattress on the floor.
Check out her recent vintage-inspired big girl bedroom makeover!
Now that our kitchen and dining room renovations are complete, I am excited to give our upstairs a little attention. Our bedrooms are in a sad state of affairs right now and they all need some love! Our first project for the upstairs is painting Evie’s bed and setting it up in her room.
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Step 1 | Find an Open Space to Paint
Because it is winter, I set the bed up in our basement. If it was warmer outside I definitely would have been doing this project in my garage.
Step 2 | Sand the Wooden Bed Frame
The amount of sanding required really depends on the condition of your bed frame. I used a sanding block and lightly sanded the entire bed, then wiped the dust off with a damp rag.
Step 3 | Apply the Paint Primer (2 coats)
When you paint a bed frame there are a few methods you can use. You can use a paint sprayer, a paintbrush, or a small roller. Because I was in my basement, I opted for the paintbrush.
If the weather was warm I probably would have used my paint sprayer outside but I didn’t have to mental energy to figure out drop cloths in the basement. Whatever feels best for you, that’s the way you should go. At one point I also tried a small roller but felt that I could move through the project the quickest with my paintbrush.
Apply the first coat of Kilz primer and let it dry for at least an hour, then paint the second coat. If you paint the second coat too early, you risk pulling up the first coat in some spots where it may still be tacky. The primer prevents any of the wood to bleed through the paint and provides a strong base for the satin paint.
Step 4 | Apply Satin Paint to the Frame
When you choose your paint color, I recommend a satin sheen. This sheen has a slight luster and is durable for the activity in a bedroom. I applied the first coat of satin paint, waited an hour, and then applied the second coat.
Be mindful of any potential drips if you are painting slats or spindles. Once the second coat was applied I let the bed frame dry for 24 hours.
Step 5 | Assemble the Bed Frame
After 24 hours, we brought the bed frame upstairs and assembled it in Evie’s room. It looks so good! Going from the mattress on the floor to a crisp white bed frame makes such a difference! Who would have thought?! This room is much more put together now and is super cozy for my little princess.
Starting with one project in a room that requires lots of work always gets me energized! We still have a lot to do in my daughter’s bedroom, including painting the walls, but this is a GREAT start!
There are so many beautiful furniture pieces for sale at thrift stores and second-hand stores that just need a little love. Painting a bed frame is an inexpensive project that can transform the feel of an entire room. I am excited to share my process with you to up-cycle an old bed frame.
Materials for This Project
- Sanding Block
- Angled Paint Brush (2″ preferred)
- Kilz primer
- Satin White Paint (you can use any color you want)
- Handy Paint Pail Container & Liners
- Damp Rag
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8 Comments
Hello
Very informative. Thanks for sharing.
Oh great, I’m so happy you found it helpful!
Turned out so cute! Looking to paint a bunch bed now 🙈 What kind of brushes/rollers did you use? Did you use a foam roller like you would for cabinets or a nap roller?
I would recommend a foam roller to get as little texture as possible. I ended up just using a brush for the entire bed because it was easier to get the little nooks and crannies. I would recommend a 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inch angled brush for this project.
Thanks for the article. If I want to paint an off-white wooden bed frame pure white, do I need to sand it first?
Hi Erin, it depends on the type of paint on the bed! If it is oil based paint, you will need a deglosser or specific primer to get your new paint to adhere. I just ran into this issue in my mudroom where I painted old doors and trim and then learned they had oil based paint and the new paint just scraped off. If the bed has regular paint, I would give it a quick sanding with a sanding block. I also like using Rust-Oleum transformations cabinet kits for furniture because it comes with a deglosser and requires no sanding.
Hello, this was very helpful but did you have to seal it after you finished painting it? Or is the satin paint enough?
Hi there, I did not seal the bed frame, only satin paint! After one year I have not seen any chips or issues on the bed frame even with a very active 4-year-old climbing all over it!