Yup, we finally gave Ed a little haircut. For over a year and a half we tried to work with the posts on Ed the bed, but the realization that we didn’t have a lofted ceiling or a floor plan that made sense of those big dramatic posts slowly worked its way into our conscious and we finally decided that just because Ed was born with long hair posts doesn’t mean that a little haircut is cruel and unusual bed punishment. So here he is before…
… during…
… and after…
This whole bed-trimming project was free, took about an hour of work, and we totally dig the more open look. It was just too much vertical stuff going on- especially with the bed right next to the window (with those floor length curtains going on). Ed’s totally crying out for a large fabric headboard so we can raise the mirror above the bed about another foot or two (like this poorly photoshopped rendering) and someday we’d love to stain the floors (and possibly the dresser) darker…
… but we’re getting there. And just because I can’t stop at one photoshopped headboard option, here are some more I had fun with:
But back to reality. You know we like to use what we have, and we love Ed for so many reasons. The height, the comfort, and the thin airy legs that he sits on which allow us to hang out be weird under the bed…
… so instead of completely scrapping him (ex: craigslisting him and buying a new bed) we devised a completely reversible plan to give his posts a little trim. How is it reversible? Well, while they don’t just screw off or anything, they’re solid wood posts. So we can always reattach them by adding a nice long metal screw to the center of each post that we could just screw back into the bed frame to attach them (it’s how a bunch of Ikea items are made, like how Lack tables have legs that can be screwed on and off). So although we don’t foresee any reason to put those suckers back on, who knows… maybe someday we’ll end up in a house with lofted ceilings and we’ll wish we could put Ed back together – and now, theoretically we can. Haha.
So after concocting our little Ed-tweaking plan, this is how it all went down (complete with insanely embarrassing not-meant-to-sound-perverted comments by yours truly):
For those who can’t watch the video (perhaps you’re at work, although it pretty much tells the story on mute) we snapped some photos for ya too. We basically just lined the Dremel up (we have a Multimax, and used the wood cutting attachment) with the base of the post and slowly sawed around it.
Oh and see how we put a piece of cardboard between the mattress and the post? Just wanted to make sure we didn’t get too chop-happy near the mattress (and moving our organic mattress takes the strength of ten vampires, so we just didn’t have it in us).
Thankfully we had no mattress casualties and each post came down after around five minutes of careful cutting.
We actually got much better at making super clean cuts as we went, so we’re glad we started on the two bottom posts of the bed (which will always be covered by the comforter anyway) and worked our way up to the top two posts, which are seen a lot more.
John even let me take a spin. I had to wrestle the Dremel from his cold dead tool-loving hands, but it was worth the trouble. Girls need a romp with a power tool every once in a while too. Especially because safety glasses are so undeniably sexy.
We were really surprised how nice the top posts looked when they were cut. See the circle detail that they ended up sporting (the bottom posts didn’t have those)? They made it look like a decorative design, so they looked convincing. Like they were meant to be this way. Total happy accident.
Then we just did some sanding to get everything smooth…
… and I used the Ikea-white paint (I did a little hunting to find the perfect white paint that matches Ikea’s white tone here) that we had leftover from another project.
Check out the top right post after cutting, sanding, and painting…
… and the top left post after the same rigmarole.
By the time the paint dried and we made the bed it totally looked like Ed was born this way. Cue the Lady Gaga dance-a-thon.
Here’s John breaking it down. Just kidding. He ran through the shot and kicked his leg up in some sort of weird victory cry and somehow the camera caught his ghosted karate move. Hilarious.
Here are things from another angle. Obviously we need nice large art where those botanicals are floating on that wall on the right of this picture (we’ll rehang the botanicals over a chair that we have in another corner), but we’re getting there. Especially once we build an upholstered headboard for Ed and move the mirror a bit higher, so it further ties into the chandelier.
I can’t tell you how much we like this hand-me-down dresser from John’s parents in the nook. It’s the perfect fit.
We already shared how it looks from the hallway in this morning’s post, but here’s that shot again, just to refresh the ol’ memory:
Although it definitely doesn’t match the wood dresser on the other side, there’s something charming about the little white nightstand in the window. And the fact that we have the same bedside lamps on each one sort of connects the two pieces, even though they’re very different.
Here’s a straight shot of the bed as it looks now. I’m definitely itching to get on that headboard project so I can bump the mirror up a bit higher so not everything will be in the same line (the art on the right and the mirror are so perfectly lined up, I think the bed will feel more special with a big fabric headboard and a higher focal point above it). And as for the color of the dresser and the white nightstand, we’re open to painting or staining something, but we’re not rushing into anything.
One thing is for sure, it definitely feels more homey and full than it used to look back when the bed was on the wall near the door.
And it’s so much nicer to walk into this view, instead of stepping three steps in the door and hitting the bed.
So that’s the latest bedroom tweak, but we’re probably a good dozen tweaks from being done in here. Haha, you know us. Inching along. But you know we’ll keep you posted when we tackle other things, like dealing with the bare wall across from the bed, making a giant fabric headboard and moving the mirror up, etc. Should be fun…
Oh and how funny is this? Every morning around 10am the sun shines through the window above the sink (this pic is from before Ed’s move and subsequent haircut)…
… and this shape is reflected on the rug:
Yup, the elongated shadow is pretty much exactly the same shape that’s on the rug itself. The weirdest thing is that when we fell in love with this rug and snatched it up at a local outlet, we made absolutely no connection that it had a similar shape to the mirror above the sink. Hooray for happy accidents.
What are you guys up to in the bedroom (decor wise, I mean – let’s not get saucy). Has anyone else altered their bed to make it work better for their room? Or straight up built one from scratch? Anyone else planning to make a headboard in the next few weeks? I can’t wait to go fabric shopping…
Laurie says
Love what you have done with Ed and with room staging. It all looks so much fresher and roomier somehow (well, I guess that was your plan …). I’m excited to see what you do for your headboard. I have pinned a gazillion diy headboard plans, but still not sure what to do! I find so much inspiration from you two, that I hope you get me going so I can finish my room! Thanks!
Jenna says
I love the new bedroom look!! Just a thought, and you guys might already know this, but the same company that makes your white night stand makes a gorgeous matching double-wide dresser. I think that would look amazing in your nook!
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that’s fun!
xo,
s
Julie B. says
What the…I went to lunch and now you have a new bed. Looks even better than this morning!
Anne says
love the new arrangement, love the post-less ed, love it all! much cozier! i totally agree that walking directly into the side of a bed when entering the room is not ideal. it just feels anti-feng shui, and of all places, the bedroom needs to have good flow. ;)
awesome progress, been enjoying the blog so much, as always.
Athena says
I believe strongly in to-each-their-own when it comes to decor, but I’ve never liked the look of Ed’s long limbs in this bedroom. I agree that if you ever moved into a different place with vaulted ceilings (or even just much taller ceilings, haha), it could look awesome. But, I really like the new look of Ed, especially in its new location! I hope you two are also enjoying the change. I always hate that time of complete reorganization of a room while everything feels in transition, but once you find a new orientation that works better than the one before it seems all worth it. =) Great job with being so flexible and creative with your solutions!
Sara says
I was hoping you would do that! :)
Aimee says
Just purchased my first hand sander and I’m going to take our craigslist-ed side tables from an ugly yellow to medium gray color. I actually went to your blog for the how-to directions on painting furniture. I’m nervous, but excited! Thanks for all of the inspiration and instructions on DIY!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, good luck and have fun Aimee!
xo,
s
JMe says
I made my own fabric-covered headboard a few years ago and love it enough to have just moved it to a new house! I covered mine with burlap – great texture and cheap! The entire project cost $50 and nearly $30 of that was the 3″ thick foam.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome!
xo,
s
Heidi P. says
Mmmmm, yep. Definitely better. Never even crossed my mind, but you guys seem to see everything :). Love the new look and canNOT WAIT for the headboard. All the photoshopped options look great.
30 points for the use of “rigmarole”! (and an extra 10 for its correct spelling!)
Aaaand… that’s crazy about the mirror/rug! So cool!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh you bet I had to google that spelling first! Haha.
xo,
s
Heidi P. says
Haha I did too before I typed it!
Naomi says
It opens up the room more without the posts :)
? Naomi {Starry Eyes + Coffee Cups}
Meg says
Love the new look of the bed, looks great even without the photoshopped headboard. The new location looks great too, it must feel roomier with the new layout. It always seems a little awkward to me walking into a bedroom with the side of the bed right there, I think it flows better when the foot of the bed faces the door – I think that’s a feng shui kinda thing. I also loved the darker stain on the dresser too.
Catherine says
It’s amazing how your room looks so much bigger and more open with just a few simple changes. I think I’m in the camp that says move the mirror. Have you thought about putting a mirror in place of those prints on the right? It would reflect light from your hallway and sort of look like a window. Anyway, it’s a lovely change and I like that your nightstands don’t match. Great job! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that’s a possibility down the line! Just using what we have for this phase, but who knows where we’ll end up!
xo,
s
Sarah Smith says
you guys. you! guys! SO much more… organic(?) looking now! Before it seemed like a staged home where everything was too symmetrical and perfect yet off, now everything looks like it just works together without too much effort, and isn’t that we all strive for? I was iffy about the chandelier before but without the competing bed posts it’s perfect! It seems like maybe a to-the-ceiling headboard won’t add in competition with the chandelier whereas a big piece of art might?
YoungHouseLove says
I think we like the photoshopped version of the room with the mirror raised and the headboard showing about a foot above the pillows, so that’s what we’re leaning towards, but who knows where we’ll end up!
xo,
s
Heidi P. says
Oh, and with the new layout, the bed and the room look so much more inviting! Like you just wanna run in and jump in the bed! (And now you’re glad that we don’t know each other in real life. Hahaha. ‘Cause I would totally do it if we did! Ha!)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, come on over and snuggle.
xo,
s
Marge says
Your rearranging skills are fantastic. Can’t wait to see how the rest of the room shapes up! I made my headboard (step-by-step here) and after 3.5 years my bedroom has shaped up a bit (here) but there are still SO many adjustments I keep making–which is half the fun, right?
YoungHouseLove says
Looking good! And amen to tweaks being half the fun! I think I would want to move every day if I had to do a room once and live with it forever, tweaks breathe new life in!
xo,
s
Marge says
Thanks!! And so true!
Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says
Dang guys you’ve got a room that just won’t quit! A girl can only say “I really love this!” so many times. But I don’t mind cause you do it on the daily. I bet it feels like a breath of fresh air now right?
My best, Lynn
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Lynn! It’s definitely more fun to go in there now. Maybe we’ll start going to bed at a reasonable hour again! Haha.
xo,
s
Sarah says
This change definitely makes the new arrangement make more sense and feel much more cozy! Love the more airy feel. One thing about the placement of the dresser in the nook: Is it kinda awkward to be able to put anything on it??? I know for a short while we were waiting for our new headboard (with built in shelves to take the place of nightstands) we had a similar situation going on and it was super uncomfortable to reach back to put anything on /take anything off of the dresser… Maybe its just because I’ve got short little arms…
YoungHouseLove says
Thankfully that’s John’s side of the bed, so it’s all good since he has a nice long wingspan. Haha.
xo,
s
Carrie @DreamGreenDIY says
Wow!! The difference such a simple little change can make is amazing! Love it =)
Karla@{TheClassyWoman} says
I love the open look removing the posts created, not to mention moving the bed (I read the other post this morning). I always love the look of walking into a bedroom and seeing the end of the bed greeting me. The new arrangement looks so much more cozy. Enjoy guys! :)
Becca says
You guys could totally do a faux-window where that nook is. I’ve seen it done before and it looks cool. You could do the same curtains over there. Or maybe hang a cool vintage window or two there- with or without curtains.
I’m digging the change though.
xo Becca
Crystal says
I love the bed haircut and the new arrangement. It feels more feng shui…whatever that means.
Kelly says
Everything you did on your room had a big payoff! Great job you two!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kelly!
xo,
s
Gwenalyn says
Looks fantastic! Love all the changes!
Vanessa says
Ah! I love how the “photoshop-mocha” floors look with the whole room. And speaking of bed frame modification…we’re big diyers, and so we’ve been planning on building a bed frame to replace the free, squeaky metal one that came with the mattress. It’s pretty low on the importance list, so we haven’t gotten to it yet. A couple weeks ago, I sat on the edge of our bed and the whole bed fell! (Nothing like that to make you feel like a total fatty) It turns out the plastic piece between the wheel and the bed frame had snapped, so that project got quickly moved forward! Hope your bedroom work goes more smoothly than ours! haha
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh- no way! Hope it’s easy enough to fix!
xo,
s
Ally says
Beware…if it sits still long enough, $herdog will give it a haircut! :)
xox
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- it’s true!
xo,
s
Cathy says
Regarding possibly staining the dresser in your room, I have to tell you about a product I found through (none other than . . . your friend) Katie Bower: Cabot Polystain. It is a miracle product!
Here’s where I read about it first: http://www.bowerpowerblog.com/2009/03/slain-with-polystain. We are in a relatively new house that was well built, including custom built-in cabinets in the kitchen, but the staining was somewhat uneven and there was only a whisper of polyurethane on them (which drove me nuts from the start). I had thought about trying every possible fix, and none seemed like a great option. I could not find it in my city of 4 million people, but I found it online at Hardware World. When it arrived, I tried it inside a cabinet first to see if it would work, and boy does it! As Katie explains, you just coat and re-coat until you get the desired effect. It dries quickly, there is NO SMELL and the brush clean up is a breeze. I only wish I had found this sooner! I am half way through with my kitchen, and even my 22-year old daughter walked into the kitchen yesterday and said, “Mom, that’s amazing how much better those cabinets on the left look compared to the ones on the right.” Twenty-two year olds do not say things like that, even observant, sweet ones!
To all you DIY’ers who have a piece of furniture you’d like to be darker, consider this great product. I am an experienced refinisher, and had I known about this, I might have saved myself a lot of grief. I am so happy about my cabinets I want to scream it to the world! Yay! Thank you Katie Bower!
p.s. Love the new arrangement and Ed’s haircut. Both are “just right.” Have fun at the conference!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we’ve been meaning to try that out. Thanks for the recommendation!
xo,
s
Kate says
I built a modern take on the farmhouse bed from Ana White’s plans back in February/March and while it looks great, the rest of my bedroom projects have really not gone anywhere. I still need to hang one of the two new bedside lights I got (my husband’s got up but I still have the old lamp, opps) and I never did get a big copy of our wedding photo printed out to replace the stand-in copy I printed (in multiple pieces, mind you) on our home printer…
YoungHouseLove says
So awesome that you made your bed!
xo,
s
Tardevil says
Call me crazy, but I think it would look nice to paint the headboard wall a nice dark gray or light black to coordinate with the dark in the rug and mirror, which I love, btw. Bed looks much better topless. Lol.
YoungHouseLove says
I actually mentioned that to John but he has been gunning for repainting the whole room darker, so we’ll have to see where we end up!
xo,
s
Susan says
First of all, let me tell you how much I LOVE!!! your new bedroom arrangement. I don’t just love it, I move in and marry it love it. Genius. Also, every day when you ask if they’ve tackled a similar project I wish I had something similar to share and today I do! So hang onto your hats because while my story has a very loose connection to your post-cutting process it’s very exciting for me.
When I first moved into my house (I have a bedroom like yours where only one or two arrangements make sense.)I had my Grandmother’s hope chest at the foot of the bed. I thought that’s where hope chests went, at the foot of the bed. After running into it several times, resulting in big bruises on my leg because of limited space between the wall and chest (and I’m clumsy), I decided to move it to the wall directly opposite. Shazam! The waters parted, it was a brand new day! And I also had a new place to decorate with pillows. Double bonus. No more bruises! Wasn’t that exciting? It’s a big day for me. :)
amy @ www. brooksboutique.com says
sooooo much better! Love the new room!
Kristy says
I was thinking Ed would look better this way. Love it. Love the upholstered headboards too. Any suggestions for how to dress up my plain chunky espresso brown headboard? It’s too dark and heavy, I need help!
YoungHouseLove says
I would slipcover it with great fabric!
xo,
s
LauraC says
Two thumbs up! I wish for a 4-poster bed all the time, but since our ceilings are not even quite 8′, I know we have to pass. Your “new” bed looks nice! Little things do make such a difference. I found two a-little-beat-up-but-serviceable IKEA bookshelves (nice tall ones) for $10 at a garage sale and they’ve made such a difference in two areas I had considered “done”. So you just ever know. Free tweaks are the best though!
Hannah says
I’ll be honest, when I saw this morning’s post, I wasn’t thrilled with the move. But I’m not one to leave negative comments. But now seeing it without the bed posts, I LOVE IT! I totally think the posts were getting in the way of everything flowing and feeling cohesive. Definitely a bold & good move in my opinion :)
Noelle says
Our bed forever has just been rails holding a mattress, but last summer I made a headboard by connecting boards on sale in Ikea’s clearance section that were originally meant to be shelves, but they were on clearance for 99 cents for 2 16″x20″ boards. I connected them with wood glue and braced them with long pieces of wood. I covered it all with quilt batting and then upholstery fabric. It’s holding up well and is very comfy to lean against while reading in bed. I hope you enjoy yours when you can make it!
Riss says
I’m planning on upholstering a headboard we have to give it more style. That is a style as it is very blan right now. I just need to make sure that I picked a good fabric for it. Oh and find a staple gun I can barrow.
Carrisa says
It looks so much better. I never really understood what the posts were good for if you weren’t going to have a canopy. So good job! Love the new arrangement too.
Han says
I’m surprised you didn’t name your after shots “post post photos”!
YoungHouseLove says
Darn! Missed opportunity… :)
-John
Jamie says
Sooo much better! Love it. And that is freaky about the rug/window shape.
Mila says
Well I must say, I do have lofted ceilings and bought Ed the bed when you did and it just never worked for me either. As much as I loved it, I just never loved it in my room. We gave it to my mom and opted for the Ikea Nyvoll in the gray instead and LOVE it! It’s not real wood like Ed was, but I don’t keep furniture long enough to really care, lol, although its still super sturdy and well made and I live that it’s neutral enough that new sheets and duvet totally transform it, while still giving me a cool reclaimed wood look. The funny thing is, Ed looks SO good at my mom’s house! I think it’s because the room it’s in is small and the bed kind of takes up most of the room, which makes it look so cozy and the bed really is the star of the room. Maybe that’s why it doesn’t work in bigger rooms? It’s like bigger rooms dwarf it or something; Ed just needs to shine all on his own…jeez, what a attention hog! Lol! Looks great guys!
SEMinegar says
great rearrangement and nice bed “haircut.” the room looks twice as big! i actually love it as is (with the current short headboard). i know fabric headboards are trendy right now, but your bed has a nice clean, classic look. i think you have the perfect blend of pattern right now. your current bedding is nice too. it looks chic, but also practical…and no fuss. your antique dresser is lovely too.
what a charming home.
Lindsay says
GREAT idea! Very inspired, as I think it is hard to alter things you put good money into, but it totally changed the look of the room! No big bedroom changes for us, still just making due with our rental furniture whilst in Korea, but after the next move (we’re a military family) I ALWAYS get to redecorate! Makes for a great new nesting time in each location
Brooke says
That looks so much better, and much more in line with your clean-line taste. The whole room just looks more cozy and inviting. I’m hoping to do a fabric headboard in the next couple of weeks. I can’t wait to see how yours comes out :)
Jolene says
ooh – how about a tufted velvet headboard in charcoal grey, teal, or yellow? The geometric prints look a little busy, with not enough impact in the photo shopped pics. Can’t wait to see what you do!
Joy says
I love the changes you guys have made. I really believe we don’t have to be a slave to symmetry and the new layout coordinates perfectly without being matchy–it really is a good look. Well done.
As for staining the floors and dresser, though, you guys make excellent choices all the time and it’s YOUR home, but I would be reticent to make those changes. Maybe it looks different in person, but I think the warm wood tones on the wide-plank floors are really charming and wonderfully vintage, making a great contrast with the many cool tones in the room. Whatever you do, I’ll be happy if you’re happy!
Susan M says
Ha! I hadn’t read your first post, so I kept looking at the pictures of the room and thinking “I don’t remember that bump out…or those side tables, come to think of it…” I was starting to worry that I really was losing my mind, until I noticed your earlier post! I love the new look! And I love that dresser as a nightstand!
Taylor says
I’m loving your bedroom re-do! Though you used your already-owned stuff, it looks totally different in this configuration. And I’ve gotta say it looks super warm, inviting and lived-in (in a good way!). I’m digging the coordinating, though not matching, furniture, the new layout, and the change to Ed. Funny how some simple tweaks give your room a whole new lovely look. You continually inspire me!
Christina says
What a timely post! I found a headboard at goodwill last fall and have finally finished painting it white this week. After waxing it tonight I’ll be putting in my bedroom tomorrow. Also, I picked up a “pine-cone” headboard at an antique store for my mother, who wants it painted “Ikea white”. You’ve done the detective work for me,and now I can have it color matched to olympic VOC free paint. Your rearranged master bedroom looks great! I love moving furniture!
Annie says
Thank goodness! I can say it now – I HATED those posts. Every time you showed a shot of your bedroom I would think to myself “it looks so beautiful, but those posts need to be done”. I love the way it looks now!
Sheena says
Love it! I was actually thinking of doing something similar, but I diy’d an upholstered headboard already & I’m unsure how they would fit together. Do you plan to just build the headboard right over the existing one or would you change the bed altogether?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we’ll try to build one for Ed, right in front of the short one he has!
xo,
s
Christine Witt (Brush Dance) says
Well done. The changes really open up the whole room. Once upon a time a long time ago, I had a four poster bed – even though it was a queen, it gave the illusion of taking up SO MUCH SPACE. Ditched it when I moved several years ago and now have a wonderful platform bed with drawers for extra storage.