A while back, I started looking at headboards and fell in love with one that I saw on the Pottery Barn website.  Unfortunately, it was more than I could afford, but I realized that it might be possible to make something similar by attaching a fireplace mantel to an old door that used to be in our old house.  Making headboards out of doors is fairly common, but I used to be hesitant just because I typically thought they looked very much like doors.  By combining a mantel with the door, this problem is diminished.

If you are handy, you could make your own mantel, but I am not that handy, so I purchased one from Santa Clara Studio on Etsy.  I requested a custom size and they were happy to accomodate this request.  I specified the dimensions of the door because I wanted the mantel to fit over the door, making it easy to attach.  If you are interested in buying the exact same mantel, here is a listing of the one I asked to be customized to my specifictions:

White Distressed Wall Shelf with Dentil Crown Molding and Wooden Domes – Fireplace Mantel

I think it was also important that it is a mantel installed using a French cleat.  This meant that there was a hollow space behind the shelf where it was easy to install the shelf over the door using a series of L-brackets.

In addition to screwing the mantel onto the door, it was also necessary to add some boards at the bottom to elevate the headboard and provide a place to secure the headboard to the bed frame.

Once the headboard was secured to the bed frame, it was time for the fun part, decorating the bed!  I used my old Laura Ashley bedding that I have owned since the 1980s.  It has been a long time, but I still love it!

I also added some throw pillows, including a personalized pillow that I also purchased on Etsy.

Happy Decorating!

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