Stylish and affordable built-in headboard with IKEA RAST drawers

From the very beginning of our master bedroom renovation, we wanted to create a built-in headboard at the back of our bed to provide more storage. The project had to be affordable and creative too! As the wall is around 3 m long, our queen size bed fit perfectly between two RAST chests of drawers (24 inches wide each). If your wall is longer, you still can create this headboard by adding drywall frameworks on each side of the headboard to meet the adjacent walls.

IKEA items used:

• RAST chest of drawers x 2

Other materials and tools:

• Wood or MDF flat trim (approx. 11 m long and 4 cm wide)
• A wood board (approx. 30 cm wide, the length will depend on your bed’s width and the layout of the room)
• 12 door knobs of your choice (I chose door knobs with a polished steel finish)
• Wooden battens (to create the framework between the chests of drawers)
• White satin paint
• Wood glue
• Wood filler
• Wood screws
• Drywall screws
• Drywall plaster
• Clamps (to hold the trim and drawers together while the glue dries)
• A mitre box or an electric mitre saw (to cut the wood trims)
• A sander

A trowel (to hide the drywall screws)

How to hack RAST chests of drawers to create a stylish built-in headboard:

1. Assemble the two RAST chests of drawers and put them in position so you can see what the headboard will look like, ensuring that your bed will fit in. In our room the fit was just perfect with a few centimeters either side of the bed, allowing us to open and close the drawers with ease when the duvet is in place.

Attach the chests of drawers to the wall and/or floor. Do not insert the plastic pieces that lock the drawers and the chests together, as you will need to remove the drawers later.

2. It is time to create the drywall framework between the chests of drawers. Create a frame using wooden battens and wood screws, fixing them to the chests of drawers and the wall/floor. Be sure to make it strong.

Important: You should leave a space at the front corresponding to the drywall thickness, so the drywall will sit flush with the chests of drawers and not stick out. Ensure that everything is firmly attached. If you have a gap to the left and/or the right of the headboard, you may want to create another framework to meet the adjacent walls.

3. Attach the drywall to the wood framework with drywall screws and fill the screw holes with drywall filler.

4. You can sand the drywall when the filler is dry and paint it with the colour of your choice (knowing that most of the drywall will be hidden behind the bed).

5. Remove the drawers and prepare the wood trim: you will have to cut it at a 45° angle using a mitre box or an electric mitre saw. When all the trim is ready, glue it onto the front of the drawers, ensuring that the trim is flush with the edges.

6. Use clamps to hold the trim and drawers together while the glue dries.

7. When the glue is dry, fill the gaps between the trim with wood filler.

8. When the wood filler is dry, sand the drawers using a sander or sandpaper until the surface is smooth. Vacuum the drawers to prepare them for painting.

9. Paint the drawers and the visible parts of the chests of drawers in the colour of your choice. I chose a white satin paint so the headboard matches the rest of the room, but you may want to choose a bolder colour to make the headboard pop!

10. Attach the knobs (I bought two sets of 6 door knobs for just over £2 a set from a French discount store!).

11. You are almost done! You will now add the wood board to the headboard. The easiest way to proceed is to have the wood board cut at the store when you buy it. Take the measurements carefully and have it cut or cut it yourself. You will then need to attach it from the inside of the chests of drawers using a few wood screws. Make sure the screws won’t go all the way through!

12. Finally, sand and varnish the wood board, if necessary, to create a smooth finish, especially on the edges. Put the drawers back. You may need to apply some acrylic putty to fill the gaps between the chests of drawers and the drywall, and between the wood board and the wall.

Optional: I added white skirting to make it a real built-in piece of furniture, but you could also simply paint the bottom of the chests of drawers to match your existing skirting boards.

13. You can now enjoy your brand-new built-in headboard! This hack may seem time-consuming, but it is definitely worth it as it will add a chic accent to any room while being quite affordable (less than £100 for me). Although it may seem a bit low to sit in your bed and read a book, it is actually very comfortable if you add some pillows behind your neck or back We are so happy with it!

If you enjoyed this built-in headboard hack, feel free to subscribe to my new Instagram account (link: ) to see other Ikea hacks and the rest of our house renovation! Any suggestions to improve this hack would be appreciated. Until next time!

~ by Mélanie

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