Welcome back to our master bedroom! It feels like ages since we last offered a comprehensive tour, aside from those fleeting glimpses on Instagram. Today, we’re not just unveiling a significant upgrade; we’re also making a long-overdue confession about our curtains. But before we dive into that, let’s properly introduce the stunning new bed that has graced our room for nearly a year now – yes, since last November!
bed / nightstand / bench / similar art / similar rug / duvet / chandelier / faux plant
The Journey to Our Dream Bed: A Master Bedroom Upgrade
Many of you have asked about our new bed and the decision to replace our beloved, albeit aging, IKEA setup. At first glance, our new upholstered bed might not appear dramatically different from its predecessor, which you last saw when we shared our consignment store rug find. Both beds feature a light, wheat-colored linen headboard, aligning perfectly with the peaceful, low-contrast bedroom aesthetic we’ve carefully cultivated. However, the true distinction lies in its construction: this is a legitimate, fully integrated bed, complete with a headboard, sideboards, and a footboard, all elegantly upholstered in a matching fabric. This is a significant step up from our previous arrangement, which was merely a metal frame paired with a DIY headboard we crafted ourselves.
From DIY Headboards to a Grounded Look
Our journey to this ideal bed has been quite an evolution. Before our DIY headboard graced the metal frame, it was attached to an entirely different piece: the IKEA Edland canopy bed, fondly remembered by some as “Ed the Bed.” Years ago, we even chopped off its posts to suit our evolving style. Eventually, we swapped beds with our guest room, seeking a more grounded and substantial feel for our master bedroom, moving away from the “floating on legs” look that Ed the Bed offered. A regular bed frame combined with a bedskirt provided this much-desired solidity, and crucially, we yearned for a proper box spring foundation for our mattress, which had previously rested directly on Ed’s wooden slats, offering less support and comfort.
While our swift, twenty-minute bed swap was certainly a step in the right direction, we knew an upholstered bed would deliver a far more polished aesthetic than the bedskirt-and-metal-frame combo. Although we don’t inherently dislike bedskirts (two of the three beds at our beach house feature them), the subtle but noticeable color difference between our bedskirt and duvet cover in this larger room consistently bothered me. The larger scale of the room meant that this slight discrepancy was much more apparent from a distance, detracting from the cohesive look we desired.
So, after five years of experimenting with bed swaps, adding bedskirts, and even reupholstering headboards, we finally committed. We invested countless hours into researching and deliberating (because, let’s be honest, no design decision in our house is ever made lightly!) before ordering the fully upholstered bed we truly envisioned. This decision marked the culmination of our quest for a truly finished and harmonious master bedroom.
similar lamps / nightstand / bench / similar art / chandelier / curtain rod
Introducing the Sanford Linen Upholstered Panel Bed: Our Wayfair Gem
A Win-Win for Both Homes: The Old Bed’s New Chapter
One of the most satisfying aspects of purchasing a new bed for our master bedroom was the domino effect it created. It allowed us to liberate our old DIY headboard and reunite it with “Ed the Bed” (our former IKEA frame), transplanting both to the empty middle bedroom of our beach house last fall. This strategic move meant we didn’t have to buy a brand new bed for the beach house. Instead, we got the bed we always wanted for *our* bedroom, and “ol’ faithful” Ed, paired with our homemade headboard, found a perfect new home at the beach house, where its casual charm perfectly fit the coastal vibe.
similar mobile / gold frames / similar headboard / lamps / pink art / square blanket
Remarkably, “Ed” has been with us for nearly 8 years, experiencing various incarnations and residing in three different homes, while our trusty DIY headboard has endured for over 6 years. It won’t be long before both are inducted into our exclusive “10-year club” – a testament to thoughtful purchases and adaptable design. (If you haven’t explored our post about the ten items we’ve owned for a decade and still adore, it’s a personal favorite and highly recommended read).
A Detailed Review of Our New Master Bedroom Bed
But let’s circle back to our new (or rather, year-old!) bedroom centerpiece. Despite the delay in sharing its official debut, this bed is anything but unloved. In fact, I absolutely adore it! I’m so smitten that I’m actually tempted to buy another one for the main bedroom at our beach house, perhaps repurposing its current headboard/frame combo elsewhere. It’s a wonderfully mature and cohesive feeling to finally have a proper, integrated bed after years of navigating various metal frames and headboards precariously attached to walls or beds. It genuinely feels like a step into “adulting,” though thankfully far less taxing than chores like constant house cleaning or perpetually restocking band-aids (are we the only household that goes through a thousand every three days? Are the kids secretly consuming them?!).
Our fabulous new bed is the Sanford Linen Upholstered Panel Bed, a Wayfair find from last November. It’s available in all standard sizes, from twin to California king, and comes in two color options. We chose the versatile “Talc” shade, while the “Kelly Green” offers a more dramatic statement. Currently, it’s a fantastic deal at 30% off, pricing a queen bed at approximately $628. This affordability was a major draw, as many similar clean-lined, classic upholstered beds typically range from $1,000 to $2,000 (like this option and this one). We truly appreciate that the Sanford bed delivers a timeless shape and a neutral color that looks far more premium than its actual price tag suggests.
One of the most delightful surprises was discovering that the “Talc” color appears significantly lighter and less gray in person than in the online product photos, making it incredibly adaptable to various decor schemes. We describe it as a warm linen hue, delicately balancing on the warmer side of the gray-beige spectrum. This versatility means it would beautifully complement rooms with either gray or tan walls, a significant advantage given our history of moving furniture. The more adaptable a bed is, the better! Furthermore, it boasts a subtle yet inviting linen-like texture, adding an interesting tactile dimension that’s hard to convey through website images.
We’re also particularly fond of the small vertical panels that subtly flank each side of the headboard. These “wings” lend an extra touch of detail and coziness that our flat, DIY headboard simply couldn’t offer. While you could certainly attempt to replicate this look by upholstering side pieces and attaching them with flat metal brackets, the integrated design of the Sanford bed offers a seamless and sophisticated finish.
This bed thoughtfully accommodates a box spring, a feature we appreciate as it contributes to the “real adult bed” feel and is widely believed to extend the life of your mattress. A quick word of caution: if your mattress isn’t as thick as ours (which is 12 inches), you might notice a slight gap between the top of the mattress and the bottom of the headboard. This can be easily remedied with a mattress pad or by strategically arranging your sleeping pillows and a few decorative ones to conceal the area.
similar lamp / nightstand / similar art / curtain rod / duvet
Interestingly, I later realized this gap serves a clever purpose: it significantly simplifies changing your fitted sheets. If the headboard were flush against the mattress, the task would be far more cumbersome, making this subtle design detail genuinely appreciated. Additionally, a few readers inquired about the “ugly black feet” of the bed. I honestly hadn’t noticed them until prompted, but upon inspection, I realized that while they might appear clunky in online cut-out photos, in real life, they are cleverly recessed beneath the upholstered frame. This positioning places them largely in the bed’s shadow, rendering them practically invisible – the upholstered front is truly all you perceive.
The Great Curtain Confession: Transforming Our Windows with IKEA LENDA
Now that we’ve thoroughly covered every imaginable detail about our new bed, let’s pivot to the equally significant, and somewhat embarrassing, topic of curtains. Because let’s face it: curtains are notoriously tricky! Our previous curtains in this room were some inexpensive, wheat-colored panels I’d picked up at HomeGoods years ago. However, after installing crisp white curtains throughout our entire beach house, I developed an undeniable, almost primal, craving for white curtains in our master bedroom once again. The predominantly beige tones of the room made me feel as if we were living under a sepia filter. I envisioned white curtains as the perfect element to inject freshness and vibrancy into the space.
similar dresser / gold frames / bench / similar rug / similar chair
So, I promptly offloaded the tan curtains on Craigslist. On a trip to IKEA last winter, we stocked up on three sets of our favorite affordable white curtains, IKEA’s Lenda curtains, for the bedroom. The reason you haven’t seen an “Our Bedroom Got Two Updates!” post until now? It has taken me almost an entire year to finally finish preparing these curtains to escape this rather unfortunate, unironed state:
Yes, we truly lived with them like this for nearly 12 months, and I’m not even slightly ashamed. Life, especially the “adulting” version, is incredibly busy, and curtain upkeep can be surprisingly high-maintenance, often relegating it to the very bottom of a never-ending to-do list. This casual sloppiness perfectly illustrates the inherent dilemma of IKEA curtains. We absolutely adore them for their lovely, heavy white fabric and their unbeatable price: just $25 for two panels, each measuring a generous 98 inches tall, making them ideal for achieving a floor-to-ceiling look in standard eight-foot rooms. For those with even taller ceilings, their 108-inch length option is available for just $35.
And now for a brief, curtain-related side rant: Please, for the love of good design, do not buy curtains that are too short! I honestly question why 84-inch curtains are even manufactured. They are almost universally too short, never allowing a room to achieve its full potential or the elegant drape that taller curtains provide. Always aim for curtains that kiss the floor or pool slightly for a sophisticated finish!
Unlike IKEA’s more budget-friendly Vivan curtains, the Lenda panels boast a substantial weight, making them remarkably similar in appearance to much pricier options from retailers like West Elm and Pottery Barn, but at a fraction of the cost. However, a word of warning: IKEA’s product photos for these curtains are notoriously misleading. When we link to them, a common response is “that’s the wrong link!” – because they are sold with large tabs at the top and rustic-looking tiebacks, bearing little resemblance to their potential transformed look. This is how they appear in the package:
I know, it’s hard to believe these are the same curtains you see in our styled photos. But they are! And these are the exact same Lenda curtain panels adorning our home office for the longest duration—about four years—where they continue to look fantastic. We opted for two sets on each side of that expansive bay window, ensuring an extra full and luxurious appearance, all for a total curtain cost of just $50.
woven blinds (pecan color) / desk chair / desk / bench /rug / similar faux plant
Our Step-by-Step Guide to Perfect IKEA Lenda Curtains
If you’re looking for curtains that can be instantly hung and look flawless without any effort, the IKEA Lenda curtains aren’t quite it. However, with a bit of elbow grease, they can be transformed into incredibly presentable and stylish window treatments. The effort is well worth it, especially considering their fantastic qualities: they’re washable (a huge plus in a bustling home with kids and pets, or in a rental property like our beach houses) and affordable, eliminating the preciousness often associated with custom or high-end drapes. This allows for a relaxed home environment where kids can twirl or hide behind them without causing a panic, which, in our household, is a daily occurrence.
So, how do we transform these formerly tab-topped curtains into the polished panels you see in our photos? I’m glad you asked. Here’s our tried-and-true, step-by-step process:
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Step 1: Pre-shrink and Wash for Longevity
Wash them on a warm cycle and dry them on high heat to pre-shrink the fabric. This is a critical step, as these curtains will shrink considerably – often by as much as 5 inches! Pre-shrinking is non-negotiable before hanging them, otherwise, if they get dirty and require laundering later, they’ll end up looking like awkward “high-waters” when re-hung. A note on temperature: while I’ve successfully washed them on hot, some have reported excessive shrinkage, so warm is a safer bet!
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Step 2: Trim the Tabs for a Clean Finish
Using a sharp pair of scissors, carefully cut off the tabs. Make your cut just above the visible stitched line where they are attached along the top edge of the curtain panel. This removes the “country” look and prepares the top for a more modern appearance.
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Step 3: Create a Faux Top Hem
Fold the top edge of the curtain over once. Ensure this fold goes towards the back of the curtain (the side facing the window). When clipped into place, this fold will cleverly mimic a sewn top seam, giving your curtains a beautifully finished and tailored look from the front.
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Step 4: Clip on Your Curtain Rings
Attach your curtain ring clips along the folded top edge. We typically use 6 clips per panel: one at each end and then one on every other vertical seam, as illustrated above. The exact spacing might vary depending on your specific curtains, but ours are usually about 10 inches apart. This spacing helps create an even, elegant drape.
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Step 5: Install Your Curtain Rod High and Wide
Once two pre-washed and clipped panels are slid onto your curtain rod, hold it up to determine the optimal installation height. Remember the golden rule of curtain hanging: go high and wide! This creates the illusion of taller ceilings and larger windows. Aim to extend the rod approximately 8 inches beyond the window trim on each side, and hang the rod a few inches below the ceiling. Always use the length of your panels as your primary guide, ensuring the curtains just kiss or lightly break on the floor, avoiding the dreaded “too short” look.
For roughly a year, this was as far as I got with our new curtains. So, if yours currently resemble the “messy” picture below, rest assured, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, many times, and lived to tell the tale! In fact, it wasn’t until last week that we finally executed the final two crucial steps.
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Step 6: Iron or Steam for a Polished Look
Once hung, it’s time to iron or steam your curtains for that crisp, finished appearance. At our beach house, we steamed the curtains while they hung, a method that proved most effective with two people – one to hold the curtain taut and the other to steam (we use this steamer). For the smoothest results at home, especially when working solo, we found taking them down and ironing them flat delivered the best outcome. I tackled four panels one evening, and John completed the remaining two the following night (hence the hairy arm in this picture is his, not mine!).
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Step 7: The “No-Sew, No-Tape” Hemming Hack
With the curtains pre-shrunk and beautifully relaxed, it’s now safe to hem them if necessary. Occasionally, you might get lucky, and they’ll shrink just enough to hang perfectly without any hemming. However, a little adjustment is usually required for us. While I often use no-sew hem tape, I recently experimented with a new, simplified hemming method for these curtains, and it worked beautifully! The best part? NO HEM TAPE OR SEWING REQUIRED!
Here’s the trick: standing on a chair, I unclipped one curtain ring at a time and simply folded the bottom fabric over until the curtain achieved my desired length, just barely “kissing” the floor with a slight break. Then, I reclipped it to secure the fold. This fabric fold is tucked neatly behind the curtain, facing the window, making it completely invisible from the front. In fact, when light shines through, it creates the illusion of a beautifully thick, finished top hem.
You truly can’t tell I took a shortcut, and this method offers incredible flexibility. If the curtains ever shrink further after future washes, or if we decide we want more or less fabric pooling on the floor, we can easily adjust the hem by simply unclipping and refolding. Genius? Perhaps not. Lazy? Most definitely, and wonderfully effective!
Affordable Elegance: The Verdict on Our DIY Curtain Transformation
Are these the most luxurious, high-end curtains available? No. But do we believe they look sophisticated, hold up remarkably well, and contribute softness and height to a room? Absolutely. Did we achieve this entire bedroom transformation for a mere $75? Yes! That’s less than the cost of just one of these standard 95-inch white curtain panels, and we managed to get six panels for that price!
Opting for custom curtains can be significantly more expensive, which often makes them feel overly precious. Furthermore, custom options are typically not washable, whereas the washability of the IKEA Lenda curtains is a huge selling point for us. While we’ve had the pleasure of experiencing the difference firsthand with custom curtains in some of our showhouse projects (they truly look amazing, graze the floor perfectly, and require no steaming – arriving perfectly ready to hang), this isn’t an anti-custom curtain rant. We simply recognize that many people aren’t ready to stomach that custom curtain price tag right now and desire something that’s easier to live with and wash during this particular season of life. So, we sincerely hope this “elbow-grease-but-affordable” method empowers you to achieve some beautiful window treatments in your home. And rest assured, we won’t judge if it takes you a whole year to finish them!
Also, dogs don’t have to adult. I wanna be Burger.
More Bedroom & Curtain Inspiration
Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time these white Lenda curtains have graced this room – they were “stolen” for our office at one point! You can read that full story here, along with more curtain projects and tips we’ve gathered over the years:
- Using Iron-Tape To Hem Lenda Curtains
- How To Make No-Sew Curtains From Any Fabric
- 15 Minute Blackout Curtains for $15
- 18 Tips For Picking The Right Curtains
We frequently receive questions about the paint color in this room. The answer is our perennial favorite greige: Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray. For a deeper dive into why we love it and to see a collection of photos, simply click the link above.
Psst – Curious about the exact paint colors used in this room, or any other space in our home? Click here for a comprehensive whole-house rundown. And if you’d like to receive our free email newsletter, which delivers a bonus post directly to your inbox each week, sign up here to join our mailing list.
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