Upcycling My Bed Frame

Two years ago I outgrew my college furniture and got a second-hand bed frame with four built-in drawers, two on each side, for under-bed storage. It’s an interesting design idea that fails in practice. The problem is that if one side of your bed is against a wall, or if you put night stands next to your bed, two out of four drawers will be pinned shut all the time.

When I moved to my current apartment I left the drawers behind. The newly opened space looked nice but felt like a missed opportunity.

The solution was Christmas lights. 30 feet of warm white LEDs held in place by outdoor light clips. I strung the lights around the inside perimeter of the bed frame, being careful to keep bulbs from touching the carpet.

In these pictures you can see a roller drawer slide where one of the drawers used to be. The lights are unobtrusive and almost invisible when they’re off.

The effect is great. It pairs perfectly with my overhead projector for watching movies in bed. I plug the lights in whenever I want a cozy, romantic atmosphere.