Making a King Size Headboard Fit a California King Bed
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So you have finally taken the leap and ordered a California king bed. You are pretty much excited to get it, but the only problem is that you’re still in love with your wonderful king-sized headboard. Can you still use your king-sized headboard on the California king bed? You most definitely can; and here is how you do it!
How to Make a King Size Headboard Fit a California King Bed
These beds are quite similar so you can easily adjust the headboard to size. To use the king-sized headboard, you can easily cut it down or simply use a bed conversion kit to help you secure the bed onto the headboard.
There are many ways to make a king-sized headboard fit a California King bed. Here are two things that you can do:
- Use conversion kits like the BedClaw Modification Plate (view on Amazon). They come with bolts and screws that will allow you to secure your bed onto any odd-sized headboard, or, in this case, a wider headboard.
- You can also opt to attach the headboard to the wall since most of the taller or wider ones tend to bang against the wall if weight is applied to it. Securing it to the wall will prevent your headboard from constantly shifting.
How to Cut down Different Types of Headboards
Since a king-sized headboard is wider than a California king bed, it will be less noticeable at first glance. The easiest way to hide the difference in dimension is to cut the headboard to size. However, there are different types of headboards as well as different ways to cut them down.
Wooden Headboards
This type of headboard is one of the most commonly used headboard materials. Not only are they easy to maintain, but they are also easy to personalize like painting over it or staining it. They can also easily be combined with other materials like metal. So to sum it all up, wooden headboards are the easiest to cut down. You will only need to use a saw to cut it down to the desired king headboard dimensions and you are done.
Padded Headboards
You can simply cut it with a table saw or even with just an ordinary saw. However, you could run the risk of tearing the cloth or covering. The safest way to do it is to remove the upholstered material at the sides before proceeding to cut it down. You can use a staple remover to pull out the staples or u-nails that are holding the material in place.
However, be sure to remove the foam as well and fold it towards the center. Once you have cut down the board to the right dimensions, you can easily pull the upholstery and foam tightly at the back and staple it in place. The excess foam and upholstery will even give you nice padded edges, which is actually great.
Headboards with Shelves or Drawers
Cutting headboards that have shelves would prove to be more time consuming and laborious. They commonly have legs to hold it up, as well as drawers and compartments. Cutting it down directly would mean that you will be messing with its structure.
You can try to disassembling and reassembling it like a puzzle to fit your requirements. But, most of the time, you won’t be able to use all the materials at all. At most, you can only use the scraps. You would also need to buy extra wood to finish it. It would definitely be a better choice to purchase a new headboard instead.
Metal Headboards
Metal headboards are usually made by using a variety of materials like wrought iron or stainless steel. This kind of headboard is more popular in homes with a modern design. It may lack the warmth a wooden headboard has, but it is definitely a lighter option. It is also perfect in bringing an antique vibe into the room. Cutting this headboard down is even easier than you think. Just mark the sections you want to be removed and cut it down with just a hack saw. However, doing this manually will require a great amount of arm workout and elbow grease, but it still does the job.
How Headboards Are Attached
Headboards can also be fastened in two ways, the wall-mounted headboard and the bed frame attached headboard. Wall-mounted headboards usually come with screws so that it can be easily mounted to the wall. They not only look complete but are also less of a hassle to mount. This kind of headboard does not have to match the bed’s dimensions as well. Cutting it down will be easier since it’s a separate piece.
The second type is the attached headboards like the Lagrima upholstered headboard (view on Amazon). This type usually comes with a frame and legs so that they can easily be attached to the bed frame. It also needs to strictly match the bed’s dimensions for it to fit. So be sure that if you decide to cut this, try to check if it can still hold its structure while being secured to your new bed frame.
Related Questions
What Is the Difference Between a King Bed and a California King Bed?
These two types of mattresses have the most similarities than any other bed types. Take note that a California king bed is narrower than a king-sized bed by about four inches. Plus, it is also more or less five inches longer. A king bed is great for couples since its wider while a California king bed is the best option if you are tall.
Is It Recommended to Use a King-Sized Headboard on a California King Bed?
Like everything out there, there are two sides to a coin. Let’s observe some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a king bed headboard on a California king bed. The advantages are you will be doing less work because you can avoid assembling another set of furniture. You will be saving money as well since you are just going to reuse your old headboard.
The only downside to it is that the difference in size will be a little bit obvious. Luckily, you can easily hide it with the use of pillows or sconces. Better yet, you can even make it the statement piece in your bedroom.
What Are the California King Size Bed Frame Dimensions?
California king-sized bed frames typically measure 72 inches wide and 83.5 inches in length. You can easily spot the difference because it is longer and narrower than a king-sized bed. It is perfect for those who think that 78.8 inches width of a king bed is too much. Additionally, the typical height of a California king bed frame is 11.5 inches to 14 inches.
To sum it all up, you can absolutely use your king-sized headboard with your new California king bed. Just take note of the dimensions and cut it down to size. If you think that cutting it all up is too much work, you can certainly disguise the width difference with pillows. Another option is to try personalizing it. Either way, this will definitely work well with your new California king bed. It might even be an eye-catching piece in your bedroom.
