Vintage Boxspring to Wall Art

Isn’t it great when unexpected circumstances put us in the right place at just the right time?

This was a lesson I learned one gray, misty Sunday afternoon, as my son and I left for the mall.

The sport coat that had been altered while he was away at school still didn’t fit.  Grrrr.  What an aggravation.

On the way out of the neighborhood, in fact, just a few houses down the street, my neighbor had just dragged an old boxspring to the curb for garbage pickup the next morning.   And, this was not just any old box spring.  It was about 75-years-old and in perfect condition.

Unfortunately, it also weighed about 75 pounds, was a full-size spring, and wouldn’t fit inside my car.  Again, with the grrrr!  As we threw it back to the ground, my heart broke into a thousand pieces.  I thought my chances of getting this little beauty home were gone forever.

Then, it hit me.  Just get the guys to use one of our hand carts and roll it down the street.  Yes, roll it down the street.  Yes, in the misting rain.

And, that’s exactly how this sweet piece made it home.  I’m sorry there are no pictures of it laying on the curb or of its comical ride down the slippery hill and up the steep driveway, but the rain was just too much for my camera or phone to manage.  In fact, we just had to drop the springs onto the driveway and leave it…….for several days…..until the weather finally cleared.

Once the sun popped out, it was power washed and allowed to thoroughly dry.  Then, the top part of the springs was brushed with a creamy-white chalk paint and then slightly covered again with some diluted brown glaze.  The rest of the orignal, chippy, rusty, teal goodness wasn’t altered.

To support the weight of the springs on the wall, a shelf the width of the box spring was constructed.  Four brackets, that could hold 150 pounds each, were installed into four studs.  Then, the shelf and the brackets were painted the color of the wall.

To secure the box spring to the wall, a type of wood cleat had to be constructed.  See how the springs sit on the shelf, but the flat area of the boxspring is a few inches away from the wall?  A cleat was built to reach out to this flat area of the springs so that a screw could secure the springs to the wall.

It really isn’t a difficult build.  I just measured the distance from the wall to the flat side of the frame, then stacked wood strips until it created the right fit.  For my space, three stacked furring strips worked perfectly.  Then, each of the strips was cut to 24 inches in length.  To make the stack, the first strip was attached to the wall studs.  Then, the other two strips were attached to the first strip and into the wall.

Two of these cleats were used, one at the shelf level and one at the top.  The picture below is a view of the top cleat.

Once this step is complete, it’s time to accessorize.

The first layer on the springs is a refinished piece that I made from upcycled bifold doors.  The second layer is an upcycled mirror in a refinished frame.  And, the third layer is a store-bought wreath.  The lamps were refinished….huuuum…. about four times  🙁  … but that’s another story………and topped with new store-bought burlap shades.

Now, everytime I look at that boxspring, I wonder, “What if the sport coat alterations hadn’t needed a redo?  And, what if the redo hadn’t been put-off until the last minute?” It’s likely that I wouldn’t have been out on that rainy Sunday afternoon and equally likely that I would have missed the thrift score of my lifetime.

This story is shared to make a point.

Maybe, the next time something doesn’t go quite right….

is the perfect time to just go with it.

Because, sometimes buried within those aggravating moments,

can be any kind of wonderful thing…

…..that is only possible

when unexpected circumstances cause a change in direction…

…and

put us in a totally unexpected right place

at a totally unexpected right time.

*****

Until next time,

Keep celebrating the unexpected,

🙂

Suz

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