WSVN — Martin Amado: “If you’re looking for ways to redecorate your bedroom now for the New Year but money is an issue, on today’s Room for Improvement I’m going to show you how a new headboard can really give your space an instant makeover.”

Martin Amado: “As you can see, we have a lonely mattress and no headboard. But, because we’re working on a budget, we’re not going to go out and buy one. We’re creating the illusion of one, using an inexpensive gallon of paint. Let’s begin.”

Martin Amado: “The idea is to paint a panel of this wall that’s seven feet tall, for lots of drama, and a little bit wider than the actual size of the mattress. Therefore, the first step is to draw our outline with a level.”

Martin Amado: “Now, once we paint the headboard, it’s not going anywhere. So, of course, you want to make sure that the mattress is completely centered on the actual wall.”

Martin Amado: “It works to have the mattress in place when creating the outline because you can use it as a reference.”

Martin Amado: “The next step, after finishing our outline, is to mask it off using painter’s tape.”

Martin Amado: “I’m placing the painter’s tape on the outside edge of the line because once I apply the paint, it will cover any pencil line that I leave behind.”

Martin Amado: “So make sure you tape down all the edges so the paint doesn’t seep underneath. You don’t want to have crooked lines. That would look very unprofessional.”

Martin Amado: “I’m just using a leftover gallon of paint the homeowner had in her garage.”

Martin Amado: The trick to getting a straight line is to control how much paint you apply right next to the tape, to prevent it from seeping under the tape. For that, I like using a brush. Almost dry.”

Martin Amado: “So once you dip the brush in the paint, go ahead and remove the excess on the side and then go right next to the line.”

Martin Amado: “For the bigger areas you can use a traditional roller. You might need two coats or three, but that’s fine.”

Martin Amado: “If you see the base color shining through, like little freckles, it needs a second coat. Just remember to let the first one dry thoroughly.”

Martin Amado: “After applying the second coat, the final tip is to go ahead and remove the painter’s tape before it dries. If you wait too long you can actually risk pulling off the paint as well.”

Martin Amado: “Alright, so we already have a nice backdrop with our painted headboard but now to give it a more 3-Dimensional look, I’m adding three shadow boxes across the top. One in the center and then two on either side.”

Martin Amado: “Now we can put the bed back in place. A good tip to make an old mattress feel more comfortable and luxurious is to add a feather bed cover right on top.”

Martin Amado: “And, there you go. If you’re looking for inexpensive ways to update your room’s decor, this might be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s frugal but still stylish. For 7News, I’m Martin Amado.”

If you’re looking for a makeover at a minimal cost, you can reach Martin by calling him at 305-576-home or 954-962-home, or you can e-mail him at room@wsvn.com.

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