Every night, in bedrooms all over the world, people fall to sleep on metal bed frames. These types of bed frames—often made from alloys and ores like aluminum, steel, iron, and stain-finished nickel—are sturdy, durable, and relatively lightweight compared to their wooden and upholstered counterparts. They’re popular due to their affordability, style diversity, and zero-fuss cleaning and maintenance.1
But even among sleepers who swear by them, metal frames occupy a somewhat complicated position in the sleep world. The most frequent source of derision? The legs, which tend to run on the skinny side compared to other bed frames.
Fortunately, metal frame owners who are put off by the sight of those metallic chicken legs are not without options for concealing them, thanks to a plethora of tricks. If you’re among that vocal contingent of sleepers who are wondering how to hide metal bed frame legs, keep reading for five ways to put them out of sight and out of mind.
One of the quickest and simplest solutions for how to hide metal bed frame legs is to dress up your traditional bed frame with a bed skirt. Originally designed to keep generally unsightly bed foundations and box springs hidden from view, bed skirts are as timeless and popular as they are widely available.2
Bed skirts hang from the space between the bottom of the mattress and the top of the box spring in a skirt-like fashion, generally reaching all the way to the floor, so you should have no trouble fully concealing the frame legs.2 It takes only a few minutes, and hardly any effort to attach a traditional bed skirt to the frame, which is one reason they’re such a common solution.
Another reason is that they’re available in an incredible variety of styles, giving you practically limitless options for design details like:2
Standard bed skirts have a drop of about 15 inches, so before you buy, it’s a good idea to measure the distance from the top of the frame legs to the bottom to guarantee that the legs will be entirely covered.2
Another simple and surefire tactic for how to hide metal bed frame legs is to treat your bed to a new set of shoes (i.e. leg covers). Bed frame legs fit inside leg covers for full top-to-bottom concealment that can give your metal bed frame a polished and put-together look that the legs can’t quite pull off on their own.3
Aside from basically unbeatable ease and simplicity, bed frame leg covers come with the following advantages:
If springing for a set of bed frame leg covers from a vendor doesn’t appeal to you, you can try replicating the idea yourself. DIY hacks for crafting your own set of leg covers include using diverse materials like fabric, cotton stuffing, and batting, or even cardboard boxes or pieces of foam board.4
Another suggestion for how to hide metal bed frame legs is to go overboard with blankets. Whether draped with careful precision or strewn with studied carelessness, blankets are an excellent way to fully hide or merely obscure metal bed frame legs.
There are a couple of ways you can go about it. The first is by using bedding that’s expansive enough to hide the metal bed frame legs by cascading over the edge of the bed and falling to the floor. Overlarge flat sheets could do the trick, but so could oversized blankets like:
The Pintuck Striped Quilt and the Soft Grid Yarn Dye Duvet Cover from Casper may hide metal bed frame legs and add textural variance to your decorating scheme. On the other hand, our Velvet Quilt in Bourbon and Spice Matelasse Coverlets can provide a simple yet luxuriously comfortable way to enhance your cozy bed’s color palette while hiding those metal legs.
Each blanket is available in four standard sizes—Twin, Full, Queen, and King. To ensure that they’re able to hide your metal bed frame legs, consider purchasing them at least a size larger than your mattress.
Additionally, any of these fantastic types of blankets can double as the perfect solution for how to hide an adjustable bed frame—especially one from Casper’s line of Adjustable Base bed frames. Each of our adjustable bed frames features full-body adjustability, precisely balanced comfort, and presets that remember your favorite positions so you can fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
If you have artistic aspirations—or even vaguely creative inclinations—consider transforming your metal bed frame legs into works of art by giving them a paint job.5 This tactic doesn’t just solve the problem of obscuring those hard-to-look-at legs; it’s also an opportunity to express your creativity and put your personal stamp on your bed.
When selecting your paint, be sure to choose colors that are compatible with your bedroom, but don’t feel like you have to paint every leg the same. Depending on your style and décor, accents like stripes or polka dots, or alternating color palettes might amp up the individuality aspect.
If you want to make an extra bold statement, you can even consider painting the entire bed frame.
Before you begin, it’s worth pointing out that painting metal can be a bit tricky. For the best results, take heed of the following tips:
If you don’t fancy yourself much of an artist, skip the paints in favor of fabric. There are thousands upon thousands of fabrics you can choose from, as well as an array of finished fabric products that can be repurposed for the project.
Aside from the myriad fabric colors, prints, patterns, and graphics, you can purchase brand new by the yard at your local fabric store, you can also try repurposing fabrics like:
There are more than a few ways you can use these textiles to hide metal bed frame legs. For example, you might try wrapping the fabric around each individual leg or experiment with draping reclaimed curtains or tapestries so that they conceal the legs.5
If you have a good amount of fabric, you might think about how to hide a metal bed frame in its entirety. For example, you could wind the fabric around the entire frame, legs included, and tuck the edges beneath the mattress to hold it in place—a look you could also accomplish with a store-bought bed frame cover.5
On the other hand, perhaps there’s a way you can transform your regular metal bed frame into a canopy bed by hanging fabric from the ceiling and cutting it long enough that it trails along the floor and conceals the legs.7 The opportunities are practically endless, and the decision is up to you!
At Casper, we don’t subscribe to the notion that metal bed frame legs are a blight on sight lines or the aesthetics of any room. However, we know that not every bed manufacturer approaches the work with the same level of care, focus, and innovation. If you can’t bear the sight of your metal bed frame legs, resorting to clever tricks and techniques for hiding them from view is one solution.
However, a better solution might be to switch your old bed out for a new style from Casper. Here, you’re guaranteed to find a bed frame that matches your home decor, so you won’t need to worry about hiding it. Whether you prefer plush upholstery or sleek, sustainability-sourced wood, you’re sure to find your perfect frame at Casper.
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