By day, Maiju Saha works as a social media marketing specialist and campaign designer. By night and on weekends, the mother of three dives into home improvement projects and blogs about them.
Maiju and her family live in the small town of Vaasa on Finland’s west coast. Two years ago they moved into their 1941 house and since then she’s be puzzling over how to make her and her husband Janne’s compact bedroom feel “less empty without crowding it with furniture.” Taking inspiration from the room’s paneled ceiling—and all the paneling she’s been admiring in other people’s quarters of late—Maiju came up with this DIY built-in headboard of homemade beadboard. She kindly agreed to share the project with us.
Photography by Maiju Saha (@maiju_saw), courtesy of the Maiju Saw blog.
The Materials
- slotted wood panels cut to the right height (Maiju’s are approximately 45 inches tall)
- wood for the frame (“this will be covered so it can be any kind of wood, even rough” says Maiju)
- thin nails for attaching the panels
- screws for affixing the frame
- good-quality wood to use as a shelf at the top of the headboard
- wood filler
The Tools
- crosscut saw
- hammer
- power drill
- paint
- paint brush
Instructions
Maiju says she’s self taught and that one project has led to another: “It’s been a long process starting with painting picture frames and chairs. Over time, I’ve learned to use different electrical tools. Renovation projects are my meditation. And since my other work is digital, it’s always so rewarding to see concrete results.” Interestingly, Maiju’s last name, Saha, translates as “Saw” in English, which is how she got her blog name, Maiju Saw.
The Finished Project
Browse our DIY Project archives for more ideas, including:
Rehab Diaries: DIY Beadboard Ceilings, Before and After
A DIY Kitchen Overhaul for Under $500, Beadboard Backsplash Included
Idea to Steal: A DIY Headboard from a Natural Fiber Rug
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