French Provincial Twin Beds in the Guest room.

“Why in the world would you want twin beds in your guest room?” is a question I get a lot. My answer is simple. Some people just don’t like sleeping together. Shocking, I know.
Twin beds in a guest room make a lot of sense for a number of reasons. Let me explain.

• Sometimes even married couples just want a better night’s sleep.
• Adult children may invite friends over from college.
• Your neighbor needs you to look after her kids in a pinch. Ask me how I know. Booyah: two beds.

I could go on and on, but you get the point. Two twin beds in a guest room is pretty stinkin’ versatile, if you ask me. And since it’s my house, it’s my rules.

Stalking your purchase

I had been on the hunt for twin beds for months. Because they are going in one room I wanted them to match. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find two, second-hand, matching twin beds that aren’t bunk beds? I knew I had to go the antique route, because twin beds made today are generally for kids, and I wanted a bed that could potentially hold someone up to 300 pounds. I’d rather have the bed durability and not need it, than need it and not have it.

I stalked Facebook marketplace and contacted people about their beds, but I just couldn’t find the old look I was going for. I came across two French provincial twin beds online and discovered they were in an antique shop in an adjoining town, so I decided to keep an eye on them over a couple of weeks while I continued to look around. My husband and I finally traveled up to the shop on a rainy weekday (you get the best deals on a weekday and when it’s raining, by the way) and managed to talk the owner of the booth down from $240 to $115 for both beds.

Score!

I think she was glad to get rid of them; they were ugly and yellowing, and she had already sold the end tables and dresser separately. These had been sitting in her booth for 5 months, and I knew I wanted to paint them. I had already painted the Chifferobe (see previous post about that here) in Flannel Gray (RePurpose Chroma-Color), so I wanted to do the same for these beds. Therefore, it made no difference to me that they were yellowed and missing paint.

Repair

Be prepared to make repairs if you find a great deal on an antique. These beds were no exception. The footboards were wobbly, so I reinforced each bed with blocks of wood (one on each side). I also had to cut another slat for one of the beds. The last alteration I made to the beds was a choice I made due to the size of the room they were going in. These were originally 4 poster beds, but I didn’t want the posters on the footboards because it closes up the room and makes the room appear even smaller. I used my reciprocating saw that I got for my birthday and sawed off the footboard posters and sanded them down. I’m sure we’ll find another use for those posts, but right now they make great baseball bats. Ha!

Prime and Paint

In a previous post about the Chifferobe, I explained how and when to prime a piece before painting. However, these beds already had a coat of paint on them from the factory back in the 1960s, so I just painted over them. It took 2 coats with a brush and 3 coats in the places where I used a foam roller. The paint that I typically use (RePurpose Chroma-Color) already has a light semi-gloss sheen to it, so I didn’t apply a final protective finish to it.

I finished the room off with a fresh coat of Nacre White by Sherwin Williams and more antiques: the Chifferobe wardrobe, two wooden chairs that my mom and I recovered in a matching fabric, and a narrow serving tray that acts as a bedside table. It’s a simple room, yet classic.

The furniture style was originally “French Provincial,” but now I call it “Southern Homespun.”

Don’t be afraid to transform a piece of furniture into something else. What’s the worst that can happen? You can always make something new out of it and tell people it was intentional! 😁

Do you have any furniture stories?

If you like this, check out these end tables that my mother-in-law asked me to redo!