Rustic headboard

WHILE THE MATTRESS IS THE KEY TO A BED’S COMFORT, the headboard is what defines its style. Case in point: this handsome planked headboard, which evokes the warmth and historical character of a stable in an old barn.

This is an easy, straightforward project to build. Working together, general contractor Tom Silva and host Kevin O’Connor managed to complete it in just a few hours, using materials readily available at many home centers. The base is a sheet of 1⁄2-inch). Conveniently packed in boxes, these weathered wallboards are free of the bugs, fungi, and peeling paint that you might find in boards actually salvaged from abandoned barns. Because the poplar pieces don’t line up perfectly edge to edge, Tom painted the plywood black to make any gaps look like shadows.