SHL How-To Guide: Bed Frames, Lampshades & French Cleats
Buying hotel furniture at warehouse prices is the fun part. Getting it home and realizing you have absolutely no idea how that bed frame goes together? Maybe not so much.
At Southern Hospitality Liquidation, we get a lot of questions about assembling, cleaning, and installing the furniture and décor that leave our warehouse. So, we’re putting some of the most common ones in one place.
In this guide, we’re covering how to assemble a Hollywood-style bed frame, how to clean a lampshade, and how to hang headboards, mirrors, and artwork using French cleats.
How to Put Together a Hollywood Bed Frame
Hollywood-style metal bed frames are commonly used with traditional mattress and box-spring setups. They’re sturdy, simple, and practical—but if you’ve never assembled one before, all those metal rails and brackets can look a little confusing.
Before You Start
Lay all of the pieces out on the floor so you can see what you’re working with. Make sure you have the frame rails, center/support pieces and any included hardware before beginning.
Protect hardwood or other delicate flooring while you're assembling the frame, and don't fully tighten everything until you're sure the frame is properly positioned and square.
Watch: Hollywood Bed Base Assembly Instructions
The easiest way to understand the setup is to actually see one assembled.
The exact hardware and configuration can vary by bed frame, so always use the instructions provided with your particular frame when available.
A Few Tips From SHL
Make sure the frame is adjusted to the correct mattress size before placing the box spring on it. Check that the frame is sitting evenly on the floor and that any center supports are properly positioned.
Once everything is lined up, tighten the hardware and give the frame a quick stability check before adding your box spring and mattress.
And yes—if you're standing there looking at the pieces thinking, How in the world is this supposed to become a bed? You're definitely not the first person. 😂
How to Clean a Lampshade
A good lamp can completely change a room, but lampshades are absolute dust magnets.
The good news is that a shade that looks dingy doesn't necessarily need to be replaced. Depending on the shade material and the type of dirt or staining, a little careful cleaning can make a huge difference.
Start With the Least Aggressive Method
Always unplug the lamp and remove the shade before cleaning it.
Start by removing loose dust. A clean microfiber cloth, soft brush or other gentle dust-removal method is usually a much better starting point than immediately introducing water or cleaning products.
Pay special attention to folds, seams and trim, where dust tends to collect.
For marks or stains, the correct cleaning method depends heavily on what the lampshade is made from. Fabric, paper, parchment, plastic and specialty shades should not automatically be treated the same way.
Always test a cleaning method on a small, inconspicuous area first.
Avoid soaking a shade unless you know its construction and material can safely handle it. Water can affect adhesives, backing materials, trim and the shape of some shades.
Watch the Lampshade Cleaning Demonstration
Here's a helpful visual demonstration:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/3122492614615860
Sometimes the difference between a lamp that looks tired and one that looks great again is simply a good cleaning.
How to Hang a Headboard, Mirror or Artwork With a French Cleat
If you've purchased hotel furniture before, there's a good chance you've encountered a French cleat.
Hotels commonly need large pieces to stay securely positioned on a wall, and cleat-style mounting systems provide a simple way to distribute weight across a wider mounting area.
You'll commonly see this type of mounting system used with:
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Wall-mounted headboards
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Mirrors
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Framed artwork
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Decorative wall panels
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Other large wall-mounted pieces
What Is a French Cleat?
A French cleat uses two corresponding pieces or brackets.
One attaches securely to the wall. The other is attached to the item being hung.
The two pieces interlock when the item is lowered into position, allowing the wall-mounted cleat to support the piece.
The concept itself is simple. The important part is making sure the wall-side hardware is properly secured for the weight of the item and the type of wall you're working with.
Before You Drill Anything
Determine what type of wall you're mounting to and how heavy the piece is.
Drywall, wood studs, plaster, masonry and other wall materials can require very different fasteners. Heavy mirrors and oversized hotel headboards especially should not be mounted using hardware that isn't rated for the load.
Locate studs when appropriate, use anchors or fasteners suitable for the wall construction, and make sure the cleat is level before mounting the piece.
When you're dealing with a particularly large or heavy item, having another person help lift and position it is much safer than trying to wrestle it onto the wall yourself.
Watch: How a French-Cleat-Style Hanging System Works
This video gives you a visual look at hanging pictures using a French-cleat-style bracket system:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2B2b5FKrIk
The same basic mounting concept may be found on some headboards, mirrors and artwork.
Important: The hardware required for your specific piece depends on its weight, its existing mounting system and your wall construction. If you're unsure whether your wall or hardware can safely support something heavy, use a qualified installer rather than guessing.
Why Does Hotel Furniture Use This Kind of Hardware?
Hotel furniture has to function a little differently than furniture designed strictly for residential use.
A hotel may have hundreds of rooms containing the same headboards, mirrors, lamps and artwork. Furniture and décor need to be practical, durable and—in many cases—securely installed.
That's one of the things we love about giving hotel furniture another life.
A headboard that once hung in a hotel room can become the statement piece in someone's bedroom. A hotel mirror can end up in an Airbnb. A desk can become someone's home office. A lamp that needed a little cleaning can look completely different in its next space.
That's what Southern Hospitality Liquidation is all about: taking quality pieces from hotel renovations and helping them find their next home.
Need Furniture for Your Next Space?
Southern Hospitality Liquidation carries constantly changing inventory sourced from hotel liquidation projects throughout the Southeast.
Shop bedroom furniture, living room furniture, dining furniture, office furniture, mirrors, artwork, lamps, appliances and more at warehouse prices.
Because our inventory changes as new hotel projects arrive, if you see something you love, don't wait too long. Once a particular piece is gone, we may not get the exact same thing again.
Visit the SHL Warehouse
Southern Hospitality Liquidation
707 South Erwin St., Suite 300
Cartersville, GA 30120
Monday–Saturday: 10 AM–6 PM
Warehouse: 678-719-8121
Whether you're furnishing your home, Airbnb, rental property, hotel or commercial space, we've got you covered.
Shop the warehouse. Give great furniture another life.