T- Minus One Week...And I need a BED!!!

EEEEEK!!!

For now, let me be in denial about what having my car in the shop for 5 out of the last ten days has done to my perfectly orchestrated plan. Instead, let me focus on something totally non-urgent, like the fact that we need a new master bed to sleep in.

Knowing my children as I do, I'm fairly confident that all three will be sandwiched in between my dearest and I for at least the first week in our new home. And the fact is that we simply do not fit in our current queen bed. When we purchased this bed a month before bringing home our first bundle of joy, it seemed ENORMOUS compared to the full bed we'd been sleeping in for the first 4+ years of our marriage. A KING? Why would we want a KING? We'd be so faaaaaarrrrrr from one another in the night.  No, king-sized beds are for couples that don't love each other enough to value cuddling in the night.

The past 8 years of parenthood have brought some wisdom with them. Like the fact that king sized beds are also for couples who don't like to wake up at 3am with small feet stuck up their nose, or a squishy diaper nestled into their ear while a small person (who they really do love during daylight hours) tries to make a nest in their hair.

A King is not a luxury in our lives right now, it's a necessity!

We already know the mattresses we want. I would sell my CAR for these things they are so "heavenly" (wink wink). Not skimping on the mattress means that I really need to be frugal on the bed frame. I also am a bit greener than I was the first go-round at the furniture store, so would love to be able to buy a pre-owned bed. But people must like their kings, because neither Craigslist in Chicagoland or Boston is being of much assistance.

Then I remembered my Binder.  Trust me, this thing deserves that capital 'B'.  I've been using it to store magazine clippings of decorating inspirations for FIFTEEN YEARS.  Like, back when formica was en vogue.   And when I get all flustered and confused over what direction I should take, the Binder brings me back to center.  All I have to do is take out the clippings for the room that I'm working on and spread them out. 

Like a crystal ball, suddenly, my preferences are outlined in front of me and I can zero in on what it is that I want.  Like this...

And voila!  It's all clear to me now.  I like;

- Slender framed canopy beds
- Sleigh beds
- Upholstered headboards
- Neutral shades like cream and silver grey with lots of different textures.

I would LOVE to create a one-of-a-kind upholstered headboard.  They seem so hotel-chic to a stay at home mommy like myself. All I'd need is some craft supplies and a cheapo bed frame! Sadly, my other half spends so much time in hotels that hotel-chic is the last thing he's looking for in a bedroom.  He'd prefer to stick with the solid wood sleigh bed we already have, just supersized. But I'm kind of over it and looking to try something new.   Enter the slender framed canopy bed. 

If money was no object (or guilt), I would buy this bed...

The Willa Bed by Oly Studio

I'd get it in the silver finish offered at Alice Lane. It's not pictured there, but I know it would be FABULOUS. Of course, since the only price listed online for the bed is "call for pricing"...we know this one is definitely not for us.

The Antonia Bed by Pottery Barn

Choice #2 would be an upscale, off the rack piece like this stunner from Pottery Barn.  So simple, with just a little detail, not to frilly, not to stark.  A perfect, rubbed bronze finish that will complement the wood pieces from our current set.  PERFECT!  Except that they want $1500 for it, so it still isn't all that budget friendly.  And though I could (and do!) gush over PB's catalogs for hours, when I buy from them I just feel kind of like a lemming. 

Enter choice #3, which is actually the first bed I found when I began my search in earnest. So good to be true it makes me nervous!

Overstock.com wants a paltry $259 for this lovely bed, plus $1 shipping.   Looking back at the inspiration folder, so much about those ideas is represented in this bed.  My concerns are quality - how well can it be made if it's that inexpensive? And safety - will children's body parts get stuck in the headboard?   Could we co-sleep safely in this?







In the end, I'm thinking it's worth a shot.  It sure helped me relax for two hours tonight while I stuck my head in the sand and pretended I don't have a major timeline crunch to face...so already it has that going for it!  We shall see what the hubby thinks...