10.03.2014

Soho House New York design by Lee Levine Architects 

dreaming of a new bed

If you have been following THE PLACE HOME then you know I am a bit obsessed with bedrooms specifically beds. Its not a new affinity but one that started when I was a kid. By probably the age of thirteen, I learned that I preferred my bed to have white linens, a down comforter and super soft sheets. I still feel the same way today and although I have adapted somewhat in order to accommodate a man and a dog, I can't see straying too far from these three requirements.

Back while we were in our rental house, this obsession with beds started to grow to include bed frames. Being in a rental, however, kept my desire for a new bed somewhat in check by not wanting to invest in something that wouldn't work in our next home. Now, however, the obsession with bed frames specifically finding just the right one for our master bedroom has really grown into a full blown addiction. After countless hours spent surfing Craigslist, Ebay, Chairish and many other antique online furniture dealers I have narrowed down my specifications to the follow.

1. It must be hand-crafted - I am not trying to be a snob when I make this specification but rather I see this bed as something that we will have forever and I want it to last. A bed is one of the largest pieces of furniture in a house and I think its important that it be well made and that you love it. For this reason, I either want to find an antique that has already stood the test of time or a bed crafted by a skilled carpenter who is committed to creating quality furniture.

2. It should be wood - I think wood bed frames are just so classic and I have a vision for our bedroom of being primarily white with wood tones and lots of layered textures. That being said it needs to be either stained a natural color (not too yellow) or a darker color (not too red). I am not a big fan of mid-tone woods as they tend to be too orange for me - probably walnut would be my ideal.

3. It must be a low four poster - I love a four poster bed (see this post) but after getting our furniture in the bedroom and placing the bed, I think the end posts would be too obtrusive in the room. For this reason, we need a low four poster so that I can have still have the style I want and the bed will be well proportioned in the room.

4. The headboard needs to be approximately 2' - 3' tall - Being that the bed is in front of a window, we need something to lean up against/not fall out the window. Just being practical here. 

5. It must have side rails - The way our stairs switch back into the master, you really see the side of our bed. I currently hate how right now you see our ugly metal bed frame. I also am not a fan of a bed skirts as they just seem to get misaligned and wrinkled. Rails are just part of having a well-made, sturdy bed for me.

6. We somehow need to afford it - Probably the hardest specification as we have lots of expenses right now and a bed is not exactly a needed item. This is why I will continue to search and search and most likely try to find a hidden gem at an estate sale or Craigslist. 

These are my current two favorites.

Gwendoline Spindle Bed by Bradshaw Kirchofer

I have loved the Gwendoline Bed since I came across it last year (see this post and this post). It is has the amazing spindle posts that I love and meets all of my other requirements. 

four poster spool bed by Cottage Woodworkers

This bed is hand crafted out of Canada and I absolutely love its wood tone - not too yellow and not too red. I also really like the shape of its posts. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

beds in front of windows

Tomorrow is the big day - the move! The truck is scheduled to arrive at 8am and whether we are ready or not the process will begin. The previous homeowner had very little furniture and used the space differently than we plan to so I am pretty excited to see furniture in the space. One of things I am most looking forward to seeing is how our bed fits in our new master bedroom. My plan is to put the bed in front of a window although its going to be a tight fit as the room is long and narrow. Once I confirm that the layout works, I really want to get a new bed frame and have been looking at the below images to get different ideas about what type of bed looks best in front of a window. Have a good weekend everyone!

from top left - via Lonny - design by LeSueur Interiors - design by Vanessa de Vargas via Lonny - design by Ashley Whittaker - via House Beautiful - via Amber Interiors - via House Beautiful