glowing review

Why didn't someone think of these ideas sooner?? Hable Construction's Glow in the dark bedding? come on, it's brilliant.

Joon & Jung's Bedskirt that, by day, looks ordinary while doing its job, catching dust bunnies and hiding boxes of out of season clothing or that errant shoe....

turns into a little, city sky line by night. Fabulously creative.

......................I could glow on, and on.

it's the one about headboards... and a bonus how-to video

A few years ago I was fortunate enough to spend some time at The One and Only hotel in Mexico.

Along with those gorgeous Galbraith and Paul fabrics every where, was this insane, Colcha covered headboard.

I covet the covered headboard. Anytime I see a great one I pull it for my overflowing file.

in my collecting, I've realized a few things. I love nailheads on rectangular headboards {although I've seen them on more curvilinear shapes, I don't love them as much when they're not in a neat little marching row}

actually that's not true, I like the nailheads here.

I don't like a headboard to be too big or puffy. Tight, and a thin-ish profile works for me.
did someone say 'curvilinear'? {off topic, but I love those, monogrammed orange euro shams}

tall is good, you want to be able to see the head board when the pillows are up against it. But keep in mind, if you have a pitched ceiling, you don't necessarily want a really tall headboard.

nailheads and swoopiness. I'm begining to like it the more I write this post. Sometimes you have to lay it all out before you can see it

I love this headboard, even though it's a naked headboard.

These last few are late additions as more than a few of us have headboards on the brain. Found these over at smittendesigns.com. thanks reader, 'elly e' for the headsup.

I had forgotten about this little twin set {above} I've always loved this shot. Not only are the colors lickable, those monogrammed shams, slay. I'm guessing but don't know for sure that they're Leontine.

Back to that Colcha covered headboard that I coveted......What I didn't know was that headboard- the one that I met in Mexico, had an established fan base. {It appeared in Cookie magazine in '05} And Grace Bonney of design*sponge, was one of them.

So inspired was she, that she went out and made herself one. Watch here as she recreates her own version of the One and Only headboard.

John Robshaw, new for autumn '09

Be still my heart, LOVE John Robshaw textiles. Love the ethnic, organic quality while bringing the beautiful polished sophistication. Every bit of his line is bed heaven.

A seek peak for autumn '09:

what child is this?

People assume that because I have two girls, I've been having a grand time over the years creating beautiful, whimsical rooms. But the truth is, I have two individuals with rooms that reflect their respective taste: one a sweet, creative but fastidious tweener the other a sunshiny scribble of bon vivant. Except for bedding choice and a few other pieces, I've had very little input on their rooms.

Which is why, when asked last week by my oldest daughter if I would re-do her room {she of the neat~nic gene} I responded like the loner girl at school being asked to eat lunch at cool girls' table. "what? of course, of course!" I jumped, clapped and squealed, a bit too eagerly. "Oh, it will be great, I have the perfect wall covering, we'll do one wall, an accent wall and then we can paint your bed a beautiful green {and be bffs forever}" and then....I was cut off.

"I want all of my furniture to match." not blinking, she thrust out her little arm, clutched in her hand was a page from a mail order catalog. whose child is this? Before you chew me out: I'm good with a few pieces here and there. But, must we match the whole room?

Currently her room is a collection, of flea market finds. mish mash of things picked up over the years, her favorite treasures and yes, even, catalog bedding.

But I heard the message in her pleading voice: "help me make my room look like every other 5th grader I know. make it normal"

Que the after school special music, fade to commercial.

I remembered back to my own 5th grade room. Having a father as an architect, it was normal in our house for the kids' rooms to have a Bertoia chair next to the platform bed or a Calder mobile dangling over a crib. Not really "normal" by most standards, and certainly not appreciated by me.

Back then, I wanted Mary Ann Flatley's room. It was a yellow canopied, 'French Regency' extravaganza. Her bed matched her night stands which matched the gold embelished dresser. It was all so "normal" with her matching shag carpet tacked wall to wall.

I can empathize. However, this does not mean that I must buckle to her innocent design ignorance. No, as with any client, it is my duty to inform and educate rather to admonish and dismiss. Shake it up, throw it at her, let it land and see what sticks.

And so in an effort to prove to her, that 'normal', uniform and safe design isn't always best, I've gathered a few images to share with her.

If we're going to go the catalog route, let's do it right. Serena & Lily have some of my favorite rooms hands down :

no matchy, match, just beautiful, complementary pieces. Interesting, each of them on their own and together; perfection.

and if we were to stick with vintage, we're going to get rid of the "shabby chic" paint job~ that's a given {the dresser's done, now for the bed}

and we could even go, bright, creative, modern and young. Let's be realistic, there needs to be room for soccer trophies, art projects and favorite animals. It's a 10 year old's room, not an art director's version of a 10 year old's room.

photo thanks to lisa congdon

of course, if I had no budget and a child whose design preferences weren't changing with the tides, I'd unload the cash on some incredible wall covering, and YES possibly a bed from a {gasp} catalog and even some vintage finds. Something beyond normal. Something perfect in all of it's non-uniform lovliness.

photo: domino

photos top and bottom: designer, ruthie sommers

in the mean time, my job will be to convince her that, really, you don't want the bed that matches the night stands, that matches the dresser that one day you'll want nothing do with.