For those readers of mine that are not based in the UK, let me just tell you this:  The weather, considering it’s supposedly summer, has been pretty abysmal.  It’s been colder and rainier than it should be and so, I’m feeling a little ripped off.   Aside from a unseasonably warm week in March and one other gorgeously sunny and hot week in May, it’s been pretty rubbish weather and now that summer is here, the situation hasn’t improved much.  Oh sure, we’ve had the odd sunny day when temps were in the 20s but they’ve been rare indeed.

Why am I telling you this?  Because about a month ago, W & I had a decision to make.  We had a bit of cash saved but it would only be enough to go to one home improvement:  We either extended on to the back deck (just outside the kitchen door) or we got a new king sized bed – both things I desperately wanted.  The deck, because our current one is just too small to put much furniture on and I had fashioned grand plans as to what possibilities extending it could hold; and our bed, because try as we might, a double bed with 2 adults and 2 cats all fighting for space in the night just wasn’t cutting it anymore.

On the bright side (or not so bright considering the weather – see what I did there? I slay me.), the weather has made the decision for us.  There didn’t seem a point to invest more in our outside space when we haven’t even been able to really enjoy the changes we’d already made on it (see our back garden makeover here).  So a new bed it was.  The deck extension will have to wait until next year.

Thanks to eBay, I was able to sell my iron bed at around 50% of what I originally paid for it 4 years ago so I was happy enough with that and it made room for our new lovely king size bed and divan.

See the white faux fur throw?  That usually only comes out in the winter.  Told you it’s been cold.

I was very happy to find that the divan came in varying colours (and not in the ugly patterns to match the mattress fabric which I never understood – why buy something that would only need covering up with a bedskirt?!) and so I chose a black base which is actually closer to a very dark grey, matching perfectly with the walls in the bedroom.  The base also contains 2 drawers which is perfect for storage.

I’ve also been meaning to replace the lampshades for ages now but wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to get.  When I saw that Homebase had these groovy zebra printed shades on clearance for just £9 each (!) I knew they’d work perfectly.  (As an aside, I have no idea where they came from in Homebase – I live right next to the store so I’m there all the time and I’d never seen them before.  Normally, their light shades are pretty tame and boring.  I’m sure these were left for me by the Happy Homewares Fairy.)

I also raised the pictures to just above the lampshades, rather than just below them as they were before.

I absolutely love the way they tie in so well with the black and white embroidered cushions.  I love mixing patterns, sometimes it’s a delicate balance but I really think it works in this case.  (You may disagree and think it looks like a dog’s dinner, that’s cool).

I don’t know why the picture on the right looks crooked.   It isn’t, I used a spirit level and everything.

Obviously, there’s something missing in a major way here.

Ahhh yes, there’s no longer any headboard.

Well, do not worry that sweet little brain of yours because I have plans for that as well.

It involves yellow velvet and nailheads.  And a wickedly talented and rather lovely blogger I’d like to introduce you to called Emily.

I’m totally going to Edinburgh to steal her dog.  And her shoes. Image via Fantoush.

Ya see, Emily, an upholsteress and interior designer extraordinaire as well as a proper hands on DIYer, runs an upholstery business in Edinburgh called Fantoush.  Fantoush, as I found out myself, is a Scottish word for flashy or ostentatious.  I’ll have some of that, thank you.

She is very funny, hard-working and shares my passion for non-cookie-cutter interiors.  This girl has got style in spades.  I mean, this room is not only her design but she made the shit outta that headboard AND the goats hair fender bench.

Is it any wonder that I have a massive girl crush and I totally want her to be my BFF??  (Apparently, stalking is illegal in Scotland.  Pfft.)

Image via Fantoush

Graciously, Emily has agreed to give my bed it’s much needed crowning glory of a headboard.  How excited am I?

Oh, but I do understand, Kitty, I really do.

It’ll be a while before I get my sweaty mitts on it because Emily isn’t just sat around twiddling her thumbs, she’s busy this girl and it’s easy to see why.  And plus she’s making this thing from the ground up for me so we need to let the genius get on with her work.  Can’t wait to share the design with you soon but you’ll have to stay tuned for that! :)

Is it going to be cheap?  Not especially.  Can I have created the headboard myself?  Possibly.  Could I have bought something ‘off the shelf’ for a similar price?  Probably.  Could I have used an old door or a screen or something equally creative instead of a proper headboard?  Yeah, I guess.  But is it what I wanted?  Nope.

So what gives?

Well, I honestly believe that ‘getting pretty on the cheap’ also means allowing yourself the option to splurge once in a while.  And that every room should allow for at least one splurge if you can swing it.  I sold my bed along with a couple other things to drum up some cash for this so I figure a treat is in order.

In the meantime, if you want to see some more of Emily’s work or talk to her about your own commission, you can visit Fantoush here or you can read her blog here.  If you want to be her BFF, however, you can back the f**k off.  I’ve already called dibs.

I’ve shared this post here…

http://my1929charmer.com/sundays-best-36-par-tay/