Saturday, December 20, 2014

Faux Russian Folk Beds & Shabby Vignettes


The guest room has been sitting like this all summer long.


The twin bed mattress/box spring brought home from my parents' house 
jammed at the foot of the double bed between two large dressers.
The room pretty much unusable...except for The Husband's desperate attempt to wriggle around them to get to his underwear drawer (poor guy),
and me vaulting over them to put laundry away (Kodak moments).

I've been nudging (i.e. nagging) him to build me a couple of Russian folk beds for this room,
but time has been escaping us both with the holiday seasons.

It must have been the antibiotics/pain killers that I've been on for a tooth infection
(which is a whole 'nother story)
that finally motivated me to do something about this mess.

This room needed to breathe again.


So, using my super-human strength (once again most likely from the pain killers),
and with a bit of grunting and groaning, 
I hauled the double bed's ancient mattress and rusty box spring
down the stairs, through the French doors in the kitchen, 
across the back porch, and out to the fire pit.

By "ancient", I'm talking about some sort of coir-like material laid over the springs and wrapped with some sort of cotton batting.  
Not cute ancient....and just plain icky ancient.

The room now looked like this.


I have always loved the painted floors and woodwork in this room
because your eye, instead of being "stopped" by wood trim, goes through the windows and focuses on the beauty outside. It makes the space appear seamless.
I just may do it in the library room someday.

Anyway, I had visions of this...

my favorite Rachel Ashwell boho-inspired room
with simple Russian folk beds, a happy calamity of fabrics tossed next to each other,
and vintage Oushak rugs spread lazily across the floor.


In my mind, I just KNEW that I could squeeze that bed into the corner creating a cozy "L" shaped folk bed. 

One way or another.
(I possessed super-human strength, you know.)

I moved those mattresses around and around and around the room.
Each time getting stuck on the dressers.
I stood back and channeled the geometry I had learned in high school.
I measured and re-measured.

I pushed and squeezed and manipulated those mattresses to no end.

But it was not to be.
(Insert sad face here.)

The room was too small with the dressers in there,
and they had to stay.

 So....{sigh}...one folk bed would have to do.

After pushing and pulling and sliding the box spring up the attic stairs
(which was quite an Olympic event in itself),
I got to work on making the room pretty.


The base of the pallet bed is still on the docket to be built next month sometime,
(I asked for 2x4s for Christmas, believe it or not.)
so I just used a Hollywood bed frame for now and placed the mattress on that. 


I used my favorite RA 'Somerset' duvet and pillows and added in SSC 'Mon Ami', a vintage striped down filled pillow, and some white ruffles to the mix.

The room felt larger and more spacious and just plain cozy
(and I could still sleep in here if The Husband's snoring got too bad some nights -
 happily sprawled across all of those smooshy pillows).

In my foggy, pain-free state-of-mind,
  I was quite pleased at how it turned out.


I would still like to get my hands on some of that faded gray French ticking material 
that RA has on her folk beds in her boho-inspired room...if anyone knows of a source.

While I was experiencing happy delirium upstairs,
I peeked outside and saw that the turkey boys were in the back yard 
deliriously happy with finding my water garden.


I had been wondering why I was having to haul buckets upon buckets of water out there to top off the pond every week.
Now I knew.


Nothing better than happy turkeys slurping away in your back yard.

Back inside,
feeling so much better about the guest room
(and floating back up stairs just to look at it again and again),
I plunked my favorite 'Rosita vendela' roses into vases throughout the house...


...and captured some vignettes from around the house...






before promptly passing out on the love seat for a long nap.


If I don't see you before the blessed Christmastide,

I pray for you 
peace
joy
and
glorious love
that only comes 
from the One Above.



Merry Christmas Blessings



~  Eucharisteo  ~


Linking to the linky parties on the lower right of my sidebar.






31 comments:

  1. So beautiful Laurie sweetie... I am almost in tears over the beautiful "letter" at the end... anyway... your guest room is perfect!... I can't believe you hauled all those mattresses yourself, they weigh a ton!... but you did a fabulous job and it looks so cozy, I would spend all day (and probably night too) up there... and your photos around your home are beautiful too... love all your vintage rugs, I am thinking I need some now... oh, and your turkeys, what a hoot!... love them too... Merry Christmas to you sweet friend... sending lots of love and healing wishes on your bad tooth... love you, xoxo... Moi

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  2. Oh my your room does look so nice and I love your inspiration room. Sorry it didn't work out but it looks really nice. I love the letter at the end,so beautiful, would you mind if I copied it, did you write it. I think of you often, wondering how your doing this time of year. It is a hard time so...your heart holds many emotions at this time. I wish you peace. Hope you tooth is better.

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  3. I am so sorry about your infection...I know how it can drive us crazy to rest, we have to "move" to forget the pain. And yes, we women can move mountains (and mattresses)! Well, you tried, and the room came out just beautiful in the end. I really love the rug...it just adds that perfect touch. And I always love seeing pictures of your pretty home.

    Love to you and have a wonderful, merry and blessed Christmas!

    Jane xx

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  4. Women Power !!! Those pain killers and antibiotics gave you super Powers Lol It all looks great more open for sure. Love that lil side table too :)

    Loving those boys too :) Happy Holidays !!!

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  5. Your home looks lovely and serene, glad you are pleased (and l am sure you will be when the pain killers wear off too). My upstairs lounge is chaos now as my daughter had a mouse somehow get in from outside and turn uo in her bedroom. Quck as lightning she hauled all her stuff out in to the upstairs lounge and refuses to move back in until we have found out how this happened. Makes your spare bedroom look like a tidy haven in comparison. Help! :) Wish you a wonderful and blessed Christmas, Pam xx (love the pict. of your turkeys in the back yard)

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  6. Your room look verry Nice again....!...enjoy Christmas Darling...see the light....love love Ria...x!

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  7. Laurie, Love your blog and hope your tooth infection gets well soon. It does not seem to have slowed you down. I have slept on a real Russian bed in a hotel in Moscow in an older hotel with walls that were very, very thick. I am 5' 5" tall and the bed was too short, so if you really wanted a real Russian bed, I am sure they both would have fit in your room. Be glad you don't have the real thing. Also, the end of your blog about if we look for Jesus would be a beautiful printable. Can you publish just that so we can download it? Thank you for a year of joy and inspiration. Peace and Blessings

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    1. Nancy - if you right click on the picture, you can save it to your files! :) Loved hearing about your experience with some real Russian folk beds. So interesting! xoxo

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  8. Oh, Laurie, now a tooth infection !? You poor thing ! Get well soon. I love that you have turkeys in the yard -- SO cool ! The room looks great -- we girls can do heavy work when no one is looking, right ?! Every time I see your house it inspires me. The letter at the end is beautiful, thank you for sharing. Blessings to your home, Merry Christmas.

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  9. It all looks very pretty. I love the folk bed idea....I'd never seen such. Merry Christmas to you.

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  10. Christmas blessings to you Laurie, You've done a great job on your guest room-I know you'll love using it for guests and maybe occasionally for yourself. Sounds like our teeth have been talking-I had a root canal a week and a half ago, two rounds of antibiotics because I found out that I've had an infection for over two years(who knew?). I tried a pain pill but it made me feel awful, so didn't use them. Now I'm trying to get my gut back to normal by taking pro-biotics. Hope you are back to normal soon. Hugs,
    Noreen

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  11. Olá amiga, hoje quero agradecer a Deus pelo dom da sua vida, e desejar a você e sua família
    um feliz e santo Natal, cheio de saúde e alegria!!!
    Que seu coração esteja preparado para receber o Menino Deus!!!
    Um grande abraço, Marie.

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  12. Laurie I really love your home and the great ideas that you have come up with for decor. Love it all!
    XX Jo

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  13. Room looks lovely! I love those turkey boys. Did you burn the old mattress??

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  14. I had to laugh about you moving things, I do that too when I'm impatient to do things and don't want to wait for help. But I usually end up hurting myself! The room looks lovely now. Sorry to hear about your tooth pain. Have a very happy Christmas to a fellow Michigander!

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  15. the room does look bigger. the changes are so soft and pretty, laurie:) and how fun to catch a glimpse of the turkeys! wishing you a christmas of comfort and joy! (darn tooth)

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  16. So serene and beautiful at your house, Laurie. I've moved mattresses by myself before - not an easy task! But when we want something done...
    I hope you have a beautiful Christmas.
    xoxo,
    Lin

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  17. Hi Laurie, you describe me completely when moving things around and no one is around to help. We can sure find a way right?? Sorry about your tooth infection. I've had the same here and finished one root canal only to start another crown replacement today.
    Love how your guestroom turned out. Simply so inviting and comfy!!
    Thank you for sharing the Christmas letter at the end. I so enjoyed this.

    So glad to have met you this year and I look forward to many more fun visits.
    Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas filled with many blessings in the new year.
    Hugs and Christmas Love!

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  18. Merry Christmas to you too sweet friend


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  19. Merry Christmas to you my friend xx

    Love what you did with this room Laurie. It has such a restful and romantic feel to it and I'd love to lay my head on that perfect bed. I'm sharing this delicious 'shabbiliciousness' on Shabbilicious Friday tomorrow.

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  20. It is just beautiful! I do the same with furniture :) Hope you had a wonderful christmas and wishing you a wonderful new year, hope you are feeling better. XXOO

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  21. a beautiful update to your peacefully laid back room, and you even got a bonus workout. that's the way to get two things done. peace.

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  22. I think you captured it! So Cute! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
    Sherry

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  23. Laurie,
    Marathon decorating at its finest, dear friend!!!
    I'm smiling. . .I just finished some of the same here on my side of the Prairie.
    Not with mattresses. . .with chairs!!!
    Don't give up on your vision, dear one.
    "Mr. Ed" and mine High School Motto. . ."Where there's a will, there's a way."
    Loved seeing the turkeys. . .we have bunnies!!!
    Napping on the love seat. . .it's a "Good Thing"!!!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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  24. I love your gorgeous photography. So serene and soothing to ones soul.

    Wishing to a blessed 2015.

    Janet

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  25. I love the new look of your guest room! It looks so cozy. I'm sure you're relieved to get the clutter cleaned out. Your home looks so pretty. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

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  26. Your home breaths calm and quiet. And I love it. Your guest room redo will make any guest feel cozy and comfy.

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  27. Laurie your posts not only inspire me but definitely amuse me when you talk about your projects. I can just imagine you heaving those mattresses to force them to fit. Good thing you had the pain killers!
    I hope you enjoyed a blessed Christmas. Your guest room looks wonderful so far - you're on a roll!

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  28. Oh you give me so much inspiration and good ideas...love your home!
    Have a beautiful day and take care...
    Titti

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  29. Oh man can i relate to moving furniture around to try to capture a look, only to end up having to give up the whole idea. Either way you totally captured the yummy, inviting, pretty bohemian vibe in your room. I want to just dive into that bed and hang out with you...

    Cindy

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Bless you and thank you for visiting! I read each of your comments and treasure them all. So, please make sure your settings will accept emails, or leave your email address so that I can reply! ♥ Laurie