Mindful Swap Series: The Bed Frame

Because your bed shouldn't give you bruises.

Oct 19, 2023

Ian and I have had the same bedroom furniture for over 8 years now. He was gifted the pieces in high school, so when we moved in together right after college and obviously had no money, we would take whatever we could get for free!

We lived with that furniture for 5 years, and shared it with renters for 1. When we moved back from our year in Washington State, I had started exploring my love of interior design more deeply and was eager to re-decorate our home with our new knowledge.

Originally I was a little too gung-ho, and wanted to replace the entire set of bedroom furniture. I eventually came to terms with the fact that doing so in this expensive post covid world was going to be too pricey, so I decided on a different mindful swap for our dressers (read that here).

But I knew one of the first things that really needed to go was our bed frame.

OUR OLD BED FRAME

The old frame was first to go for 5 reasons:

01.
The shape of the headboard was incredibly uncomfortable for sitting in and reading; the wooden top edge would dig into your neck or back at an odd angle.

02.
It had gotten its share of wear and tear over the years and was looking a bit rough (but not in a charming/antique way).

03.
It had started to creak when we rolled over and the supports under the middle of the frame would frequently fall over, leaving our backs aching the next morning.

04.
Ian loves to sleep with his feet out from under the covers, and therefore hates to have the sheet tucked in at the end (anyone else?!). So this resulted in the tedious re-tucking of sheets every morning amidst the footboard that was already an annoyance via the multiple thigh bruises during morning bed-making. Generally just making life harder for everyone - which is why function is just as important as aesthetics!

05.
A general rule of thumb with designing a bedroom is to not buy a “set”. Having everything match can lack personality, interest, and future adaptability. I felt that every time I walked into our space. It didn’t feel like me, like us, and I wanted to fix that.

This is what the Mindful Swap Series is about; swapping out pieces in your home that make your life more enjoyable, peaceful, and comfortable.

So, we towed the old frame to my parents garage for potential usage down the road (maybe giving it a sweet little paint job for a future guest bedroom?) and I started the search for something new.

How does your current bed feel?
Does it feel good?
Keep it!
If you don’t like how it looks, maybe you can give it a little makeover with some paint, sanding and stain, or new upholstery.

If your bed doesn’t feel good or work for you (like ours didn’t),
how do you want it to feel?
What do you want it to look like?

These are the questions to ask yourself when considering this specific swap, because I know bed frames aren’t a cheap purchase! You’ve really got to think about it.

I knew I wanted our new bed to have a high headboard that was upholstered. I love to sit in the bed to read and relax, so this was a priority for me. Though I love the look of wooden bed frames, they weren’t going to bring me comfort, so I took them out of the running entirely.

Though I looked at used headboards on FB marketplace for months, I wasn’t successful. I’d say FB marketplace is better for wooden bed frame searching anyway (plus you want to avoid purchasing anything bed bugs). Plus, I knew I wanted the bed frame to be STURDY this time around and you never know what you will get with a second hand bed.

I figured since I had never bought a bed frame in my entire life, it was okay to do so at 30 years old - HA!

I also knew I didn’t want a foot board, for obvious reasons at this point.

The next step is to think about your color palette for the space!

I was re-painting the walls a warm white to make it even more cozy, keeping our original wooden trim, and keeping the dark wood furniture. Every color palette I make (for myself and clients) tends to include green, and I thought a green bed agains a white wall would be a really lovely contrast. I wasn’t going for a clean, crisp, white space. I still love mood and color - I just wanted more warmth and light for this darker room.

Once I had my color choice, then it came to fabrics…

Velvet (which many green upholstered furniture is) was out, because Ian doesn’t like the feeling of it. It would feel too luxe for the vibe I was going for anyway, but so many green furniture pieces are velebet.

Thankfully, I pretty quickly found the perfect bed in a linen fabric, which is one of my favorites. It was a good price, perfect soft green color, didn’t have a foot board, had good reviews, and had a tall headboard that would be so comfy to lean against.

Yee-haw!

After a while of waiting and hoping a sale or discount code would pop-up, the price actually went up instead (fail), so I waited a few more weeks before I got enough courage to just buy it.

OUR NEW BED FRAME

We’ve obviously made a few more changes along with the bed frame, like the annoying lamps (which will be our next mindful swap), but this new linen beauty has made such a difference in our day-to-day lives.

- Not having a foot board instantly made the room feel so much larger!
- Ian’s feet are free to stick out of the bottom of the covers in any way feels best, so he is much happier and sleeping better!
- I can lounge in bed with ease at night and in the morning!

So many good things. And overall, I just love how the look feels more like a genuine representation of us.
Earthy, a little cabin vibe, a little cottage vibe, and neutral yet colorful.

You deserve a bedroom that feels like you too; A space that’s comfortable and makes you feel a little more excited and joyful when you walk into the room; A bed that helps you sleep better and therefore live your life better.