Beds/no school like the old school/make do and mend

A princess bed and 1950's bed!

Make do and mend! 

I was very upset when our Ikea bed fell to bits after about 5 years. When we brought it, I had to get rid of the most beautiful and cozy beds I have ever owned. The Gold bed, I could write a blog just about the gold bed. In fact I think I should at some point. It was a life changing bed! I was very sad to see it go and gutted we didn't have room to store it....just in case we ever had a girl.....

I contacted Ikea, and they wouldn't replace our mattress under its 10 year warranty. Saying I hadn't hovered the bed enough...I did try to say that maybe if the bed slats fitted and didn't mean the mattress fell half out then maybe the mattress would still be ok....am ranting...We lived with our broken bed for as long as possible.. A lot of our house is Ikea, so I do love them, I was just gutted about our bed. It was a super-king, in dark grey. Beautiful and all five of us could snuggle for a film on a Sunday or if someone was ill. We often wake up to an extra mini person in our bed in the morning.....

I have just brought a double bed which is over 50 years old...
I think my husband is right am losing my mind. Lol. 
More on that later....

So here I was with a broken bed and the last thing I wanted to do was just bin it but no way could I sell it....it really was in bits! Our little girl, has a big bed, full size single and a cot bed. We brought the single bed as its a day bed. I had it in my head would could read in it and then she could sleep in it when she was older and we wouldn't need to buy another bed. mmmm best laid plans and all that - as she fast grew out of the cot bed and was still a bit small to go into a single. Well not with some sort of bed guard. We had tried a few different styles of bed guards over the years, and there wasn't really anything which would work. A friend said about building some steps, so she could climb in....that got me thinking.

We where collecting our 'new' bed at the end of the week, so I spent a few days around the mini people, sorting through our bedroom. Changing around things like the wardrobe, as our new bed was much, much smaller. That's when the idea popped into my head, as I looked at our old king size head board, what if that would work I thought... I walked it through to her room and it did. So I started to make her a castle! 


I walked passed two broken Ikea chairs, waiting by the front door to go to the wood pile down the side of the house...Perfect I thought

If you have been reading my blog awhile you will know am a hoarder! So far her new bed has cost me 2 pounds, for some fake ivy! 

Left over paint from painting her room, a flag from our broken bike trailer, 2 broken ikea chairs, one head board and two parts of wood from the foot board from our broken ikea bed. Glue and filler left over from working on the caravan.

A few more jobs to do, fixing it all on, ivy, windows and fairy lights to go! 

I will update this when its finished! 

So our 'new' bed...

Our 'new' 1950's bed. 

We are always on a budget, we spent a huge amount on our old bed. We really didn't want to spend that sort of money again, only to be in this situation again in 4-5 years time.....I started to look into different beds, most where crazy money. Then I had a thought, we have inherited a beautiful 1940's wardrobe and dressing table....why not match them! Go the full hog! So on and off I have searched for a vintage bed. Just when I couldn't bare it any longer and our bed had fallen to bits - I found one!! 

The seller was lovely, this was his parents bed.

 For this and two wardrobes, it was around 500 pounds!!!! That's crazy money for 1950!! (our house sold for around 5000 in 1972)

Now am a hoarder, I love old stuff, am happy at a boot-fair, love a junk or charity shop. But a bed, that feels very personal. Not only personal, also there really isn't many about. There are a lot of wardrobes about but often the bed was replaced a few years back. Add into that my husband is not a fan of old stuff. I was really worried about telling him, I had brought a 1950's bed!! 

Our new bed arrived home and we thought, its late we cant get it together to night. So we slept on the floor, we had got it in our heads it would be like a fun den......it was not....

I spent the next morning, cleaning, oiling the wood and cleaning some more. 

It looks perfect with my Nana's bedding. 

I have always been excited for my bedtime but now I feel even more relaxed and excited! Its way smaller and a lot higher, am worried about rolling over in the night and falling out!! 

Now am on the hunt for a sideboard and a set of draws so all the Ikea can be bashed from the bedroom. Once I have finished our bedroom make over I will share it :)

Check back for updates!