big boy room {beds}

There is a cute little, relatively new, consignment and antiques shop in Savannah. Joe and I visited back in May and got lucky, finding something perfect for Joseph's big boy room on the first stop on our hunt. Of course, just as happened with my wedding dress (among other purchases), sometimes when I find something perfect (or darn close to it) on my first try, I doubt my decision and keep looking…eventually leading me right back to the thing I saw in the first place.

And that's what happened. A few weeks later when we were back in Savannah, I called Clutter (cute store name, huh?) to see if the beds had been sold. They hadn't, surprisingly, and were loaded in my car an hour later. They were even better than I remembered, made of mahogany and in good condition. I stored them at my mom's house until we exchanged beds for kids week before last.

Joseph was one step closer to having a big boy bed…or two.

My plan is to create a "big boy" room from a nursery, on a very small budget, not changing wall color, rug or any other furniture. Essentially, the only difference is the beds. Not a lot of fun for a designer who likes to make changes, move things around, decorate and re-decorate. But such is the case. And again, the budget is itty bitty. The challenge is finding bedding that will work in the space and figuring out where to put everything.

Here's my starting point:

I liked Joseph's nursery. {I would rather not have carpet, but I live in a parsonage, so I'm limited to the changes I can make.} It has evolved over the last three years with subtractions (the changing table) and additions (the teepee, his second birthday present). When I put the room together, I selected things that could be a part of his room for years to come. There are many special elements and things that are very old and have been a part of our family for a long time, so I'm glad that I created a room that could grow with him, so to speak. We'll see how it turns out. I do like how the beds look in there…

We didn't have the mattresses when the kids came home from Camp Meme, so Joe took the one off of Hannah's trundle to put across some wood slats. Joseph was very eager to sleep in a big boy bed when he got back, as we FaceTimed while he was in Savannah and he saw the work-in-progress.

Figuring out the beds - and by that I mean mattresses and box springs - was a headache. The beds are lower because that's just how they made beds back then, and a standard box spring at 9" would put the mattress (also 9") so high it would cover up the beautiful spindles. Which is the whole point of these cute antique beds we love. 

I bought the mattresses from a wholesale mattress place in Savannah, but they were out of stock on the low-profile box springs. I researched a few options: go with bunkie boards, have boxes made with 2x4s and plywood at the local building supply company, or special order low-profile box springs to be shipped to a store here. You can buy low-profile foundations (4" or 5" height) online, but they are hard to find in twin size (without also buying the mattress) and they are expensive when you go that route. Due to cost, practicality, and options #1 and 2 making the beds a little low for what I wanted, I ended up going with option #3. We are cooling our heels while we wait for them to arrive.  

I'm ready for this bed saga to be over. I have mattress pads, duvets and sheets and have ordered duvet covers. Keeping my eye out for cute stuff like throw pillows to add to the mix. And the best part is - Joseph is so excited! About the beds…not about throw pillows. When planning this room, Joe often reminds me it belongs to a boy…and boys don't care. 

But I do…and so it will look nice. :)