I give up - shopping for furniture...*update -& more questions....

[sparksals]

I feel your pain.  I looked for a bedroom suite for a couple years and couldn't find anything.   They were either to casual or too provincial. No matter how much I looked, I couldn't find what I wanted.   I have to admit, I didn't know what I wanted, but knew I would when I saw it.   I stopped looking.  Then, one day I was looking on Costco.com and I found THE set. 

I suggest you stop looking.  When you are avidly searching you can't find what you want, but when you least expect it, it pops up. 

[joraemi]

Amara, I have sent those two magazine names to DH in the hopes that he will pick them up this morning while he's out.

  We have been talking about this new furniture for almost a year (or more) it seems.  I must not regularly visit places where I would see furniture becasue nothing has ever just presented itself to me.  I am currently working my way through the list of vendors on that local furniture store's list, making a list of vendors that have something I like, then I'm going to print pictures of all of them and see if I can find a common theme...and if DH likes or hates any of them.  The bedroom right now is just a disaster becasue we don't have enough storage in there, there are things living in there that don't belong, etc, so I'm really feeing the need to get it DONE.

My favorite room in the house is one that I based on a photo I found online and then took the elements from that photo and put them in my room.  I love that room more than any other room in the house!  I'm hoping to have the same success with the bedroom.

Thank you for all the suggestions!! 

[buvezdevin]

Since you mention how happy you are with a room you did yourself with inspiration from on line photos, here are some of my favorite "idea and inspiration" sites, many with references to resources.  For quickest location of photos which would likely mix traditional and more modern elements, maybe search for "transitional bedroom".  Really looking forward to hearing how it goes and wishing you all the best!

Apartmenttherapy.com (much more than apartments)
Makingitlovely.com
Poppytalk/blogspot.com/
Younghouselove.com
Littlegreennotebook/blogspot.com/
Decor8blog.com

[Amara]

Best of luck to you, OP! Maybe a dresser of some sort should be high on your list?

I am beginning to sound redundant, I am sure, but do check your local CL. You may have to look at hundreds or thousands of ads to find things you like but you can sure find some gorgeous pieces. (I wouldn't consider a bed from there, though.)

Other magazines that I subscribe to include Architectural Digest, Veranda, Elle Decor and, um, others that don't readily come to mind at the moment. They all have websites too so those are worth checking out. Other websites I like include Decor by Color, Natural Home, Home & Design, Home Decorators, Touch of Class, Ballard Designs. I am excited for you!

ETA: I see HGTV's website has 757 ideas for bedrooms ( http://www.hgtv.com/designers-portfolio/bedrooms/index.html ). Then there's these 95 ideas from House Beautiful ( http://www.housebeautiful.com/photos/beautiful-designer-bedrooms ). And there is this design planner ( http://mydeco.com/3d-planner/ ).

[oogyda]

I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I found mine while I was out buying a new kitchen table set.  I had found the table I wanted and wanted Oogydad's okay, so we went together and bought it.  While we were waiting on the paperwork, we ventured over to the bedroom displays.  Fell IN LOVE with one and decided it was time to upgrade to a king size bed anyway, so we bought the whole set. 

Still don't regret it and it was about 10 years ago.  I think we'll have these until we die.

[Shoo]

Have you looked at EthanAllen.com?  For me, it is absolutely impossible to look at that website and not fall in love with 10,000 things. 

[joraemi]

Breath in.  Breath out.  Breathe in.  Breathe out.

OK - so I finally think I've found a bed that I like and matching bedside tables.  I call the furniture store, she gives me a quote.  I have some follow up questions about measurements and such, she calls the factory and calls me back.  Good news/bad news....the bed is being discontinued!  But they still have some....she couldn't get all the questions I had answered.

One of the things I didn't ask her but I want to know is - what is a "mattress support system"?

Here is the bed I'm looking at:http://www.americandrew.com/showdetail.asp?PID=591-306R&CollId=711#.UOcWxqWTRUg

I dont' think it's a platfor m bed, it doesn't say it is, but says it comes with a "mattress support system".  I assumed it was one of those rolls of wooden slats that are all attached, but she said that she thinks the height of it will be near the top of the side rails, so now I'm starting to wonder!

And...I'm nervous about spending this much money on a product I haven't seen in person, kwim?

Advice?  Thoughts?
Thank you!

[Amara]

OP, I am not sure what that means but I would guess that rather than bed springs you have a solid or near-solid hardwood support under the mattress.

I have a question: Are you looking for a mattress/box springs or a full decorative bed or both? I would consider my mattress/box springs separate from any "bed" because that is what is going to be the most important thing to you. Have you looked at the beds from Tempur-pedic? They are a luxury brand (but not insanely priced): http://www.tempurpedic.com/tempur-pedic/Beds.asp

[buvezdevin]

I love the bed you picked!

It does say it has wood rails, which may be wood slats to support the mattress, or refer to the frame - I am no expert.

I will add that we bought a European style sleigh bed several years ago, which had a word slat support for the mattress, which is meant to be used instead of box springs.

Some mattresses warranty is tied to using with box springs, and using wooden slat support will void the warranty - those tend to be mattresses which will wear out more quickly on slats, which our old mattress did.

When we recently replaced our mattress, using the wooden slat support put the top of the bed a bit higher than we wanted.  I found a multi-point bed frame with a low profile which fit inside our bed frame, and we removed the wooden slats - that worked well for us.

From the photo of the bed you are considering, I don't know if it would accept a box spring or not, or what height your mattress would sit at on the "mattress support".  You probably want to know that height before buying, to know if it is higher or lower than you want - can the rep tell you that?

[Minmom3]

I would suggest looking around for some furniture consignment stores.  When we lived in Orange County, we were very close to Leisure World.  Nice expensive retirement 'world' my paternal grandparents actually retired to.  Nice as it is/was, it was NOT as large as people's good sized homes were, and they had to downsize extensively.  There were numerous consignment stores around Leisure World, some of which were high end antique stores in all but name.  Gorgeous, fabulous furniture - most of it well out of my price range, then and now.  However, snooping around, I found a lower end one, and I found a dresser there.  I've been told it's over 100 years old.  It's cherry, with some nice carving up the front side edges.  Good solid dove tailing joins all drawer fronts to drawer bodies.  I paid less than a tenth of what the same construction would have cost me brand new.  That was in the early 1990's, and all the new stuff I found in the basic shape I like (not quite a high boy, but also not low and wide) had stapled drawer construction, plywood bits, and cost close to $1000.  I had gotten a cheap pine dresser for my children from a bare wood furniture store, and those drawers were stapled together, and I got them repaired 3 times before I threw the dresser away.  It was a huge exercise in frustration for me.
Snoop your neighborhoods for antique stores and consignment stores.  Go online and see what you find, check them on Yelp, and go walk around the stores frequently.  You may well find just what you like.  I've seen everything from fairly modern to good faux or real antiques at consignment stores, and the price is most always far less than brand new, AND the construction is better.

[jpcher]

Gorgeous bed!


http://www.bedinabox.com/product/5722.html