Tag: ensemble

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Art Bedrooms Homewares Renting

Make a statement with stick-on, removable, stylish headboards

Headboards have never been so popular and Lauren Esplin is offering something truly unique with her new offering, NOD.

Lauren Esplin, founder of Nod
Lauren Esplin, founder of Nod

The new patented design headboards are ideal for ensemble beds and feature fresh colours and patterns, adding another dimension to traditional bed dressing. Founder Lauren said it was her husband, together with her desire for a fresh bedroom look, that ultimately inspired her new range of decorative modular headboards, all handmade and painted to order in Sydney’s Manly.

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“I had a chunky upholstered headboard that sat on the floor behind our ensemble bed. I recently felt it no longer reflected my taste or suited our new bedroom linens,” she said. “I also found it collected a lot of dust. My husband suffers from asthma and was constantly sneezing and snoring despite frequent cleaning. To find a creative solution to our problem, I decided to combine furniture design with my passion for art.”

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The headboards, which are made from lightweight eco-balsa tiles, stick directly to the wall. “Not only do the headboards stick directly to the wall without penetrating it, but their lightweight nature ensures they collect little to no dust,” she said. “Better yet, they can be easily removed and replaced as your linen and design preferences change.” Perfect for renters, they won’t damage walls if removed carefully and can be used again in another room or home.

Lauren brought together a number of Australian designers for this photoshoot, featuring the products and designs of Kip & Co, Olli Ella, Milkcart, Bramwell Designs, Major Minor, One Two Tree and Staple & Seed. “I wanted to connect with and showcase the work of some of my favourite local designers. There is a lot of talent in Australia, and with our weak dollar pushing up the price of exports, there really has been no better time to buy locally,” she said.

NOD Headboards are available in all sizes to suit Australian-standard ensembles. The range includes designs for kids and adults, with prices starting from $159.

Shop online.

Styling by Lauren Esplin, photography by David Collins.

Categories
Bedrooms Expert Tips Furniture Renting

Make your own bed head for under $50 (yes really)!

How to: make your own bed head for under $50 (yes really)!

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I can’t even recall how many conversations I’ve had with people wanting a bed head for their ensemble but not wanting to fork out for an expensive store-bought one. My housemate happened to be one of these people, so we decided to give her room a makeover on a minimal budget. This bed head could actually be the easiest DIY project I have ever done and it’s renter-friendly!

What you need:

1x piece of ply board
Sandpaper
Paint and paint brush
Matt finishing spray
Nails or 3M hooks to attach to wall
Pencil.

Step 1: Picking a pattern & size

The first thing you need to do is work out your tile size. I was working with a double bed, so I went with 39cm x 39cm timber tiles (I wanted to allow for a slight overhang on either side). Deciding on a pattern we both loved and finding something relatively simple to match my poor painting skills was a whole other story! I found so many cool patterns it made it hard to choose, so go with your gut on this one. Trust me when I say the hardest part is deciding on a pattern to put on the tiles. Once you’ve locked in the pattern, it will take you no time at all!

Step 2: Get your supplies

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I headed down to my local hardware store and managed to get everything relatively easily (Hint: Get them to cut your ply for you into your tile size. It’s free, only takes a few minutes, and saves all the mess at your own place!).

Step 3: Mount, draw and paint the tiles

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Mount your tiles to the wall and draw on the pattern you chose. Once you’re happy with the way the pattern will look, paint away. Then all you have to do is wait for it to dry!

Step 4: Spray with finishing spray

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Apply a few coats of finishing spray to your ply tiles and wait for it to dry.

We were lucky that we had some 3M velcro strips laying around. 3M hooks will up the price but understand that if you’re renting, your landlord probably won’t appreciate you nailing the ply tiles to the wall. If you love the idea of this bedhead but don’t have the time to make one yourself, you can always spend a bit more and opt for some of Bonnie and Neil’s ready done gorgeous tiles ($25 each).

Kathryn Bamford is our girl on the ground in Melbourne; you can follow her design adventures on Instagram @thedesignrookie.

Find more bedroom inspiration.

Categories
Bedrooms

Interiors Addict’s guide to choosing a new mattress

Disclosure: My new bed was gifted by Forty Winks. Positive coverage was not guaranteed.

A decent bed is something you probably only shell out for a few times in a lifetime and by decent, I mean a step up from the cheapo one you get for your first share house. Like many things in life, you’re often reluctant to splash the cash on something which isn’t all that exciting (reminds me of my recent washing machine purchase!). It’s not like a new lounge which you can choose depending on your personal style and what’s trendy and show off to your mates when they come over. When you buy a new mattress (and they’re often more costly than the bed they sit on) you don’t invite people round to check it out. That would be weird! But, considering you spend a good third of your life in bed, as well as the psychological and health benefits associated with getting a decent kip, buying yourself a good night’s sleep should be more of a considered purchase than you might think.

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These days, however, there are so many options it can be a bit baffling. And with people’s reluctance to accept the help of a salesperson in the local bed shop due to a fear of being given the hard sell, I can see why most people might give up and put it in the too hard basket. So, after my recent mattress and bed choosing experience at Forty Winks in Auburn, I thought I’d share with you some of what I’ve learned about mattresses!

The latest mattress technology

POCKETED SPRING TECHNOLOGY

Pocket springs are springs that are separately contained to work independently. Each coil sits within an encased fabric pocket, all joined to create an inner spring which stops movement from transferring across the bed providing minimum partner disturbance. These pockets can be zoned to specific areas, providing optimal orthopaedic support moulding to the contour of your body. Recent spring developments include titanium enriched springs, variable response pocketed coils with secondary reflex support coils.

REFLEX ZONED SUPPORT SYSTEM

Designed in conjunction with and supported by the International Chiropractors Association, King Koil’s new Reflex Zoned Support System (exclusive to Forty Winks) is a revolution in mattress comfort and support providing advanced spring technology. Individually encased Primary Coils gently contour to your body shape to minimise pressure and maximise support, while Active Coils positioned in specific zones intuitively respond to body weight and shape to provide support where it’s needed most. Reflex Support Systems provide even body weight distribution and are particularly suitable for sleeping partners with significantly varying sizes, weights and shapes.

GEL INFUSED PRODUCTS

FlexGel and similar gel products have been on the market for some time but this is now evolving. FlexGel is a revolutionary cellular material that provides medically proven muscle and joint pressure release allowing better circulation, superior airflow and breathability to regulate a comfortable sleeping temperature and hyper-allergenic benefits to help people with allergies get a better night’s rest. Gel Infused Memory Foam is a popular choice for consumers – both cool and supportive the infused gel helps to cool the sleeper and transfer heat away from the surface while holding the contour of your body.

MEMORY FOAM

A synthetic alternative to Latex, Memory Foam is a growing segment in the Australian market. Best suited to people with pressure related discomfort, benefits of this comfort layer include contouring support, pressure relief and minimised movement. Forty Winks offers an impressive range of mattresses and ensembles from Australia’s leading suppliers. From King Koil and Sleepmaker to Sealy Posturepedic and Tempur, there are options to suit all comfort and sleep needs.

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The reality of choosing a bed

Please don’t be baffled by the information above. You really do need to go and try them out for yourself. Campbell Singer, the manager at Forty Winks Auburn, took us through a variety of beds in our price range, all the while stopping it getting too confusing by limiting how many ‘favourites’ we kept as we went along. The process of elimination is important. We talked about my husband’s shoulder problems and what position we sleep in. We were really encouraged to have a good lie down on the beds. Campbell said many people simply sit on beds and decide they don’t feel right, when the truth is they will feel a whole lot different when you lie your whole body on them. If you sleep on your side, don’t try out beds on your back. It sounds obvious, but it can seem a little confronting to sprawl across a bed in a showroom in the recovery position, which is how I sleep and what I had to do. You soon get over yourself though!

The one

When we finally settled on what we thought was ‘the one,’ Campbell encouraged us to find the right kind of pillow, settle down and spend a good 10 minutes seeing how it felt to lie on. It’s been a week since our Serta iRespond Medium ensemble arrived and we are loving it!

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The bed we chose, for how it felt, not its looks! It now has a rather lovely upholstered headboard attached!

Things that surprised me about Forty Winks

  • They sell mattresses at all price points. While they’re known for stocking the big name, established brands, they also have plenty of options for people on a budget or those, for example, looking for something for an infrequently used guest bedroom.
  • They sell a lot of really on-trend beds with plenty of upholstered headboards in Warwick Fabrics.
  • They also sell bedroom furniture such as bedsides and ottomans.
  • A lot of their stock is Australian made.

My biggest advice?

Accept the help offered to you in the bed showroom. Tell them how you sleep, what you want to spend and what your areas of concern are. It’s not just about selling you a bed at a certain price, but selling you the right bed in your budget as there’ll be several options.

Remember that a bed isn’t just a piece of furniture. As Forty Winks say, they’re not selling you a bed but a good night’s sleep. I’ve certainly had a few of those lately!

Find your nearest Forty Winks store.

Categories
Homewares

Win this upholstered bedhead from BedNest and make your bedroom a beautiful sanctuary

This post is sponsored by BedNest.

The Maddison is the latest divine design in BedNest’s range of upholstered bedheads, bringing a little luxe from Manhattan to your home. The angled, tapered side wings are studded in either antique brass or silver. Stunning in plain velvet, she’s available in a huge range of fabrics, like the satin-based Castello pattern featured here.

Central to BedNest’s philosophy is the idea that your bedroom should be a haven, a sanctuary, a nest; a place where your personality shines through. They understand that transforming your bedroom into something incredible can be overwhelming and time-consuming and that’s how BedNest came about.

A BedNest freestanding upholstered bedhead is the simple way to breathe life into your room by injecting colour, warmth, texture and personality. No fancy fittings or brackets required, the bedheads just slot in behind your ensemble or slatted bed-base.

A simple 3-step online process is all it takes to make the transformation and they’ll guide you every step of the way. Choose from their range of designs, then select the size and finally a fabric and colour that best suits your nest. There’s also a Bespoke BedNest service that offers you the chance to tweak any of their existing designs or even start from scratch using photos, magazine tear sheets or sketches.

WIN ONE

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