{design} + favorite things: project {Claudia Bell + Albert}

We have been very busy this week getting things together for our new apartment! Last weekend we shopped both days for a great mattress. We originally picked out a Simmons Orthopedic, later to find the reviews were horrible. With lots of frustration from a days worth of shopping down the drain we headed to The Original Mattress Factory. I had to say we were both sold on the mattress before even trying out the beds. Just the construction and quality of the bed itself was far more extensive than we had found the first day. They sell solely from their factory warehouse, so we were able to get a lot more for our buck. Here are the comparison photos. Mostly look at the spring design + gauge and foam ratios. The OMF also makes their beds double sided for flipping, where standard mattress' did without this 10 years ago. Not shown are the box springs. Typical box springs are hollow wood framed boxes. The OMF makes the box spring how they were designed years ago by including coils and springs.

Simmons Mattress & Sealy Mattress

Original Mattress Factory

We also upgraded our bed to a KING!! Which means I don't need to wake up with elbows in my face and Andrew won't yell at me for sleeping diagonally as much. The way I see it - the extra 16" are actually for me :) Having a King size bed also means buying new linens and a comforter. We got a great deal on our sheets from Bed Bath & Beyond and I found a fantastic sale for an Ivory alternative down comforter from The Company Store. Because of Fourth of July Sales, I don't think we purchased anything that was marked up or greatly on sale.

I also wanted to make my own headboard because of the cost, in addition to fitting my style. My dad was more than willing to help out. I drew up the plans last Sunday night and he cut and assembled all the wood this week. Yesterday I went to Joann Fabric and got some upholstery fabric for $4.50/yard!!! I also got the foam for the panels at 50% off and then got an additional 15% off my total purchase. After rebates for the wood and all my sales the total headboard cost {for a King} was $56.00. That is 10% of what it would have cost to buy it in a furniture store. When the time comes there will be a blog on how this was assembled and made.

Panel + foam covering

Both are suede fabric. The darker is for the 2x8 frame.

Andrew also surprised me this week and wanted to go apartment shopping and then let me pick out the towels. Of course I'm going to try and get away with yellow wherever I can, so I picked out a Victorian yellow pattern and some cream/beige accent color towels.

This weekend we also did little projects for our apartment. Andrew's mom, Vicki, gave us this old US military typewriter box that we painted and plan on putting in our screened in patio along with our new family member Claudia Bell. Andrew sanded down the box, primed and painted it, while I went shopping for a new hydrangea plant. I named them Claudia Bell and Albert.