Weekly Window Shop: The Best Pink Beds
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I know that it's entirely possible that pink velvet is going to be one of those fleeting trends that disappears into the interiors ether as quickly as it arrived, but please humour me. Because I've always wanted a pink bed. Not the type of pink bed that looks as though it's been stolen from an eighties prom queen, with Pepto Bismol woodwork and frilly polyester skirting that presents a worrying fire risk. No, I'm talking cool pink beds; vintage shapes, muted shades of rose, non-crushed velvets and legs of brass and wood.
Quite honestly, I would have gone for something pink years ago had it not been for Mr AMR, who is of the hard-edged no-pastels modernist school of interiors; only now that I have my own room to decorate can I fully unleash my decorating desires. Now that I have my studio, with its dual-aspect windows and soothing views and steady, flat northern light (excellent for filming in), I feel like a teenager again - a world of possibilities in terms of paint and furniture and lighting... And no clue where to start.
Which is why my studio room set (aka Ted's Old Bedroom) sits forlorn and empty, furnished with oddments of furniture and the weird, badly-sized bed that Mr AMR bought from America a few years ago. (There's a huge gap between mattress and frame - you could almost lose a child down it.) The walls need re-plastering, the radiator needs moving and the air is freezing (which is why Ted only stayed in it for about two weeks before we moved him); it's really hard to get motivated to make any plans. I mean it's beautiful, original Georgian windows and fireplace and all, but white paint with the north light makes for an inspiration-sapping combo.
So I'm starting with the bed and it's going to be pink. To warm things up. I've given this a lot of thought, so don't try and talk me out of it. The overall style of the room will be "Handful of mid century, mixed with a huge dose of vintage, with some country house cool" - plush fabrics, decadent prints, some rich wood, a smidgen of antiqued brass - Babington House meets, well, Babington House.
(I spend a lot of time at Babington House, in case you hadn't picked up on that from various vlogs and stories; it's my local. Local gym, local pub, local restaurant, local anything. Pretty lucky place to land as your local, but there you go. The only problem is that it's going to cost me a potential fortune in redecorating fees - I see a little quirk I feel inspired by every time I walk in through the door and then wheee, off I go into a fantasy world of art collections and artisan wallpapers and interesting table lamps.)
(Soho Home have an amazing bed called The Manette. It's just so cool and interesting and all of the things I wanted to be at school and I'm sorely tempted to get it for our actual bedroom. Y'know, to sleep in, and not as part of a studio background. Mr AMR complains about our current bed because the end bit (foot? footboard?) restricts his leg movement. Don't even ask, but I feel as though that gives me an excuse to buy one with more leg room...)
Anway, back to pink beds, which is the priority here; I've rounded up my favourites for the studio below. For those wondering what the hell this studio is; it's where I shoot most of my videos. Except you'd never know because it just looks like a white wall. I want it to look more like my bedroom - fantasy bedroom - with all of the interesting things Mr AMR hates. Although if I make it too nice then Mr AMR will find himself in trouble, because I might take a shine to it and move myself in!
My pick of the best pink beds:
Conran Elycia Bed Frame, from £899 here.
This one triggered off the original pink bed obsession. I just loved the deco-style simplicity of the headboard and the fact that the bed didn't cost as much as a brand new Fiat 500.
The same Conran range has another lovely bed frame called the Avery, which is very similar to the...
...Margot Bed Frame from Made.com, £649 - here*.
Be still, oh be very still, my spendaholic heart. Actually, this is the most affordable of the pink bed bunch and would make my accountant incredibly happy. The way they've dressed it in some of the web pictures makes it look a bit like a sofa bed but you can see from the undressed image that it's a very fine shape indeed.
Dark wood legs with brass tips, beautiful dusty pink velvet, rock and roll headboard shape. Tick, tick, bloody well tick.
Raul Bed Frame, from £899 at Barker & Stonehouse here.
Prepare to be very divided because this is the one I'm least sure on. I've included it as a wild card because I love the slouchy cushions attached to the headboard but at the same time I'm not sure whether it's a little too retro for my current tastes.
Either way, it's a funky addition to my edit. And it's pink. The least "pretty" option, if you're after something slightly more edgy! That's assuming you're after anything at all...
Ariel Bed, from £2410 at Sweetpea & Willow here.
I mean, please: what gorgeousness lies before us here? This is girly bed perfection, surely? I actually felt slightly sick with lust when I saw this bed, but then I configured it in pink velvet and felt sick for an entirely different reason, because the price shot up to over £3300 and I knew that it was way out of my dreamy reach.
But look! The wicker peacock chair! It's as though this bed was made for me! I could almost recreate this entire room set and wouldn't even have to paint my walls. If I just skimmed over the patches where the drainpipe leaked water through the wall then we'd be good to go...
Right, party people: which is your favourite? All of the above come in grey as well, by the way, in case you're looking for something a little more subdued. Actually the Conran bed, Ariel bed and Raul bed all come in a load of different fabric options - it's a bit like upholstering a sofa - and the Margot bed from Made.com comes in grey and also teal. I do love teal, but it's such a strong colour that I really feel that it might be a bit unworkable and extreme once the fad for it dies down...