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Was My Custom Primary Bedroom Bed Worth It? And Do I Regret Selling It 8 Years Ago?
Nine years ago, we designed this bed for our then-primary bedroom, and I have a lot of unresolved feelings about it. So Bold! So Fun! So Big! So Expensive! The reason we are talking about it now is that you may or may not know the custom bed that is in our current bedroom was actually designed for our guest room, not our bedroom, but the bed we had ordered for our bedroom was having some shipping delays so with the photo shoot looming (2 years ago) we put that bed in our room where it hasn’t moved and cancelled the one that was on its way. That’s all to say that I’m just now getting around to figuring out what is the perfect bed for our bedroom (I don’t love the design of the room as a whole) and I’m toying with the idea of doing something custom, which reminded me of this big bold lady that we had made almost 10 years ago. But as I was picking out fabrics, I remembered that I had some regrets/learnings with this one, so it deserved more of a deep dive, with the help of some hindsight.
Before The Custom Bed…
Prior to designing the new bed, I had recovered this vintage tufted headboard with a navy blue fabric. It was fun, but I suppose I wanted something even more fun, LOL. BOY DID I GET IT.
The Inspiration Of The Shape
I loved the idea of a modern wingback design, but fully upholstered – it felt cozy and simple. At the time, one of my design assistants, Remi, pulled the dimensions from a lot of these above to work off of.
I went through a huge Rebecca Atwood phase (still love her so much) and my love of blue was perhaps at its peak (never gone away, TBH), and I LOVED this marble-y pattern so much. I don’t think I really debated it too much (I was a lot braver then, not sure why!) and make the final decision pretty quickly.
The Drawings To Get A Quote
Remi drew it all out for the guys to get a quote.
This view was specifically important to see how the corners joined within the design that we wanted.
The frame was solidly built and helped us visualize it more.
I remember us debating how to orient the fabric, but not for long – it was pretty clear that the marble should run horizontally on the bed like water. Something to definitely think of for anyone customizing with patterned fabric.
Installed, But Not Styled
Here is what she looked like before we finished the room – it’s a lot of bed. I loved it, but I had some momentary fears of it being “too much”.
It turned out beautifully and exactly how we had asked for it, but it wasn’t a quiet bed. She was LOUD.
The details were really rad though… we did a good job designing it and our furniture guy executed it perfectly.
The Styled Out Room
When I revealed it on the blog, I think it was close to unanimous that it was awesome. Once styled out with everything more balanced it it still had a huge presence but worked a lot better.
I can’t tell if this room is dated or not. I still love it! Sure, there is that still bright/airy midcentury vibe that was so big in the late 2010s but there is nothing in here I wouldn’t own again (and I still have those lamps, that painting, that bench, and that rug).
So Why Did I Sell The Bed Only 1 Year Later/My Learnings?
The easy reason is that we moved into our house in Los Feliz, where our room was much, much smaller, and the bed had to be in front of a low window. This was a high headboard, so even if we could get the bed into the room, it would look EXTRA MASSIVE. The way we designed the side rails and the “wings” added another 12″ overall to the bed, so I don’t think that would have fit with nightstands.
But secretly, I was having a lot of internal doubt about my love of color and pattern, and felt insecure that what I liked was silly. This was 2016, the beginning of Amber Interiors, Studio McGee, and of course, the Modern Farmhouse vibe Joanna Gaines popularized. I think I felt like bold choices like this would look too amateur, young, and silly — not sophisticated, refined, or neutral enough like what was about to happen. Of course, that “warm, neutral California casual” vibe would reign supreme until 2021, where everything has certainly flipped (color and pattern are certainly back). I sold this bed for $1,500 – INSANELY LOW PRICE for what I paid and how new it was. And I’m not saying it is the exact bed that I would want right now, but I do love the boldness and the no apologies that it had. It made a statement with a big side of bravery. I think it’s pretty typical to let the outside trends of the world affect the opinion of your home, while I wish we didn’t. I’m obviously not placing blame on anything or anyone, the zeitgeist is just so strong and at times outside of our control (especially when we are young). I LOVE this bed now, it represents a time when I took chances in a really bold way. Of course, spending $3k on something that you might not love for 20 years is actually the biggest risk of all, and I tend to be a lot more cautious now (taking more risks in smaller pieces or art, rather than large custom patterned furniture).
*Reveal Photos by Tessa Neustadt
While I didn’t love this bed at the time, I’ve always loved pattern. Looking at it now, it feels like it just needed a bit more pattern and colour to keep it company and provide a bit of contrast. The white seems so stark!! But as you say the zeitgeist has changed.
Good on you for having a red hot go – that’s why people follow you. I don’t always love your rooms now but I love it that you have personality. I don’t need everyone to like the same as me.
Looking forward to the next custom-made bed and hoping you once again throw caution and reason to the wind, and go for something whimsical and wonderful.
I hate the current trend for so-called timelessness. Makes everything so boring and it’s a fruitless goal as everything dates and that’s half the fun!!!
I remember very much disliking this piece when you premiered it, but NOW, I really like it! The older I get, the more willing I am to take aesthetic risks in my own home. And the more I thoroughly enjoy someone else’s style. There’s just so much joy to be taken in all of my former style iterations–they existed for a reason and I passionately chose them at the time. I like younger me! We would be great friends. I hope you’ve seen how the bed is currently styled, because that would be really fun!
I loved this bed so much! It inspired me to be brave enough to purchase a bold, patterned upholstered bed from Skyline furniture. THANK YOU for inspiring us to take risks.❤️
That bed is the equivalent of the living room tree. Each one took the room to the next level, and had amazing bang for buck, in terms of your portfolio and brand-growth. Even if you only slept in the bed for one year, you have the photos forever, as well as the effect they had in growing EHD.
Your Glendale bedroom is still one of my favourite rooms of all times! When I look at the photos, my shoulders relax and I just feel happy. It’s like taking a sip of really good tequila. Perfection!
I love that bed and that room. The bed is giving Kelly Wearstler vibes, which I love!
While I didn’t love this bed at the time, I’ve always loved pattern. Looking at it now, it feels like it just needed a bit more pattern and colour to keep it company and provide a bit of contrast. The white seems so stark!! But as you say the zeitgeist has changed.
Good on you for having a red hot go – that’s why people follow you. I don’t always love your rooms now but I love it that you have personality. I don’t need everyone to like the same as me.
Looking forward to the next custom-made bed and hoping you once again throw caution and reason to the wind, and go for something whimsical and wonderful.
I hate the current trend for so-called timelessness. Makes everything so boring and it’s a fruitless goal as everything dates and that’s half the fun!!!
Yes
“ I don’t need everyone to like the same as me.” Yes!!! I’m so thrilled and inspired when I visit a home that is absolutely not what I’d do for myself but shows *point of view* and passion. One of my closest friends and I have been renovating at the exact same time, and her choices/my choices (in terms of style, not function!) could not be more different. Her personal aesthetic is much bolder than mine, and her house is AMAZING and could only be hers. I’m filled with joy every time I visit because every corner reflects her love of color and pattern and whimsy. You would never be able to pinpoint when it was renovated and decorated based on the design choices. I think I have probably fallen much closer in line with current “trends,” but I comfort myself that all those choices were based on things I’ve loved for a long time, not just the last couple years. And honestly my friend’s incredible bravery in all her choices has inspired me to be braver with mine, while still sticking to my own color preferences etc. (Wish us luck tomorrow as we install a 48”-wide Italian half dome… Read more »
The white gives it balance. Can’t believe y’all didn’t love this one! It was and is a fave. Like it’s objectively so good or so I thought!
I remember very much disliking this piece when you premiered it, but NOW, I really like it! The older I get, the more willing I am to take aesthetic risks in my own home. And the more I thoroughly enjoy someone else’s style. There’s just so much joy to be taken in all of my former style iterations–they existed for a reason and I passionately chose them at the time. I like younger me! We would be great friends. I hope you’ve seen how the bed is currently styled, because that would be really fun!
I loved this bed so much! It inspired me to be brave enough to purchase a bold, patterned upholstered bed from Skyline furniture. THANK YOU for inspiring us to take risks.❤️
That bed is the equivalent of the living room tree. Each one took the room to the next level, and had amazing bang for buck, in terms of your portfolio and brand-growth. Even if you only slept in the bed for one year, you have the photos forever, as well as the effect they had in growing EHD.
Your Glendale bedroom is still one of my favourite rooms of all times! When I look at the photos, my shoulders relax and I just feel happy. It’s like taking a sip of really good tequila. Perfection!
I love that bed and that room. The bed is giving Kelly Wearstler vibes, which I love!
That is certainly braver than I could ever be! When I first moved to my current home, I was craving color and pattern after decades of neutrals. I have a slipcovered headboard, so I could have put the pattern there, but decided to put it on my duvet cover. It’s the biggest, loudest, boldest pattern I have ever used in my life, and I love it, but it’s nice to know how easily it can be changed out.
I loved that bed! One thing I learned from having a patterned bed for a while is that it very much limits your ability to use patterned bedding, which was a bummer. I see you styled your bed with solids, which is sort of what you have to do to avoid visual overload. I had so many pretty blankets and duvets I couldn’t use on my patterned bed I ended up getting rid of it too. But for the right person (who doesn’t mind their bedding choices being limited) a patterned bed makes a really fun statement.
I didn’t see this design the first time around, so this was my first take. And while the bright airy white room feels a little boring to me, I still LOVE the styled headboard-side shot of the statement bed. I could totally see it in a current design if the walls were color-drenched in a moody coordinated blue instead of so much white. So that to me indicates that the patterned bed is classic, even if maybe it wasn’t a forever-classic for your tastes.
Thanks for sharing this! I really loved the final look of that bed fully styled, it’s fun and interesting and bold. The late 2010s Instagram era really did create a strong push for everything to look more and more the same. I don’t think I realized how much it was affecting me until after I deleted my social media accounts. There’s a lot of trends that I was so into back then, which I’ve come to realize I don’t actually like now that I’m not constantly consuming content. It’s nice to hear that even creatives with really strong design voices struggle with it too. I personally think the stuff you do for you is so much better and more interesting than the stuff you do just to please the audience/fit in.
I love this bed. For some reason the pattern in that color does not read loud to me. Yes, it’s in an all white room so it stands out but for me, in a good way!! Another patterned bed for your bedroom perhaps? Patterned bed 2.0!
I have always come to your blog and books for bold and fun design risks! It’s part of what I have always adored about your fresh style, and while I am a deeply pared back designer, I find so much inspiration in the moments of bold and out-of-the-box design ideas!
From what I hear (reading between the lines), you don’t love your current custom bed. And you have hot/cold feelings with this one. I think a custom bed is a thing you want to love and think is brave to love, but don’t really love. And that’s OK!
Personally, I like a headboard of the above style but the whole bed is too much for me. I could pull waves from a headboard only and work with it around a room, but with that much bed it would feel too much to do anything else in the room – the bed takes over. Just my opinion.
Oh wow, this is a great point… I think you might be on to something.
“From what I hear (reading between the lines), you don’t love your current custom bed. And you have hot/cold feelings with this one. I think a custom bed is a thing you want to love and think is brave to love, but don’t really love. And that’s OK!”
I’m so glad this bed (loved it then, love it now) is the start of the conversation about the quiet-sophisticated-California-neutral aesthetic that has dominated, and is now being scaled back. First, on the bed itself. If you had it today, you would have styled very differently. No white walls or midcentury rugs, but deep blue hues, your favorite blushes (or may be lime greens), something more saturated. Sure, this bed is not farmhouse-y at all, but I count that as a strength. I would have loved to see it. My point is, the bed itself is not what makes the room feel somewhat 2010, it’s the other things. On the overall aesthetic: it dominated because it was so easy to scale up, it felt safe to big box store buyers, and it worked with homes of very different architectural styles. But it also left me – I like modern minimalism, with some midcentury – completely dumbfounded and without any expression. So please, please, for the sake of me and others out there, be bold! Please bring bold back by 2026! Also, may be a post on the core elements of the new trend? Like the kitchen ones, but for, like,… Read more »
One of the great things about art (be it paintings, sculpture, etc) and interior design is that it does not have to be your favorite to appreciate it, like it, and admire it. This was brought home to me when one of my children was seeing a therapist who shared space with others. The waiting room (where I spent time while my child was being seen) was very nicely decorated in a southwestern and primitive combination style. While neither was my cup of tea, I spent all my time with my eyes constantly discovering and appreciating new details. At the end, I briefly (very briefly) had thoughts of doing my living area in a very similar fashion. An idea I fairly quickly discarded.
I loved the look of that bed! The only things that gave me pause was the long reach to the bedside tables wondering if the sconces gave good illumination for bedtime reading.
LOVE THE BED. The room is NOT outdated. Would gladly spend 3k to have that though would cost more now, I’m sure. Trust yourself! STUNNING.
I’d love a series like “What I’d Do Differently If I Designed It Just For Me” where you comment on past rooms that you held back on or changed directions on due to corporate sponsorships, design community trends, or your own insecurity at the time. It’d be so interesting.
It’s fun to revisit these images and I love reading your thoughts. Looking at this closely, I wonder if the side stiles (side rails?) went all the way down to the floor it would still have that joyous pattern but would read less busy. To my eye those cut outs on the side make the shape compete with the fabric .
I loved this bed!! The size and pattern are breathtaking, like sleeping on an ocean wave.
This bedroom doesn’t look dated to me (except for the xo art). It looks original and fresh. I still like your Glendale house best of all (and then the mountain house). Maybe because I’m Australian, and the Los Feliz and the farmhouse feel more American. I certainly don’t think you need to be more like Amber Interiors and Joanna Gaines
She was a lot! But all the best things people and places are. I know that I can lean into quieter design but then it feels flat and I find myself adding back in the weird. So much of our world is being flattened by the algorithms – peoples faces all look the same after too much intervention! Let’s bring back the weird and imperfect.
I never liked this bed (I just don’t like blue or abstract patterns) but seeing this and the unique construction which I don’t think I noticed has made me really appreciate it more! The design is rad. I also love these posts where you reflect on “past Emily” decisions and thought processes. It helps those of us going through it.
I loved that bed so much. I bought a big upholstered blue bed. It’s Not as bold in the pattern, but just as big. I don’t regret it and I still have it! Everyone is doing beige. It’s all the same. It takes a lot more skills to go bold without going overboard.
I LOVED this one. Still do! Maybe still my favorite with that art and the cloud rug. So good!! The fabric, So sick!!
That is certainly braver than I could ever be! When I first moved to my current home, I was craving color and pattern after decades of neutrals. I have a slipcovered headboard, so I could have put the pattern there, but decided to put it on my duvet cover. It’s the biggest, loudest, boldest pattern I have ever used in my life, and I love it, but it’s nice to know how easily it can be changed out.