Sometimes “off the shelf” just will not work.  I’ve been working on a home that is architecturally dramatic and contemporary in style.  The exterior and interior designs are much lauded.  There’s just one little problem—the master bedroom design barely accommodates the master bedroom bed.  It’s a king.   

I first saw the room furnished with just the king-size mattress resting on a metal frame.  The far wall at a 9-foot height accentuates the comfortable 18-foot length of the room drawing the eye to a wall of glass at both ends of the room, overlooking the dramatic coastal scenery of the South Shore.  Glancing up, the ceiling reaches a lofty 15-foot peak.  Turn back toward the door and the entry wall surface is inlaid with the master bath doorway, a built-in dresser, the entry door, and a built-in armoire.  Applause all around, you then realize that this architecturally streamlined space only allows 2½ feet from the end of the bed to the door.  Okay, so it could be a bit cramped, but when the bedroom door is open into the room, the built-in dresser is blocked, and the walking space at the end of the bed is reduced to a mere 18 inches.  And of course, I’m supposed to find a bed to fit in this glorious lofty shoebox.   

This situation was the catalyst for designing custom furniture.  Along with furniture designer Mary Fahey and upholsterer Charlotte Roblee, we have formed a triumvirate to customize a bed for this space.  Literally, with mere inches to spare we had to create the illusion of a full-sized king bed frame.  We decided that the construction proportions could cheat the small space with a well-padded, fully upholstered headboard and bed frame.  The client had found a bed she liked in Better Homes and Gardens’ new high-end magazine, “Decorating”.  We found the Sahco Hesslein fabric (www.sahco-hesslein.com) used on that bed through Telio in Toronto.  The heavy raffia texture features a chevron-like weave (V-shaped) creating longitudinal stripes.  I chose a wheat colour to resemble a sea-grass look.  So, to minimize the space of the headboard, a ¾ inch plywood board will be wrapped with heavy padding then upholstered.  The L-shaped sides of the headboard will be 4 inches thick, then padded, then upholstered.  The mattress box will be 4 inches thick on the sides and ¾ inches thick along the foot of the bed, both padded and upholstered.  Customizing the frame accommodates the space, while widening the sides and adding heavy padding all over completes the upholstered illusion of size.  Entering the master bedroom, the eye will be attracted to the “width” of the bed, then the width of the room, leading the eye out the window to that glorious view.   

Working together, we designed a custom solution.  Working together, we created a new maritime-made product.  But we didn’t stop there.  We also made a coffee table resembling an old harvest table, almost completely upholstered in Kravet fabric “reed twist” with exposed stained wooden feet.  We created another maritime product, alluding to an iconic table, available for customization.  It’s a good thing for South Shore Style.