A video where we haul the bed up to the second-floor roof and shove it in the bedroom window.
In case you missed: bed part 1, bed part 2.
The headboard alone was enough to sell me on this bed. If there had been nothing but the the fancy bit at the top glued to a cardboard refrigerator box, I would have liked it just as much.
Also, I hate footboards like I hate turtlenecks– a lot. So to find an antique bed designed with no footboard at all, and a fancy headboard nearly 7 feet tall, and will accommodate our queen-size mattress… (sort of.) I knew this was the bed I had been waiting for.
Besides, if at some point it turns out I was wrong and I do find a king-size bed? That will be EVEN BETTER. Because I will stack this bed on top of it and make bunkbeds of awesomeness.
As we headed home with the headboard strapped to the roof of the van, I said to Paul – tell me, realistically? Do you think this will actually fit up the stairwell?
Paul said– what? Now you’re a realist?
And I thought to myself– he’s right, who even cares. Maybe I will just stack it in front of The Kingdom Mirror. In fact, that room is underused in general and I should start thinking of it as a warehouse for spare glory… a storage unit for displaced magnificence — who doesn’t need one of those?
Besides, as previously established – I am only the finder. After that? It’s Paul’s show.
We got home late at night and hauled it into the kitchen. Then it just sat there while we waited for our other bed to sell (on craigslist). It took a couple of weeks, considering the holidays and everything.
Paul fixed the break in the footboard, (you would never know, if you were not looking for it closely). And he decided we would skip the fool’s errand of getting it stuck halfway up the stairwell.
So Paul built a ramp/sled up to the front-porch roof outside the bedroom window.
Rather than forming words to explain this, you can see for yourself:
I would guess that I have impressed you with two things:
1– my ability to help. Without helping at all.
2– the extraordinary foresight I showed in marrying Paul.
Related posts:
see my other craigslist finds… or read about the time I was scammed on craigslist.
Suzan
March 22, 2014 @ 4:38 am
Oh and I’m your newest follower – gotta see more of Ginger and Fred!!!
Sarah
April 1, 2014 @ 12:13 pm
We did this with a bed too! We had to replace the window to get it in the house though. Nothing like a piece of awesome furniture to encourage a major home upgrade!
http://www.diysarah.com/building-a-boat-in-the-basement-or-a-bed-in-the-bedroom/
We also just did a great sofa hoist! That will come out on the blog tomorrow!
Kim W.
April 16, 2014 @ 12:18 pm
OK, so I’ve been “saving” this post for a while, and now that I’m here? I can’t play the video because you’ve used up your bandwidth. Ahh, poo. Is there another link where I can watch it?
Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
April 16, 2014 @ 12:25 pm
THANK you for telling me… I’d been using a free-trial, switched to a totally different service, and forgot that I needed to switch the code over.
Let me know if it works for you now?
Kim W.
April 16, 2014 @ 12:29 pm
Yes!!! I love it! I want to be your neighbor too.
Victoria Elizabeth Barnes
April 16, 2014 @ 12:31 pm
xoxo
Faithe Warren-Agee
April 23, 2014 @ 1:27 pm
My husband and I carried home a 20 foot tall tree in the backseat of a beetle convertible with the top down. My husband refers to little things like this as “capers.” Fitting, I think!
Love your house and your blog and REALLY wish you were my next-door neighbor!
Sharron Williams
April 24, 2014 @ 5:40 pm
I watched the new “unedited” video of the bed making it’s way to the roof…then the original…based on my Point of Reference…all the others are right, your husband is a saint…Mine would have said, well I was right…give you enough rope and you’ll hang yourself… and after spending money for a bed that wouldn’t fit…OH, well; he’d have helped me do just that! LOL HOWEVER, I did manage to get him to watch your video’s and read the fabulous Mirror blog…to which he said, OMG…I don’t know how but you are obviously related to this women… AND after my Mother “fell in LOVE” with a bed that wouldn’t fit either her house, or her mattresses…Well I learned how to Modify a bedframe so now it DOES fit…No more smacked shins…bloodied big toes, and sliding mattresses…it stays where I put it quite nicely… Now…for the next question…do you loan out Paul???? Hahahaha
LOVE your posts and your sense of style…
Dorothy Gibson
June 19, 2014 @ 10:04 pm
Love your website and enjoy your humor. You remind me of my childhood friend who is a writer herself and she has what she calls Beautimous Mausoleum Style. Big, grand, gold, with a few angels mixed in. Her home reminds me of…well… a grand wonderfultasticprettifulovely funeral home (sorry Kaye love you). I live 30 minutes from Hagerstown I would have loved to have grabbed that bed. I look on Craigslist often but during the holidays I do slow down on spending on me, I have these kids that come home from college and the Navy that seem to think it is all about them in December. And it is 🙂 Your video was very entertaining as well. I think it looks fabulous and perfect for your bedroom. I look forward to reading your next posts until then I am flipping back to Craigslist there has to be a twin somewhere out there of your headboard for me.
Nora
June 20, 2014 @ 2:51 pm
You and Paul blow “Young House Love” totally out of the water. xo
Sandee
August 8, 2014 @ 3:50 pm
Oh my gosh, Victoria. I have had a wonderful time laughing thru the Bed Series. I just found your Blog today. I would swear that we must have been separated at birth. That is the exact type of things that I do and “share ” with my husband. He is a Master Craftsmen and can do anything, but keep me from driving him crazy with all my lovely finds. Hooray for you and Paul. Love the blog, keep it coming, I can always use the extra laughs 🙂
Jo Ann
January 20, 2015 @ 9:22 pm
Married almost 5o years to my PAUL many trials and hardships , but still dancing all the way. Keep up the rhythm with your partner and the love beat will go on. Love the laughs you share with all of us. Thanks.
Elizabeth Wright
February 10, 2015 @ 9:56 pm
I have to agree with all the charming and lovely things said about you and your blog above. Especially what Nora said(and I LOVE “Young House Love”)!
Carrie
July 17, 2015 @ 9:47 am
You are both amazing. And ridiculous. But mostly amazing. 🙂
Lena Campbell
October 15, 2015 @ 5:26 am
I have a feeling that like my neighbors, yours sit in front of their window eating popcorn watching the day’s entertainment when you and Paul are outdoors working on … well, everything. Several of mine are convinced I fell of the truck that hauled the remainder of the Beverly Hillbillies to California. I’m fine with that. I know you’ve said you never watched TV as a child but Paul will understand.
Ged Maybury
May 18, 2016 @ 9:12 am
Delighted by the ramp/roof/in-through-the-window plan. Well done. (Paul is made of awesome, truly. A brother, I’m sure!)
It reminded me of the time I acquired a huge double wardrobe of some antiquity [RENOVATION CLIENT: “Oh, and smash this to pieces please. Just chuck it out front, the scavengers will take it for firewood.” ME: (aghast!) “What if I get it out? Can I have it?” CLIENT: “You’ll never get that down the stairs. No, Just smash it.” ME: (10 minutes later) “It’s on my car. Thanks.” (Gravity + Carpeted Stairs = My Best Fiend.)]
Anyway I was living in a tiny room, so decided to sell it. Passing strangers spotted it, found me, paind up, and we discussed shipping. ME: “What’s you address? “I can get it on my car.” “THEM: “Oh wonderful!”
I found their house – a tiny 2-storey Row-house in Surrey, Sydney. Narrow street, narrow door, narrow stairway with a 180 degree switchback. my heart sank. “It won’t get up here.” Their hearts sank too. It was a fab wardrobe. Really really nice.
“Which room do you want it in?”
“In here.” We arrived into a lovely front room with narrow french doors opening onto a narrow upper-level veranda. I kept walking, straight out to the street, looked over the balustrade – and there was their wardrobe, 4 feet down, still on top of the car. Bingo.
“Let’s get it in!”
Two absolutely delighted customers!
Veronica
May 27, 2016 @ 11:37 am
I love the video!!
Miljoy
August 23, 2016 @ 3:54 pm
Happened across your blog as I began my own search for an antique bed. 1. You’ve inspired me to look on hunt out Craigslist deals, 2. That is some serious dedication, 3. Good thing you have a handy husband, 4. This is the most incredible feat of I don’t know what and also the most adorable video. Ever. I’m pretty sure.
Barb
November 11, 2016 @ 6:34 pm
So cute!!!! Headboard is gorgeous too!
Nancy
January 2, 2017 @ 1:46 am
I so enjoy your posts! Your finds and talent is beyond crazy… And you’re so funny. I think you should take your show on the road! … Or have your own show!!!… I’ll watch!! Happy New Year to you and yours!!
Suzanne Richardson-White
January 13, 2017 @ 7:45 pm
OK, so because I *know* you need ALL the Fancy Things: even though Connecticut is very far for you to drive, and even even though this is really, really, expensive, I had to give you the link (does this comment form allow links?). Because, this. THIS. IS. A. CUPOLA. On Craig’s List. A 6,000-pound antique cupola. So I knew, even if you didn’t quite NEED it enough to drive to CT and pay huge amounts (though maybe they could be talked down, who knows?), I thought you at least needed to see it.
http://hartford.craigslist.org/atq/5944974471.html
lori more chairs
January 29, 2017 @ 4:58 pm
…. he tied a rope around you.
No wonder you are so free to be so awesome.
AZEsq
March 14, 2017 @ 4:02 pm
My husband would not have driven me two hours to get a bed that did not fit our mattress. Nope, nope, nope. I would’ve gone alone and been deterred by the rain. Sad. I kinda wish I had a Paul. But then I’d be even more of a hoarder/crazy person. Le sigh. I’m so glad you have a Paul and this is AWESOME. Also, I love you. That is all!