03.09.09: bed bugs, the stimulus package

we turned a corner on bug-related angst this weekend, i think. our (twice-encased and cheaply temp-blanketed) bed is back on the floor, we are back on the bed, and the cats are back to bullying me from my pillow. i celebrated by spending all of yesterday either asleep or reading watchmen (my copy had been quarantined with the rest of the books from our bedroom - sorry, evelyn waugh and tom pynchon - but i decided it could come out of its baggie for supervised visits, since there's no way i'm waiting six weeks to see the movie).

as i lounged, it occurred to me that we've finally gotten to the pleasant part of our pestilence-related spending. new bedding: we needs it (and our management company will probably spring for it). i am very fond of shopping for blankets, sheets, and so on - unsurprising, really, considering how very fond i am of sleeping - but have had no occasion to buy anything for quite some time. here in the wake of verminpalooza (starting from scratch, more or less), it's like my job. i know a few of you are bedding-lookers as well - what's caught your eye lately? what colors or patterns do you guys use in your bedrooms?

7 comments:

tom said...

If I remember right (it has been about four years, the bedroom was a kind of utilitarian beigeish off-white deal. For such things, I like neutral colors. Black/white/gray, or perhaps blue. Loud colors like bright purple or red are really jarring in such an environment.

lauren said...

i should note that we will hopefully be taking wing from said bedroom in the not-too-distant future (not in the next month or anything, but probably before the year is out); do not let the current beige lead you astray. that said, i feel you on neutral, especially with top layers; i've sort of fallen in love with the dark grey heather blanket we grabbed to tide us over until we can use regular bedding again.

speaking of jarring things in the bedroom, i should also note that yul the giant red iguana was a victim of the bugs. RIP, yul.

sara said...

i tend to gravitate toward calvin klein...and since i don't have an infinite wallet, ebay (one key to shopping bedding on ebay--make sure it comes from a smoke-free home). i enjoy the muted, contemporary, asian-inspired designs, and currently have something in the purple-violet department. also, it doesn't show cat hair, which is bad news if you are wearing black and decide to roll around on it before going to work. not that i've done that...

i've been happy with this set and haven't wanted a fresh look in almost 2 years, which is record-breaking for me.

lauren said...

oh my god, the smoke-free part. i really like crazy striped-and-zigzaggy missoni bedding, which is ALWAYS prohibitively expensive, except for when i found a big suite of it on ebay last year. when it showed up here it REEKED (and was torn and totally faded, but the smoke stink was the worst part). i get the irony of this bothering me, what with my being an ex-smoker, but dude. i never smoked indoors, much less in bed.

you were totally one of the bedding-lookers i was talking about, sara - and we've got the same cat-concerns, so i was hoping to hear what you've got. calvin: on the list.

wabes said...

i have this lovely blue-green bedding with brown & chartreuse-y accents from...ikea. i had fun finding coordinating colors in brown and teal. some of it hasn't stood up to the year of sleeping, but some of it is still vibrant and in good shape. the higher quality plain linens are great for coordinating with patterns. it has made me ridiculously happy to sleep in my bed, this stuff.

my main strategy, now, is not necessarily to buy a set of things - i like it not being too matchy, but coming together somehow. one gets lucky, though, buying from ikea - it's designed that way.

i'm a fan of blue/green/purple and lighter versions or patterns thereof. i actually tried (meaning i held them up to my face and opened & closed my eyes) the pink/orange version of my duvet pattern, and realized it would've been like waking up every morning to someone shouting at me.

rip, yul. you'd think he would've fought those bedbug fuckers off...alas, he was but a stuffed iguana.

sara said...

oooh, another thing to keep in mind: if you buy a duvet cover and are concerned about the duvet shifting inside...get the measurements! i think i got my duvet from overstock.com after i had the measurements for my queen-sized duvet cover and it's been a perfect fit (i think the one i got was slightly over-sized).

lauren said...

yul survived for two years with a serious gut wound: who knew chinches could take him down so easily? deeply unfair.

i'm back and forth on whether or not we'll go for a duvet this time around (or stick with coverlets, quilts, &c). i'm thinking maybe no duvet: although they are exceedingly cat-friendly because covers can be removed and washed, joe and i are weird arctic sleepers who never get cold enough to need one. hmm.