Richard III, Anna Massey, and refurbishing my bedroom

[kalypso_v]

1) Thanks to The Guardian, for praising Richard III's public record on today's leader page.

2)

Comments

[espresso_addict]

Sad to hear about Massey. Not much of an opinion on what would go with your furnishings, but neither the cream nor the light wood feel very you, and I fear dark walnut might be a bit overpowering in your bedroom? We got the bedroom-style cupboards in my office (formerly the house's master bedroom) done by the local people who did our kitchen. A small local firm might perhaps be more open to your taste in wood.

[kalypso_v]

I was given the name of a possible local carpenter yesterday - well, actually, I wasn't given her name, I was told that she existed and had done something for the friend of a friend, but I could track her down if I had to. And in some ways that's tempting, but in others my heart sank, because the appeal of a big firm is that they'd take the worry and hassle out of it - I'd still have to organise the redecorating, but they'd do everything else, and sort all the rails and so on, and I'd know it was going to be to a good standard.

[emmzzi]

I really don't like the white - I think it looks quite dated and 70s, not at all classic. Personally I'd go for the paler wood and get back out blinds :-) Although surely there are more wardrobe people? Could you get a joiner to do sliderobe doors etc - I think they come in a wider range of colours and styles.

[kalypso_v]

They kept trying to interest me in sliding doors, but no one showed me any that I liked, and I couldn't see that they had any advantage in my room.

I am rather fed up with white, but that does seem to be the default on offer.

[emmzzi]

Sharps? Nuovo is a darker wood, although not rich as such. Walnut I think.

Homebase also do fitted bedrooms. The schreiber range, and that has somne other nice darker woods too.

[glitterboy1]

I hadn't heard about Anna Massey (not surprising, given the fog that I'm living in at the moment); that's sad news. Thank you for mentioning it, and for the reminders of her, too.

I like the idea of including Rosie in the pictures! I've spent a lot of time recently looking at catalogues, and, for all their attempts to make things look lived in, with artfully arranged clutter and so on, they almost never think to include a cat. Just no sense of priorities.

Anyway, as for the pictures, I agree that you've got plenty of room to carry off a dark wood, though, looking at the first picture on my screen, the colour of the two left-hand pairs of doors is quite different from, and preferable to, that of the right-hand pairs.

[kalypso_v]

It was the only picture I had to hand with a suitable shot of the bed, and of course it's very important that the furniture matches the cats, too.

The contrast between the walnuts is down to my fiddling the pictures - the original had glass doors in the four middle sections, so I copied the wooden doors from either side, and evidently the light reflected differently at different ends.

I think part of the problem with that suite is that it looks rather stark having a very plain door from floor to ceiling - but I would hope to have storage cupboards along the top, which might break the line a little.

[communicator]

What adorable pics of Massey. I am laughing at your photo-manipulation. I like the dark wood best.

[kalypso_v]

I think I do in principle, but I wish they had the other styles in a dark wood.

[communicator]

Here's another that might make you smile

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lntyshS7jm1qf83cro1_500.jpg

[kalypso_v]

Oh, that sounds like the one mentioned in obits where she was playing opposite Daniel Massey?

[sallymn]

Personally, I like the third one best, but from what I recall of your house, the first seems more in keeping :)

[kalypso_v]

I suppose what I really need is a set of (colour) photos of 1930s bedrooms.