above the bed

About a year and a half after moving to San Francisco, I was chatting with a friend whose lived here almost since the 1906 earthquake.  I was complimenting him on his delightfully decorated apartment when he said:
"Thanks - I just wish we could hang something over our bed!"

To which I unknowingly replied:
"Well, why don't you!" thinking I'd launch right into a spiel about all the fabulous pieces he could get on the cheap at 20x200.

"Oh, no one would dare hang a picture or painting above their bed in San Francisco!  One little earthquake, that thing falls off and you're decapitated.  I've heard stories."

I tried to mask my disbelief.  Decapitated?  By a painting you hung?  While sleeping?  

I immediately went home to remove the 20-lb piece of art I had hanging directly above my neckline on one measly half-nailed-in nail:

One little earthquake and this guy would have 

transported me to a meet and greet with Roy Lichtenstein

Ever since then I've been terrified to hang anything above the bed (even something earthquake-friendly) and so we've lived sans above-bed decor for the past year and a half. 

That's not to say I don't love our bedroom - it has all sorts of little details I adore.

a super fun and comfy rug

pillows galore

Completely unrelated side note on the pillows: 

While growing up, we had a cleaning lady who would leave pillows as you see the above - with what I like to call "a karate-chopped center".  It always fascinated me as to why she would chop each and every throw pillow as such but regardless of the rationale, the method has stuck.  I've taught Stefan "the way" and we each karate chop our respective sides post pulling up the covers and arranging the various other pillows (because obviously a bed for two requires no less than eight).  

It's like the icing on top of the bed making.  

(Because bed making is obviously just like having a piece of cake.)

A side table big enough for the essentials:

a picture of the siblings

bedtime reading

and a box gifted from a special high school friend 

(you know who you are)

our lovely new lamps (a wedding gift from the siblings)

our black-out curtains installed by Stefan

and - of course - our amazingly comfortable Tempur-pedic bed

If you haven't heard the story of how we ended up getting this bed,

you may be amused to read about it here.

But after spending so much time getting our humble abode into shape elsewhere, I've finally decided to take the plunge and find a solution for our above-bed void.

 some draperies?

 

a dramatic headboard?
 

Any ideas??

xoxo

KK