The Magnificent Faux-Poster Bed

Large view.

Mary possesses an un-enviable metabolism. Too many covers and she sweats; then she chills as her sweat cools. Too few covers and she freezes. Even a mild breeze hitting her directly will keep her awake, as will sudden intrusions of light.

However, she has an admirable knack for innovation. And for recycling....

She models at upper left along with her lovely assistant, Red. Two sturdy plywood boards stand to the left of her. The boards came courtesy of the Cambridge, Massachusetts, Department of Public Works, a recycling center par excellence. (We've literally gone dumpster diving for books there.) Those are her sneakers doubling as reading lights at the photo's lower right.

The shot at upper right offers a closer look at the boards at the head of her bed. Standing at the foot of her bed, shown in close-up in the shot at lower left, are metal bifold doors. I'd removed the doors from my bedroom-converted-to-studio closet, which now holds writing and art supplies.

The blanket draped over the faux-posters was a hand-me-down from my friend Marlene back in 1983, when I moved into the rented Woburn house that she was vacating. I don't know how long she'd owned the blanket before then. Age and rampaging kitties have compromised its quilting a bit, and it's been stitched back up several times.

The finished product is shown at lower right ("faux-poster bed" is Mary's term). Heavy boxes and an old computer tower hold the "posters" in place. Sheets cover the heavy blanket with the help of several binder clips. The dark blue sheet is more than 20 years old and dates from Mary's waterbed days. The yellow-orange patterned sheet (and a purple sheet, not visible) are at least 35 years old and date from my childhood in Brooklyn. The beds themselves are close to 50 years old and still quite comfy. Mary told me she slept very well. On a night in which the temperature dropped into the 40s (F), we had no need to turn on the heat.

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