December 19, 2016
NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION
I had a beautiful king size headboard upholstered in a glazed chintz; chinoiserie with a koi fish motif. It was stunning, with a rolled, subtly arched pleated edge and it was very, very expensive to have made. The fabric alone was $280.00 a yard, and with the matching dust ruffle... well, it got pricey.
Over a few months, I started to notice a very light brown discoloration on my husband’s side of the headboard, about 8" from the top. I dismissed it as a shadow and over time the shadow never changed with light. I began to suspect… “Was that a stain?” I continued to live in denial for a few more months, ignoring it. I delayed the truth as the "shadow" got darker and darker.
Finally, I had a look. Ruined. No way to get this out, whatever it is. Can I cut it out and patch it? No. Not an option. Can I clean it? No. These are natural oils from the back of my husband’s head that have been ground in over months and months. It's a wash… I have to dump it. The stain will call to me, torture me. Shame me. I don't have room for that.
Then I had an idea… “What if I made a cushion that was large enough and dense enough to cover that stain?” A cushion you could lean into and get support from at the same time. What if I made a headboard cushion?
And so it was! The cushions are in my children's rooms on their twin beds, used solely as headboards, in my bedroom, obviously preventing future stains, and on the floor in the living room. We use them in many different ways all over the house! And never worry, because the covers come off and they can be washed.
This is important to me and the Hedgehouse aesthetic - have beautiful things, but use your things… And use them in different ways. [To headboard cushions.]