Making my bed

One of the house projects I took on during this COVID summer was the third floor of my house. Twenty plus years ago we had renovated the space to add a bathroom and redivide the remaining area into two bedrooms, but it was time for a serious update – and I had no excuse to put if off any longer.

My youngest son had been using the bedroom in the front of the house, but with a vacancy created by middle son’s move to an apartment with friends, the back bedroom was now available and empty. The project started with the removal of the original Berber wall to wall carpet, which included the plywood subfloor and approximately a million tiny nails. Fortunately, I had somebody willing to take care of that, along with patching a couple of random holes in the wall.

Side note: What do boys do in their rooms that results in holes in Sheetrock?!? Never mind. I probably don’t really want to know, do I?

A couple of weeks back we finally strung together a few days of moderate temperatures and I got busy. I smoothed on some gunk to fill the cracks, using my fingers instead of the recommended putty knife, and picked up paint in the colors recommended by friends who are much better at that task than I am. Then I started painting.

The walls soaked in paint like nobody’s business, eventually absorbing nearly 3 gallons of Swiss Coffee. I went with that single shade for walls, ceiling and trim because it was easy and I feel no shame. My son wanted a dark green for the walls, but I nixed that in favor of the neutral hue because the room faces north and already tends to be dark. I did, however, agree to a rich blue for the crappy wood floors. Yes, I’m painting the floors and I’m ok with that choice as a stopgap. I imagine I will eventually want something else installed, but this is going to work for now.

By this time next week, I hope to be unrolling the new area rugs and getting the furniture moved in and settling my son into his new room. He’s moving on up into a queen sized bed, from the twin bed his nearly 6 foot self no longer comfortably fits, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed by the decision of what type or brand of mattress to buy for him. There are an overwhelming number of options.

Do I order one online from the multitude of companies who specialize in mattresses of various composition (Hybrid! Gel memory! Foam!) that arrive rolled up in a box and delivered to my door? Should I go traditional with springs and a pillow top? Shop local? Spend a little money or a lot? Insist on American made from American materials? Take the new mattress for my own and give the boy my hand me down? I’m paralyzed by all the options!

Perhaps you’ve purchased a mattress in the last year or two and had an experience you might share? A recommendation or business that I should avoid? I don’t want to lose any sleep over this decision and appreciate any wisdom you might be able to offer. As always, I appreciate any advice or thoughts you might share!