Ah...the bed curtain! I've wanted a four poster for years. As a little girl living on Nauru Island where my Father was head engineer in the phosphate mines...Mum and I were shipped up when, after WWII, all was sanitised and there were two "European settlements"...pre fab cottages available for the families. I loved island life..running around in the nuddy with a whole little gang of 2-5 yr olds of chocolate and vanilla kids...delicious! Unfortunately the giant mozzies found the vanilla kids to be quite delicious too and I'd come out in these horrible bolis. Dad mad me a square double sized four poster bed...painted dark blue and Mum, who was obliged to sew all our clothes...(no shops on Nauru) made a canopy of mosquito netting to cover the top and enclose the sides of my bed...the netting would tuck in under the mattress all the way round...and I became a moth in a crysalis for the night. The idea of the square bed was to allow me to stretch and roll and never be near the edge..sadly.it didn't work! My mozzie bites became infected, I endured penecillin injections in mozzie season and, during te day I wore nylon neck to knee PJs from then onmwards. Have no idea what Mum was thinking, such sweltering remedies against the mossies...cocooned at night by heavy cotton netting and totally covered by day in the hottest/latest fabric available. Life became miserable./ We moved back to Melbourne...and life went on. No mre fairytales...until I bought a 1924 old timber cottage in a very cold climate....wishe I had that 4 poster. Instead, since the VJ board ceiling shed fine dust on me during the night, I sewed a canopy to drape the whole ceiling in Arabian Mights style...it works as a dust catcher...and I fear, as a spider haven as well....bit its lovely with all the coloured lights above it and the mirror ball central light holding it up ibn the middle so it drapes from all four corners. DUST did I say? Yes, unfortunately it requires a lot of spraying and laundering ...but its worth it to me! LOVE my "Ceiling Curtain". The best feature is that it hides the dark VJ's on the ceiling...lucky its a 10ft 6inch high one...until I can get it plastered....and then insulated. I would do it all over again even in a brand new home. Its lovely and at the same time contributes to the practical aesthetics and the necessary "make do's" of having a limite budget. Soon though, soon, I'll be colouring the world!

Since we're talking Italy, the custom there is ideal but not too practical in a working day. Strip all covers back to the foot (so the parts that touch you in the night are exposed. Throw open all windows (no matter the season) to air and kill fungi/bacteria/mites/viruses. Remake bed at midday. If I'm at home I follow this method. To me, making the bed first thing is like trapping all those nasties in to breed while I'm away. I'd rather a 'fresh' than 'freshly made' bed anyday!

To Ella Kate Thrupp....."a woven piece"...as in a wall rug or a tapestry suggested by yours truly and Tribbletrouble441452k7 Trek? Or maybe you have a more novel idea in mind? Have you come across any "woven" art in your professional travels? I have a friend who actually weaves tapestries on a loom as they did centuries ago thread by thread. They are exquisite and each a unique artwork. She works professionally on commission Very time consuming, meticulous and expensive and she also does it simply for relaxation and sells them. Wonder would there be anything along this line available commercially today? Such a "woven piece" would make an enormous impact in any room, so beautiful and unique in a bedroom especially if a design woven to order...but Yikes $$$$$. Afterthought...a painted MURAL designed to order might be a touch of luxury if you engaged somebody to do it and they presented you with a series of pictures for you to choose from.....that would not fall down! I did one for a friend's guest donga in Charleville QLD...she wanted a fantasy and had a lot of input herself, it was a collaborative effort and she got exactly what she wanted. Can't go wrong with a mural...can always paint over it when you want something different.

Hi Kiki, I have a wallbed business- @Sue Frendin where we help clients with these dilemmas each day. It's always lovely to see a room suddenly take on a wider range of use, whilst still providing a really comfortable guest bed as well. We have many examples of completed beds on our website and also Facebook and instagram so please feel free to contact me with any queries or questions. There are wallbed kits; flatpacks and modular options available to suit all budgets as well, some with desks, or sofas and matching shelving, I am sure you will find the option that works best for you. Feel free to visit us at our Fold Out Furniture website