How was it then?

   Looking at the faded photos of the bedroom 'OVER THE TOP?' Blog, I recalled all the economies I made in furnishing this room.  We had spent all our money on buying a shabby old house near Bath and funds were low.   This was the SHABBY CHIC decorating, at its worst or best?
   Also, I have to say, second-hand things were available and very cheap and buying in France was easy and even cheaper and you could buy it all by the car load!

  The beige carpet was left by the previous owners, the curtains were a pair of hemp sheets bought in France for £4 (see Blog  PASTORAL SHEET MUSIC ), the pom-pom fringe was shabby and came off some vintage curtains I renovated for a client.   The bed cover and valances were salvaged from another pair of (damaged) sheets and again the braid came cheap in a mixed lot of passementerie.   The applique bouquet of flowers was from my grandmother's stool which was too fragile to be sat on but fine for decoration!   The stool got a new cover from my rag bag. The easy chair I found in Essex at a charity sale, before we moved, the work of an amateur upholstery student and cost £5,  just a bit lumpy;  the cushion came from France and I added a thick fringe.   The Indian crewelwork rug had some slightly worn patches so only cost me £20 and I sold it ten years later when such things became fashionable for £145!   The lady who bought it at the Bath Fair came to see me recently and said it was still in good use!  The rest of the furniture moved with me from Essex;  the bed was described as Sheraton because the four elegant inlaid mahogany posts were genuine antique, but the rest was much later made-up and I covered the replaced canopy with an old French embroidered  lacy net bed-cover (tambour lace) which stretched nicely to fit and I secured with a length of strong woven tape and lots of brass tacks along the top of the rails, easily removable and washable (textiles for bed cost 200 Francs i.e. £20).  I found a very cheap second-hand mattress which was very squashy but quite comfy!  The biggest expense was the wallpaper which was about £12 per roll - a lovely scrolling pattern of delicate flowers, known as 'a la riviere' in the trade.