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Writer's pictureZara Sauleh

Boudoir en Suité: Serendipities + Charming Hôtel interiors


Please Note: This is not a promotion and I haven’t received any deliverables or incentives for this post.

Brands Covered: Assorted

This post is in regards to lilacnights.com/post/light-hope-life

First things first, right before I got my wardrobe, I came across a pic on one of my fav apps where I spend most of my time collecting images for my digital journal - instagram.com/thesecret_attic

It had a quote which read “Good things are coming”… I never shared it there but I collected it nonetheless and it was right before I got my wardrobe which was a bit unexpected because I wasn’t even sure if I would be getting anything in my budget, that too something specifically tailored to my needs. After a few days, coincidentally my fortune cookie 🥠 read the same quote “Good things are coming” and it was again like a good omen or harbinger of “good things” and two days later, I got my Bed, Bedside Runner, Bedding set, TV Unit & Bathroom Vanity! Alhamdulilah we got a windfall and I was able to purchase everything… I even got a nice flooring & bathroom tiles, even though we had not planned on renovating the floors or the bathroom. There is one more coincidence, while I was organising my wardrobe I noticed that one of the T-shirts which was supposed to go in my fav aesthetic section had a quote on it, the same quote that I had come across on day one ie. prior to my wardrobe purchase and right before I got all the rest of the furniture & tiles, it also read “Good things are coming.” Luckily I had a photo of that product/tee… I keep a track of all my things so that I can mix & match and create several looks on my phone itself. It also helps me with my collages and moodboards www.twitter.com/cashmerecult

That’s my green t-shirt

I don’t have a screenshot of the fortune cookie but I do have a pic which I had saved when I’d received the same sign/quote previously, which was before getting my wardrobe, after that I received this quote in a fortune cookie 🥠 & then all the rest of the furniture and good things, blessings starting pouring in.

*There is a Sun in this pic which denotes sunlight

I was feeling old and conscious about my age, I’ve lost my youth, health and looks because of everything that happened & God knows this age factor triggers me a lot, that guy himself is 7 years older than me and I keep blaming God for making me ugly because I could never be with him, he knows nothing will ever make up for all the time that I’ve lost, I never even had any friends so I could never enjoy my youth like other people, I would always fly solo and I hated it. Anyway, I asked how were those things supposed to help me… and surprisingly it said: (Pay attention, it again has the words “Good things”) Well I appreciate His efforts but I am sorry I can’t stop feeling bad about everything, all those years (6-7) went by and nothing ever worked out, just yesterday I was 20-21 and now I’m beyond 25. NO ONE EVER WISHED ME ON MY 16TH Birthday, I had high hopes for 21st because I had just joined all those dating apps but NO ONE WISHED ME no matter how “interesting” or witty I was, perhaps I wasn’t “good looking” enough. No one wished me in all these years…

I also remember saying, “It was very heartbreaking 😢” and that same night the spin wheel showed me this extract: It was from the “HEARTBREAK” category

Here is one more example of Whatever happens, happens for good:

I had initially picked Songesand but I changed my mind for some reason and decided to go for Malm instead. I guess it was because it had more storage options and the variant that I wanted in the previous one wasn’t listed due to some glitch. Anyway when I went to buy that bed, it was out of stock ie. in my preferred size, I had planned on buying 140 x 200 cm but it was smaller than my current bed - which is black and I’ve shared why I am putting away everything in that colour, in my previous post Boudoir en Suite, it wouldn’t have gone with my interiors anyway. It was from Bo Concept, we had taken it 9 years ago when I was an inexperienced teenager, I didn’t have any proper guidance, I was doing all the interiors (of my room) on my own… I didn’t realise that it was an “alternative brand”. The name “Bo Concept” itself stands for a concept store and the furniture had to be boring, unfortunately we didn’t have a lot of options back then (especially in Mumbai) and as an adult when I recalled Bo Concept’s basic bold logo I realised why it’s always so dull and dreary, the simple bold design again indicates that it’s an alternative store and I’ve never been a fan of “alternative culture” in anything. I also feel that Black is extremely unlucky for me, I became bed ridden on this Black bed and most alternative things are always very deviant, inauspicious and blasphemous, I know I’m sounding a bit “extra” there but I actually feel it is jinxed.

On the contrary the white Wardrobe which I got from IKEA (I have shared all the details in my previous Wardrobe related article) is very lucky for me, the Cross on the Hampton’s Style Doors looks very stylish & it reminds me of Tom Ford, it looks perfect for my hotel theme cuz the Square panelling also resembles those typical Luxury Hotel Logos… it’s all very classy, the shiny golden knob that I’ve added in the centre completes the whole look. I believe white is always better and luckier, I wanted a new clothing item for my brand “new” Wardrobe and luckily I got many in my choice of prints (ditsy florals) and desired style…

As for the bed, 140 x 200 cm would’ve been too small and it’s more like a single bed for adults, it can’t fit two people and I really wish I had someone in my life, I’ve never been with anyone, I have in fact started feeling “too old” for a relationship or even marriage, I am not being primitive, its just that I had never imagined my life would be like this… my looks were RUINED along with my health, I was only 21 when I got diagnosed a chronic illness… and everyone including THAT PERSON was extremely callous & insensitive even after that, I wish someone would’ve appreciated me for who I am on the inside instead of being superficial, it’s not about intimacy but togetherness; I have always been clear about this. You can easily guess from my sophisticated lifestyle that I am not going to settle on anything less, I want a proper relationship, I don’t want to be “one of the many” for anyone, so no flings, I want exclusivity, importance, respect, care and true love. I don’t want anyone to waste my time again, I can’t see my youth slipping away like that, I have never had any friends, loneliness and solitude has consumed my whole life… I am extremely social and gregarious, the problem is with other people in my country their mentality sucks, it’s not my fault if they prefer being around cheap and trashy people for more “benefits” I want someone to like me, to make me feel better about myself, I want them to appreciate my efforts & value my feelings.

Coming to the sizing, it is also very hard to find a mattress which is that small. I didn’t want anything bulky but the bigger one was bigger than the bed which I already had and unlike IKEA US, we don’t have smaller frames here, we only have bigger ones in India… I have no idea why though cuz it makes absolutely no sense when our homes are relatively smaller. Malm is one of the most popular items on IKEA, its a classic minimal, chunky bed with sleek, bold edges, if you are familiar with a typical box bed then you’ll be able to visualise it instantly, the frame however is on the bulkier side. I wish they had the Velvet upholstered Pod bed (that’s what I prefer calling it) the one in Emerald Green, in a smaller size ie.160 x 200 cuz in India we again only have 180 x 200 cm in that particular colour. I would’ve taken separate storage boxes to store things underneath had it been available in that size, it is one of the best upholstered beds I’ve ever come across, the velvet ones that you get at other places are usually quite tacky but this one looks extremely luxurious and stylish… When Malm ran out, I was desperately looking for an alternative, I thought I’ll have to Chuck the whole idea of buying a new bed or choose something without storage from Evok, I was feeling really bad about missing out on Malm but I’m glad it ran out stock ‘cuz then I found something of my choice, my first love - with four storage boxes, the one which wasn’t getting listed earlier - Songesand.

To compare all the available styles and give you a better idea, Malm is more of a chunky “teenage boy” kinda bed whereas the upholstered Velvet one is more Upscale & Urban and if that is Veronica then Hauga is Betty (Archie’s ref.) it’s a little boring but extremely practical, simple and earthy, it is upholstered in a renewable textile Fabric and it is available in softer shades of beige and grey… the headboard has a beautiful arch which would appeal to a lot of girly, feminine girls, it looks like a perfect ‘Queen Bed’ for the sweet and sober. I opted for Songesand because I found it very interesting, it is both ultra modern as well as very chic and classy... The headboard is exactly like how I wanted, it’s shorter than most other beds and with a thicker mattress + a Mattress Pad (which I would be adding to make it more compatible with my Hotel theme, for a cosier, comfortable hotel like bed) the headboard will look smaller and shorter due to an additional layer of the pad which would go on top of my mattress and such short headboards are very much in trend right now. As a fibromyalgia patient, I needed an upholstered one for proper back support but I will be adding those hotel cushions that I’ve ordered for 1250/- (pack of four) to deal with the stiffness.

Compared to Malm, although I don’t want to deprecate here, I mean everyone has a personal choice and it’s always very subjective, Songesand has a fancier headboard, there are two sleek open sections which can give you a nice glimpse of the back wall… which probably explains why they have teamed it with printed wallpapers in each and every image, coincidentally I have also decided to put wallpapers in my room. The one that I’ve chosen for my main wall has a beautiful glittering prismatic/geometric pattern in beautiful shades of Écru & Mauve and I think it’ll look splendid when it will peep through. The pull out drawers again, aren’t that plain or simple like the ones in Malm or other beds, which have a slightly bigger frame as opposed to the delicate Songesand (not that it’s not sturdy enough) the storage drawers in this one have bevelled lines on top which gives it a nice moulded look, they also have a divider in the centre and two different sizes on each side. Songesand is slightly cheaper and smaller than Malm & it is only an inch bigger than my previous bed which is great because I didn’t want anything huge, the mattress size is also comparatively more, it is 160 x 200 Queen Bed. IKEA was shipping everything very fast, at lightning speed… all my stuff including the Bed was dispatched within 24 hours, the customer care team (though they had been slacking off) also got extremely diligent and helpful.

You can buy any bed frame w/o storage and then add more storage later, if you are unsure about the bed base then I would recommend getting Lonset as it offers 30 slats which is the double of Luroy, I have opted for the same, it adds more support to your mattress.

I have chosen a white frame with four storage boxes because I have a lot of beddings & throws that require tons of space. I feel it’s better to invest in comfort rather than luxury so according to me, your bed frame doesn’t matter as much as the bedding does, it just has to be compact, stylish, durable and spacious & this Bed has it all.

I have already taken this:

Set of 1 x duvet cover & 2 x pillow covers. I love the vintage green stripes and rustic look (from IKEA) 2790/-

Next I like this 10 piece bedding set, it’s from somewhere else, I know the bed-skirt is a bit off but I love the combination of butter yellow and lime green, I also love the mini cushions especially the gingham one, it will make my room look like a perfect doll house and I can do a lot of layering here because it comes with one fitted sheet for the bed and one flat sheet for the comforter. The material however is Polyester not cotton so it’s not that suitable for the skin but the bedding set is nonetheless very fancy and it’s not as expensive as all those other sets that you get elsewhere which are exorbitantly priced, unfortunately all these greedy business minded people have turned necessity into privilege… be it Spread, Spaces, Portico or even Frette for that matter.

This one is below 5000/- the bed-skirt and fabric lacks proper quality and cut but it’s still very pretty. It comes with 2 x pillow covers I’m the base colour, 2 x printed pillow covers, 1 x fitted sheet, 1 x flat sheet, 1 x Square Cushion, 1 x Mini Rectangular Decorative cushion, 1 x comforter 1 x Bed Skirt Price: 4199/- I might skip this one & just buy some pretty cushions or cushion covers to go with whatever beddings I already have.

Now this Cream coloured Teddy will finally have a cosy lil’ space in my room, I had kept her inside my wardrobe to protect the light colour from dust.

I got this one too… which is again available only in polyester, can’t help it. Frankly sometimes they even lie at places like Portico & Spread about having 100% cotton bedsheets. I love the blue gingham checks, it again comes with one fitted sheet and one flat sheet + cushion covers (no comforter or duvet cover) the fitted one is slightly smaller but the flat sheet will work Price: 1400/-

I got these Frosted Globe Lights to further enhance that Doll House Charm 990/-

This velvet cushion cover looks very Nordic & goes perfectly with my theme 575/-

Monogram Cushions in ‘B’ & ‘H’ which stand for Boudoir & Hotel, they were on sale and I got two for the price of one, total 897/-

I was confused between these two wall Lamps for my Suite/Hotel theme

I think I’m gonna go with the latter…although it looks more of an outdoor lamp, it actually reminds me of old Vintage hotels, the ones with canopy windows & stripes, they would always have such fancy lampshades, it looks more French so I think it’s the right choice for me. I have also selected Satin Stripes (wallpaper)… and I think this lampshade is going to look gorgeous with that. Price: 2550/-

I also got this Victorian Concierge Bell 🛎 for my Hotel Theme as a Decor piece

I am already writing about Greek Gods in my next book and I’m a sucker for art, I love such illustrations… I had to pick between Poseidon, Aphrodite and Zeus, well I picked the latter cuz I love Rains & I’m a pluviophile, Poseidon is a bit destructive and looking at the current volatile weather, I didn’t want those vibes in my room, Aphrodite - the Goddess of Love & Sensuality was unfortunately a bit too tacky… the canvas was all pink and mauve. Irrespective of that I would’ve chosen Zeus anyway because like I said I love rains and thunder and we have the same initials, as in Zara - Zeus.

Here’s something interesting:

I keep having a lot of coincidences ref. lilacnights.com/post/stupid-cupid & I’m explaining the reason in my book. I was writing about a bunch of other coincidences (which were not directly related to 501 but were nonetheless regarding him) and I wrote a piece on Greek Gods there, not that I was blaming them… you’d know once you’ll read the book, it is something very interesting. Coincidentally in the same duration (while I was working on it) I had a few more coincidences revolving around the same subject and I came across some Greek God within one of those coincidences which were like I said connected to the ones I was writing about, where I had already mentioned ‘Greek Gods’ it seemed like she was the one I should’ve written about in particular - it’s a Goddess (not Aphrodite) I could immediately make out from her name that she belonged to Greek Mythology so I googled her and that actually led to one more coincidence. Its not a love saga nor is the book entirely based on them, they may/may not exist and the actual core reason is something else…

Anyway I got Zeus because I love different cultures, mythologies & ethnicities, I love eclecticism, surreal and modern abstract art & I have always been a big fan of mystical things or innocuous talismans and chimeras. I love Rose Quartz and other precious stones which radiate positivity and therapeutical scented candles or quaint apothecary stuff, it’s all very interesting

This Faux Fur Ivory coloured rug/throw would complete my Norwegian Theme 999/-

Along with these art pieces…

“I’ve chosen something which will go well with my Vintage “Hotel” theme, moreover it will add a warm Nordic Essence to my room, especially if combined with the plaid wallpapers, I would be putting a contrasting black frame on the ecru wall and a Canvas wall art which would again signify my unyielding love for Antlers and Scandinavia’s old world charm… on the checkered or Flannel wallpaper. I will be putting the Caribou one cuz like I said I love antlers

Set of two Canvas Artworks 999/-

This organic cushion cover is dual sided, it has small gingham checks at the back

Organic Cushion Cover 1045/- (used 200 from my digi wallet)

I will also add another frame/accent to my bedside, “I picked those Motifs because wasps have always symbolised Gothic Literature & Poems… and it will inspire me to finish my next book.”

I will be keeping this Persian bed runner if I’m in the mood for something lavish and traditional Price: 999/-

I got this Bedside table in frost white

We had shifted to a new home when I was 10 and me & my bro were busy exploring our neighbourhood, we kept venturing in the back following the adjacent inside road… which led us to another street where we spotted a small gift shop, the shop keeper was removing all his old, unwanted items in a yard sale & we were obviously very thrilled to see that. The shop was extremely old and musty but I went inside to see his cabinet because it was full of antique things, he had a small ceramic tea set (they were not miniatures, it was slightly bigger than the usual size) the tea pot and cups had these cute vintage illustrations… I was in awe and I really wanted that, the cabinet on the other hand was full of dust and eight legged creatures *jittering* I knew I wanted that tea set so we immediately rushed home for some money, from what I remember I got it for 170/- and my brother purchased a pack of trump cards lol! Luckily the tea set came in a carton, it was box packed so it was clean from inside. I still have it and it doesn’t have a single scratch or chip even after 16 long years and I’m gonna keep it in my mini heirloom trunk ie. this unit, along with this beautiful set of Original Citizen cards which I managed to grab for 1000 bucks (Not from eBay, they are brand new)

Since my room has a Danish look, I have opted for this wooden unit cuz they are known for keeping such light, minimalistic wooden storage systems and they always match them with transparent glass doors & warm lights. I had to create this same unit because it was out of stock and when I was putting it together I made a few changes, I got separate pieces to come up with the same design cuz it was exactly what I was looking for, I added one wooden shelf in the first and the last block, the sold out unit originally came with 2 glass shelves whereas what I purchased is a set of two blocks + one block - both already had one glass shelf each… so I added one wooden shelf to carry my heavy glass items, I don’t want a second shelf in the middle cube cuz I want to keep long things over there and it also looks more interesting like that, I added 3 warm lights + legs + supporting legs and that’s it! I have a lot of beautiful glass items to store there, I was always fond of creamers & as an adult I finally had a chance to buy one without having to take an entire tea set, I also have other porcelain stuff which I want to keep there on display. I got this beautiful ceramic word block, it has metallic paint on top of it and now I will finally get to keep it here.

I had a wall cabinet and a black lacquered TV unit which I was using since the past 10 years… back then I was just a kid so I was in a different phase altogether, I had chosen a grungy theme, the unit had my DVD 📀 library because I’ve always been a movie buff, now I’ll be shifting all those DVDs to PUDDA (IKEA) because no one watches DVDs anymore, you don’t even get them now… and Netflix is too trashy for my taste. I didn’t require a unit this time cuz I don’t have any gaming consoles or multimedia devices to keep in there, I just wanted a glass showcase in the form of a unit as in something shorter and smaller because most glass showcases and cabinets are usually very bulky. I wanted to keep all my stuff, from the wall cabinet + the unit, everything in one place… I was not getting to use so many mugs since 2018 because I had no place to keep them, I had to store them in cartons, they’ve been lying in bubble wrap since the past 3 years! Luckily thanks God’s Grace I will now finally get to unpack and use everything.

More in my tweets & the next article.


Xoxo

Zara Céleste



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