After nearly one third of a century of marriage, we decided it was time to sleep in separate beds, judging sleep of a higher priority than you know what.

What you see are the results - extra long single beds with bedside cabinets to match. European beech is the primary wood, walnut the second. The walnut medallions are of claro walnut, purchased from Michael Kemmes at Woodnut, a great dealer who specializes in claro walnut near Grass Valley, CA.

If I had to do the beds over again, I'd make the beech panels on which the claro walnut ellipses appear conform to the space they occupy - meaning I'd cut an arc across the top to match that of the top rail of the footboard and headboard.

I think I might also re-noodle the finish - a simple gel stain. It's OK, but having just figured out how to get a hand-rubbed oil finish on elm wood (see my separate post), I'd try an oil finish instead.

This was the most complex project I'd ever undertaken, and the caveats above aside, I'm very happy with the result. Ditto my wife, who no longer finds her sleep interrupted in the middle of the night when my restless leg syndrome kicks in.
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