OUR BEDROOM RENOVATION.

Interiors

12 Apr

Written By

OUR BEDROOM RENOVATION

As soon as lockdown hit, we, like everyone else in the world, decided to go gung-ho with the home renovations. There wasn't a whole lot else to do, and with cancelling the wedding (due to covid implications), we had a little pot of money to finally get stuck in.In my old house, the main bedroom was the first room I tackled. But with this one, it stayed on the back burner, and I'm actually really glad we took our time with it. We've spent over a year living in the space to get a feel for what we wanted to achieve and now it feels totally us, and something I think we will love for a long time.

BEDROOM BEFORE

You may remember this glorious denim wallpaper from the living room..it literally followed us round the house *cries*. And I could. not. wait. to see the back of it! I actually remember walking into the bedroom when we viewed the house for the first time and being quite disappointed by the lack of space. But we figured, it's just a room for sleeping, so it's not a deal breaker. It was only after living in it for a while that we understood how much more potential it had.The in-built cupboard, although practical, was a bit of a space hogger. If it had been flush to the wall, I think it may have felt less imposing - but jutting out a good few inches from the alcove made the room feel so much smaller and cramped.There was also a super handy storage cupboard come wardrobe behind this door. But behind it? A beautiful, almost floor to ceiling window, being completely blocked off.We definitely had some work to do!

BEDROOM DURING

The cupboard:

I guess it goes without saying that the alcove cupboard and wardrobe door had to go. Storage is obviously important - but we didn't need as much as this cupboard was offering. We decided in its place to build a bespoke cabinet; complete with sliding doors to maximise the floor space and two shelves to get maximum storage. It also doubles up as a bedside table which is handy. We added a little bit of detail in the top trim, but I love the simplicity of this, and it still feels like something that was always here - which is what I aim to achieve with all the bespoke pieces we have in the house.

The wardrobe:

Ahh the messy, messy wardrobe...opening this up was a dirty, rubbly job. But I can't quite believe what an impact it's had on the space. We took the door frame up and back slightly, giving as much openness as possible without losing the storage space behind. The idea here was to create a walk-in wardrobe, tucked away behind the opening - so unless you turned the corner, you wouldn't know it was a place clothes were kept! (Hence you not being able to see the actual wardrobe in these photos - nifty, eh?!)We measured the depth from the back wall to the opening, to ensure we had enough space to fit a wardrobe and it still be tucked in behind it. This was key, as initially we'd thought about opening up the wall even more, which would've meant the wardrobe would've been on show and the aesthetic would've been totally different.

The flooring:

We also made the decision to run parquet flooring through the majority of the upstairs. And my goodness, was it the hardest interior decision I've ever had to make!!! Parquet is absolutely an investment, and it felt like such a huge decision picking the stain and finish of the wood. After all, it's the building block for the rest of the room and determines furniture and wall colours. We had sample after sample made up and I didn't decide on a final oil stain until the morning it went on. It was stress central, but I am over the moon with the one we went for. A solid oak block with a mix of honey and cognac stain and a lacquer finish.

The walls:

On the bedroom walls we opted for Bauwerk lime wash paint in shade Bone. Another agonising decision, as there were so many variations that would've been beautiful, but I'm so pleased we picked this one. Bauwerk paint is like nothing we've ever used before. Lime wash requires a totally different technique, and the results are absolutely gorgeous. A plaster-like finish with beautiful texture and depth. Bone has cooling tones, with hints of warmth that make the space feel fresh and cosy at the same time. Bauwerk recommend 2-3 coats, and we just went for two. I think with their lighter colours, the more paint you use, the less texture you'll achieve. If we'd have applied a third coat I think we would've lost that finish we were after, and two felt perfect in this space, but obviously its personal preference!

BEDROOM AFTER

And here she is, complete, in all her glory.There are still a few finishing touches to be done. Like building a bespoke wooden shelf to go on the other side of the bed, putting up our wall-mounted TV, replacing the last plug socket to match the other black ones, and adding some brass handles to the little cupboard - but I just couldn't wait any longer to share it with you! The more we do in this house, the more I realise how nothing is ever 'done', our homes are ever changing and nothing will ever be complete as such.But one thing is for sure, I adore this space. I love that it's flooded with light, texture and our personality.

West Elm bits (gifted):

I've been desperate for a floor length mirror in the bedroom and I'm so pleased with this one from West Elm - it matches our circle one which I had from my first home and both work together to reflect light and open up the bedroom space even more. The wall lights are one of my favourite things in the bedroom. With the door where it is, we don't have much floor space either side of the bed - and that meant for the last year we'd had no bedside lights. Wall lights felt like a brilliant way to combat working within a small space and I love the sophistication they bring. Although installing wired in wall lights is a messy job, it was absolutely worth it here. The ceiling light is super simple and let's the rest of the room do the talking, whilst still staying in keeping with the aesthetic.The bedding is without doubt my new favourite. I love the texture and it's incredibly soft and cosy to boot. And the table lamp we've decided to use on the floor fits so perfectly in this space!

Other Accessories:

The rug is from the Shrimps x Habitat collaboration late last year and when I bought it I didn't have a space for it in mind (never a good idea when interior shopping!). But as soon as the bedroom started coming together I knew this is where it would live. I feel like it really brings the room to life and injects our personality and warmth into an otherwise very minimalistic space.Maximising on storage space in a practical way was important for us - and along with the cupboard and wardrobe, we've also got this platform bed from MADE, which has drawer storage underneath (and a bookshelf, which makes me very happy). And is now where we keep all our bedding and towels.I also picked up the chest of drawers for £60 on Facebook Marketplace and I love it. Eventually our wall mounted TV will sit above it, but it's a great addition for storage and isn't at all overbearing.These hand-painted ceramic shells from Shellegance are so beautiful, and I think they compliment the lime wash paint so well.The radiator is the same as the ones we used in the bathroom and living room and the light switches are up there with one of my favourite decisions we made. Like with the bathroom, we opted for a mixture of brushed gold and black to avoid too much of one shade and I'm really pleased we did.

And that's it! I hope you love this transformation just as much as I do, it was a labour of love to get here, but I look forward to going to bed every night and waking up in this beautiful space feels like such a treat now.What's your favourite part of the bedroom?