WAS Inspired by nature’
Emily, 27, used botanical and wildlife imagery to transform her bland bedroom into a welcoming, hotel-style haven
GREAT IDEA 'Get exactly what you want, often at half the cost, by making things yourself’
When my partner andy and I bought this house, the bedroom was completely empty,' says emily. 'We had nothing to hang at the windows and we had no furniture at all to fill it.
For a while it felt rather odd sleeping in an empty box. But it did give us time to work out what we wanted. The window dressing, for example, was important as the sunshine comes streaming in, which is lovely during the week, but not ideal when you’d like to have a lie-in at the weekend!
We knew everything would benefit from a fresh coat of paint so we used a crisp cream called Fresh Linen on the walls and painted the woodwork glossy white. The carpet was fairly new so, although not my choice, it seemed silly to change it. So we gave it a good clean and the room was already beginning to feel more homely.
Taking shape
I wanted a bed with a large upholstered headboard and found this linen-coloured base on ebay. The mattress lifts to reveal a huge space below, in a small cottage extra storage is a bonus so we were very pleased and it’s incredibly comfortable, too.
Once the bed was in place, we decided to fit a run of wardrobes to keep everything neatly tucked away behind doors. The Pax system by Ikea was perfect, so now Andy and I each have our own wardrobe, as well as drawers. I love the neat, sleek design.
Next we tackled the window. I like the sumptuous layered look of both a blind and curtains and found a lovely striped Roman blind at Blinds2go. Andy put it up in no time so we could enjoy a lie-in!
By now, the bedroom was practical but not very stylish. I looked at schemes on Pinterest which had a relaxed botanical vibe to see how I could achieve the same. On a trip to Dunelm I was so pleased to find the Regeneration range with just the aspects I was looking for. The lined fern-patterned curtains were ideal, as were the bedlinen, cushions and gorgeous
vintage-style lamps. I treated myself to a big fluffy sheepskin rug. I also wanted bedside tables and a dressing table, which would fit the quite restricted space. At Dunelm I looked at a range that wasn’t displayed for the bedroom but was perfect for what I needed. I knew a nest of lamp tables would be great by the bed and a console and stool would work perfectly as my dressing table. With a wooden top and iron legs, it had the rustic vibe that I was after. I was so excited because I’d almost given up on the whole idea. One shopping trip really turned the room around.
Crafty touches
I wanted an artwork to hang above the bed but couldn’t find anything I liked. While browsing Pinterest I saw an idea for making wooden-plank art so I gave it a go. I bought some cladding at Wickes with planks that slotted together to make a panel, and I nailed battens to the back to keep it sturdy. I then painted it white, grey and blue and sanded it for a distressed look. Next I added a meadow-grass design using grey paint and it was ready to hang. As the planks were only £5.25 for five and easy to work with, I made a display shelf unit, too – with hooks for my necklaces.
I wanted to find cushions for the bed with the kinds of images you see in natural history books. A friend told me about Textile Express, which sells pre-cut cushion panels for only £5. I chose butterfly and insect designs and sewed the cushions myself, it was easy – even for a novice seamstress like me! I also then made the butterfly ceiling lampshade from a kit by Dannells – I used a fabric from Harlequin and made it in half an hour. What I have loved most about designing our bedroom is that we have our very own look.’
‘Look at ALL types of furniture, not just bedroom furnishings,if you have an awkward space to fill’