Reader’s Home A splash of colour
sam mixed vibrant shades and scandi style to give her bedroom a much-needed injection of brightness
Sam and husband mike, along with their children, Joe, Freja and Finn, have been working on their 1930s property since they moved into the house in 2001. ‘we found a three-bedroom place that was ripe for renovation. It looked very shabby, but we saw the potential to turn it into a four-bedroom property, as the loft was partly done, and we’d be able to create a kitchen-diner at the back.
Initially, we painted everything white, took up the carpets and sanded or painted the floors. Over the next few years, we did up the children’s rooms, finished the loft, and then a big kitchen extension in 2011.
Our bedroom hadn’t really changed since those early days, and finally it was our turn. I wanted to bring colour into the dull space, get rid of rickety furniture and sort out the storage issues – all on a budget.
The bedroom is at the back of the property and south-facing, so it gets plenty of light and could easily take a strong colour. I knew blue was the right choice and that was the starting point for the whole design. I wanted to give the bedroom a classic Scandi feel, so I decided simple white furniture was the way to go.
The painted floorboards didn’t fit in with the cosy scheme I hoped for. I longed for soft carpet, which would feel luxurious and cut down on noise. We went for grey wool, which goes with everything and doesn’t show the dirt!
While shopping for our bed, we spotted a chest of drawers that fitted in perfectly. The white wardrobes bought from ebay weren’t as sturdy as I’d have liked and the knobs were a bit plasticky, so I replaced them with enamel ones. I was able to find bedside cabinets in white at Ikea that were a similar style to the bed. I then chose cushions and bedding in pink, blue and yellow to lift the room, and treated myself to a Pip Studio throw, as well as some embroidered cushions.’
‘I knew blue was for me’