SLEEPING BEAUTY

A STYLE OVERHAUL TURNED THE MAIN BEDROOM OF THIS BUSTLING FAMILY HOME INTO A SOFT AND CALMING RETREAT TO CHERISH

“I LOVE THROW CUSHIONS; THERE’S JUST NOT ENOUGH IN THE WORLD... WE ACTUALLY USE THEM A LOT WHEN I’M HANGING OUT WITH THE KIDS” ~ ROSE, HOMEOWNER

Rose knew her family home needed an update, but while she had a strong inkling about what she liked, she didn’t know where to start. Yet after five years in the 1950s-era home, Rose and her husband Pat – parents to Georgia, nine, and Thomas, six – weren’t ready to embark on a full renovation, so decided to update a few areas in the meantime, starting with their bedroom. Enter Instagram: Rose was following interior stylist Catherine Heraghty of The Stables and had become a fan of her trademark muted colour schemes and timeless aesthetic, so she reached out. “It was just so nice to have somebody who knew what I wanted and just could make it all come together so easily,” she says. Working with a limited budget, Catherine redesigned the room, keeping only the relatively new carpet. The end result is a grown-up retreat Rose loves. “I actually find myself spending more time in there, just relaxing or making phone calls,” she says. “Or if I just want to escape the kids!”

Original room: The existing main bedroom was outdated and in need of a refresh. “We pretty much used it to sleep and get dressed and that was it, and we never really spent time in our room otherwise,” says Rose.

Time frame: Four months.

Why the makeover? With only one living space in the home, the idea

was to create a parents’ retreat in the main bedroom.

Major changes: Almost everything was replaced and updated, starting

with the bed, with Rose and Pat upsizing from a queen size to a king.

Lessons learned: For Rose, who’s never worked with an interior stylist before, her only regret is that she didn’t enlist Catherine earlier. “I can be quite indecisive, so having Catherine and her expertise on board just made the whole process so nice and so less stressful, because I had confidence in her. She was so accommodating and really flexible.”

LAYERING UP The original room in this Sydney home was dark and unwelcoming, so interior stylist Catherine Heraghty of The Stables created a soothing palette using layers of gentle greys on a base of white Sheridan linen on the ‘Jett’ four-drawer King bed base from Harvey Norman. Custom-made curtains in a soft white linen from A’besco and the ‘Lucia’ linen bedhead from Heatherly Design in Husk Ice complete the restful look. The charcoal and pink cushions from Eadie Lifestyle, and throw, blue cushion and a Home Republic Stonewashed Cotton Silver Quilted Coverlet from Adairs inject texture and subtle colour.

Inspired by Pat who prefers photography to abstract art, Catherine chose the print ‘Little Bells,’ by Australian photographer Tash Carah (above, complementing the Ethnicraft Oak Nordic Chest of 3 Drawers from Trit). “It’s directly opposite our bed so when you wake up, that’s what you look at,” says Rose. “It just has a real calming feel to it. It’s just really lovely.” ART ATTACK

BEDSIDE MANNERS A new king-sized bed was a must-have, so Catherine’s “biggest challenge” was finding bedside tables to fit the small room and still be functional. She chose a set from Zanui (left) and added leather handles. Lamps from Milk & Sugar are a perfect fit for the minimalist look.