Style advice

Three simple tricks to try in your own home

‘I now have a room that’s welcoming, relaxing and a space I can escape to at the end of the day’

CLEAR OUT YOUR CLOTHES

To increase the sense of space and create an uncluttered, calm feel, Ruth got rid of her built-in wardrobes and went for this free-standing rail from Cox & Cox instead. It fits snugly into the alcove and, with a rack on the top and bottom, there’s plenty of room to keep shoes and other accessories. ‘I use the spare room to store the majority of my clothes,’ Ruth explains. ‘I tend to get out the clothes I’m wearing for the week, so I only have a few on show at any one time.’

TRY CLADDING

‘I wanted a feature wall but didn’t want to use wallpaper or paint. We had some old planks of wood left over from a previous project, so we trimmed it into thinner pieces before cutting to size and attaching to the wall with extra strong wood glue and then painted it white to match the other walls. It was such a quick project, and the results look amazing. As time goes by the wood moves and cracks, which only adds to the rustic weathered look that I love.’

REPURPOSE FURNITURE

‘I found the ladder at a reclamation yard and was going to use it in the garden to hang flowerpots, but I decided to hang it above the bed instead. It’s the ideal place to hang my lights and frees up space on the bedside table. The sides are wide enough to use as a shelf space and I like to display some of my plants here. We treated it with a lick of varnish to keep its aged effect and Ben used brackets to keep it in place. It also cost a fraction of the price of shelving and looks amazing against the cladding on this wall.’

Ruth wanted her bedroom to have a rustic, coastal feel, but she also wanted it to feel soft and feminine; a place where she could escape and cosy up after a busy shift, so pretty accessories were a must

MY EXPERIENCE

We bought the house in September 2019 and set about renovating straight away. Just as we got around to starting on the bedroom, Covid struck so it became our lockdown project.

I wanted a room that felt spacious and clean with a calm, coastal theme but I didn’t want the standard blue nautical look. Over the years I’ve collected lots of junk buys that I thought would fit in with the rustic, weathered scheme and Ben is really good at DIY so I was confident we would be able to give the room a new lease of life on a budget.

We removed the old alcove units, sanded the floor, which we repainted white, and stripped the walls. We used Jasmine White from the new Dulux Simply Refresh range, as it’s designed to only need one coat, which was perfect for getting the job done quickly and it gave the room a lovely bright feel. I wanted to use the bay window for a dressing table, so I swapped the old metal blinds for a more stylish design by Clarissa Hulse at Blinds 2go. I had planned to only use greens and blues but I went off plan a bit as I started to introduce different accessories in soft pinks, which I love, and I think it still works. I now have a room that’s welcoming, relaxing and a space I can escape to at the end of the day.

My shopping list

● Textured tassel cushion, £12; textured fringe cushion, £12; Sanctuary scatter cushion, £8; for a similar photo frame, try the Driftwood photo frame, £12, all Matalan ● Love cushion, £14; pompom fleece throw, £45; for a similar vanity mirror, try the Pretty Vanity mirror, £30, all Next ● Pathson industrial metal bird cage pendant light, £19.99, Amazon ● Walls painted in Simply Refresh One Coat Jasmine White paint, £39.18 per 2.5l, Dulux ● INGABRITTA throw in Pale Pink, £19; FEJKA potted plants, from £3; MUSKOT plant pots, from £1.50, all IKEA ● Clarissa Hulse Dill Ocean Roman blinds, from £34.30, Blinds 2go ● Claybourne Blush cotton king-sized duvet cover and pillowcase set, £45; pink ribbed vase, £4; cream macramé storage basket, £12; for a similar dressing table, try the Henry oak dressing table, £159, all Dunelm ● Industrial iron clothes rail, £275, Cox & Cox ● Walkway poster, £12.95; Brighton Beach poster, £23.95, both Desenio ● Brighton bag plant holder, from £3.50, AndersandBoo on Etsy ● For a similar ladder, try the Leit ladder, £34.95, Sklum ● For a similar bedside table, try the Taniya one-drawer bedside table, £108.99, Wayfair

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The old dressing table was a bargain buy from an online selling site for just £50. Ruth removed the excess paint and then sealed it with varnish. Placed in the well-lit bay window, it’s great for doing her make-up each morning and doubles up as a desk when studying at home Style idea Mix and match furniture for a rustic look