Style advice

Three simple tricks to try in your own home

ADD DEFINITION

In the en suite, Nic has stopped her blue walls and pink floor tiles from looking too cute by adding definition with matt black bathroom fittings and accessories. Not only have the dark accents given the space a grown-up edge, it gave Nic the confidence to be bold with colour and reassured her that the pastel scheme would work. ‘I was worried that the blue and pink would look like a sweet shop, but adding black gave it an edge, and made it into a grown-up space that will look good for years to come,’ she says.

STANDOUT ART

As much as we love gallery walls, they can sometimes be too busy for a bedroom, where you want to easily switch off and relax. Instead, choose one single piece that makes a statement, like this framed slogan print, and leave the rest of the walls bare so the room feels more spacious. If you’re decorating a bedroom and en suite, like Nic, you could use artwork to tie the different rooms together and help the rooms flow. Here, Nic’s artwork, printed wallpaper and bathroom walls all have blue running through, creating a cohesive look.

CREATE CALM

If your priority is making your bedroom a relaxing, calm environment, follow Nic’s lead and cut the clutter. Nic has kept accessories on display to a minimum – containing a few key items on the Dunelm tray makes it feel more ordered. For extra zen vibes, go for repetitive patterns that are known to increase feel-good brainwaves – a patterned wallpaper, like this Foxglove design, is absolutely perfect.

‘I slept on an air bed that I could deflate each morning, giving me lots of space to decorate’

Nic’s bathroom was too small to have a wall-mounted or under-sink cupboard, so she went for a mirror with a slim shelf to keep her toiletries. A chest of drawers and tall boy give Nic plenty of storage for all her clothes Nic has created space on the side table for a few of her favourite things. Echoing the pink tones of the curtains and wallpaper with fresh flowers and a soothing candle, the look is calm and restful but still full of colour