‘OUR BEDROOM IS A LOVELY PLACE TO RELAX AND SWITCH OFF’
Designer style with a Scandi vibe
Tory Wright and Ben Whitfield, who both work in film production, and their children, Archie, three, and Ava, one, live in a Victorian terrace in south-east London
What prompted this project? Since moving here in 2016, we’d repeatedly tried to turn the bedroom into a relaxing space but never managed to achieve it. With our modest budget, we’d been reluctant to call on any design advice, but about a year ago we decided we needed specialist help. We looked online and found Nua X Designs – and its services didn’t cost the earth.
Tell us what look were you going for…
We told Nua’s designers, Emily and Callie, that we wanted something Scandi and contemporary, possibly including greys, blues and greens, although the green was a given, as it’s provided by the plants I believe every room needs! We also wanted to use pale wood tones and keep the space bright and open. And we were keen to mix in our own furniture, such as our matching cabinets.
Did you enjoy working with the designers?
Emily and Callie were a dream – collaborative and patient without being pushy. They encouraged us to research a Scandinavian colour palette and try out paint samples. Our ideas were translated onto moodboards and it suddenly became easier to visualise how it would all look. They also suggested key pieces, such as the Ercol bed and the bedside tables, which work perfectly.
You’ve transformed the fireplace…
Yes, the original cast-iron fireplace was lovely but quite large and imposing. To give it a more contemporary look, we lost the surround and installed a floating wooden mantel shelf above it. This also made the room feel bigger.
And what do you think works best?
We love the use of colour and, with Emily and Callie’s encouragement, stepped further outside our comfort zone than we’d have dared on our own. A perfect example is the dark blue feature wall and the way it frames the bed. On the first night the room was completed, we lay on the bed thinking we’d checked into a boutique hotel. Now the only challenge is to try to control the amount of tat that encroaches when you have two children!
OUR SOURCEBOOK Feature wall painted in Hague Blue estate emulsion, £49.50/2.5L, Farrow & Ball farrow-ball.com Side walls and ceiling painted in Shirting absolute matt emulsion; £48.50/2.5L, Little Greene littlegreene.com Ercol Teramo bedframe, £1,270, Barker & Stonehouse barkerandstonehouse.co.uk Chevron oak bedside tables, £325 each, Cox & Cox coxandcox.co.uk Ottoman, £100, Habitat habitat.co.uk