‘I mixed tropical and art deco for a luxe look’
Becky Weaver combined upcycled furniture, tropical accessories and a bold colour palette to brighten up her basic, neutral conservatory
On a tight budget, Becky Weaver used her creativity to restyle her neutral conservatory into a tropical-inspired paradise
When looking to move at the end of 2020, Becky Weaver knew she wanted somewhere bigger than her previous home. Although not her usual type of property, she took a chance on seeing this relatively new build and was taken aback by how much she liked it. ‘I loved the house as soon as I viewed it, which took me by surprise as I’d always lived in older properties, and this had a neat, clean, tidy finish,’ she explains. ‘I was totally blown away by the space and amount of light and fell in love with the conservatory, which really sold it for me.’ The basics were all there, but it was in need of some colour and character.
STEP ONE Becky wanted to use her creativity to make the most of the space. ‘Because we were in and out of lockdown, I really wanted to make the conservatory area work for me. I knew I’d be able to spend time in there chilling out as the weather was so awful at that time and I wouldn’t be spending as much time in the garden,’ says Becky.
With this is mind, she drew on her love of colour and pattern to bring the room to life. The budget was tight as she’d just moved in, so she couldn’t replace the floor tiles, especially as they flowed through to kitchen.
Thankfully, though, the room just needed a good clean before she could start painting. ‘I had some fabulous wall art that inspired my colour scheme, and I really wanted to add pops of black and gold to give it a decadent
feel, reminiscent of the art deco era, as I love the colours and shapes,’ she explains.
STEP TWO Becky knew the colours she wanted to use in her scheme straight away, but took some time to choose the right shades. She spent many hours trawling through magazines, Instagram and decorating shops to find the tones she wanted. ‘For the feature wall, I tested several paints to see how the light in the room changed the colour during the day, which I’d recommend doing as it can really make a difference,’ says Becky.
She opted for a Valspar paint in Petal
Grove – a warm pink which, when the sun shines, really lights up. ‘I wanted to keep the garden room feeling bright so painted the other walls in white, which makes the feature wall stand out even more.’ She had the floor cleaned and the glass was checked and cleaned professionally. Now all she needed to do was to start adding furniture.
STEP THREE ‘I’ve always been a big fan of old furniture and a bit of a bargain hunter online. I enjoy upcycling to give pieces a new lease of life. I always wonder what the back story to each piece was before it came to me and how it was originally used,’ says Becky.
She bought the sideboard from eBay a few years ago. It was a chipped grey colour but, at £10, was an absolute bargain, and she knew she could transform it into a statement piece.
‘I decided to take the top part off and paint the unit. I sanded the paintwork down to get rid of any chipped paint, used sugar soap to wipe it clean and then used a Johnstone’s mixed shade of green in acrylic eggshell, which matches the colour of my kitchen units that I’d already painted and really makes the room flow,’ explains Becky.
The savvy upcycling didn’t stop there, with a gifted drinks cabinet next on the list. Becky sanded the wood, added palm-print wallpaper to the inside of the unit and painted the rest with black interior wood paint. ‘I painted the trims gold for a luxurious touch. I usually use Frog tape when masking areas, but this time I ran out and used masking tape instead. This caused the paint to leak onto the glass, which I had to remove, but I’m over the moon with how well it worked,’ says Becky.
STEP FOUR With the painting and furniture sorted, Becky turned her attention to the rest of the room. She was looking to create a sociable, ‘outside-in’ feel, as the room leads into the garden. ‘I wanted this to be the main social area of the house and a place to spend time in all year round. Adding the sofa and drinks cabinet and making a breakfast bar with a tall console unit creates a real hub for entertaining,’ she says.
The MADE.com sofa adds a punch of yellow under the window. Becky has piled it high with tropical cushions from Dunelm and a throw from Next, which complement the fun jungle-themed rug that she found at Argos. Introducing the cane table and magazine rack adds contrasting texture, with plants finishing off the tropical feel. ‘I can’t believe that just a few coats of paint and some upcycling projects have given me a space that I can use, whatever the season. Even with the bright colours I can still come in here and totally relax,’ smiles Becky.