“We really wanted somewhere for us to relax in when the children have gone to bed”
Family life undoubtedly brings no shortage of joy, but there’s something to be said about having a safe haven in your home; somewhere the grown ups can truly put their feet up, unwind, and let their hair down once the little ones have gone to sleep.
Transforming a bedroom into a stylish sanctuary is always going to involve plenty of savoir-faire when it comes to colour. The right tones and hues have the power to unlock relaxation, soothe the body and mind, and create a sense of comfort and wellbeing. This was exactly what Jo - this week’s colour consultancy case study client - was on the lookout for, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to elevate her double bedroom in Bristol into an elegant, warm, richly-coloured space; one which could delight her senses for many years to come.
Jo felt that her bedroom simply wasn’t reflecting her personality or her needs, and had become a room which was good for little more than sleeping. Still decorated in the bland cream colour chosen by the house’s previous occupants, she told me the room lacked feeling and any sense of vibrancy. What’s more, she was keen for me to come up with design notions and palettes that not only made it a cosy, safe, comforting space, but one in which she’d look forward to resting in at the end of a busy day.
The Brief
The brief for this room transformation was both clear and thrillingly open-ended; Jo wanted me to inject warmth, colour, and personality into her bedroom, and create a space which she’d be excited about spending time in once her kids were tucked up in bed. As the room came with fittings that belonged entirely to the previous occupants, we could see this project as an entirely clean slate on which to build an imaginative design - perfect!
The room itself came with a handful of quirks and challenges, which is so often the case with houses in Bristol! Jo herself described the room as having a ‘funny shape’, and it struggled with having very little wardrobe space. It was clear from day one, therefore, that built-in wardrobes were going to have to play a role in our design, in order to make the bedroom a liveable part of the family home that matched practicality with elegance, cosiness, and style.
As always, however, the devil is in the details. I had to seek out a colour that Jo would be enamoured by - she noted that the room wasn’t the brightest of spaces, and as such wanted a colour that matched richness with boldness - as well as the kind of accessories and fittings that would make this bedroom one she’d adore spending time in.
The Scheme
It didn’t take long to settle on the perfect colour for this room, as I’d completely fallen in love with Dulux Emerald Glade - the perfect balance of warmth and sophistication, and a truly opulent hue that elevated that sense of comfort and elegance. It provided the bedroom with an essence of almost vintage glamour, and no shortage of personality and charm, especially when illuminated by the matching pair of lamps perched upon a pair of Homebase’s Kobu Rattan bedside tables.
This particular shade of emerald works fantastically well with gold detailing, which definitely hit Jo’s brief for a room with mountains of charm, luxury, and a sense of relaxation. Gold light switches, a gold-rimmed circular shelf from Aldi (an absolutely fantastic find, if I may say so myself), and a gold circular mirror from Dunelm undeniably brought that opulent ambience into play. A smattering of selected vintage ornaments and accessories took this idiom to new heights, and brought a playful-yet-glamorous aspect to the room in line with Jo’s original requests.
Working with a similarly vibrant contrast, we both felt that the curtains - a beautiful Citrine Textured Weave from John Lewis - were an ideal choice. They provided a counterpoint to the depth and warmth of the paint on the walls, while bringing even more brightness and sunniness to the space. What’s more, despite the vivid use of colour in the room, the lack of patterning on either the walls or the curtain left plenty of scope to switch the style up in the room with the use of bedding, something Jo mentioned she was looking forward to experimenting with.
With the wardrobe issue solved in flawless style with the help of local joiners Sampson-Webb Creations, there was just one final flourish I was keen to introduce: a beautiful dressing table that Jo could enjoy on a daily basis. This essential item of furniture (which Jo informed me has become her favourite aspect of the room) gives her an elegant space at which to pamper herself and enjoy another daily ritual in her stunning new room - one which bursts with colour, energy, and a thoroughly comforting ambience.
