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There's no place like gnome/Photo:  Jonathan Lappin Photography

There's no place like gnome/Photo: Jonathan Lappin Photography

DESIGN DECODED: A colourful bedroom in East London

February 29, 2016

Emilie Jacob, interior stylist and blogger at Stella + the Stars (www.stellaandthestars.net), talks us through the inspiration behind the fabulous bedroom she shares with her husband. 

PH: Where exactly is this room located?

EJ: It’s on the top – second – floor of a modern townhouse in East London.

PH: What did you want the room to look and feel like?

EJ: Quirky, dramatic, bold and – most importantly – cosy.

PH: What were the practical considerations?

EJ: The only issue was that, like most of the rooms in our house, it has no period features so originally looked like a big boring white box. It’s not the biggest room, but it's the one with the nicest view overlooking a park, and south-facing with plenty of lovely natural light. We already had a spacious fitted wardrobe so the job was to 'dress' the room and make it look fabulous.

After a bottle of wine that lamp looks completely straight/Photo:  Jonathan Lappin Photography

After a bottle of wine that lamp looks completely straight/Photo: Jonathan Lappin Photography

PH: What was the starting point for the room’s design?

EJ: I wanted the walls to be grey. That was definitely the starting point. Everything else just fell into place over time. I bought the accessories over a few months; it's a bit of a mix-and-match but, in the end, it just worked. 

PH: Was this room’s design inspired by anything or anyone else?

EJ: I used to work with a stylist who worked with Abigail Ahern (one of my favourite designers and biggest girl crush of all time) – she was the one who helped me muster the courage to move to the dark side, Abigail-style (the entire house was WHITE when we bought it). This was six years ago and I’ve never looked back. 

PH: How did you know these colours would work together?

EJ: To be honest, I initially worried it would be too dark with too many colours. I have since realised you can never go too bold or too colourful!

PH: What do you love most about the room?

EJ: The headboard and the grey walls. 

Her Majesty approves of the decor/Photo:  Jonathan Lappin Photography

Her Majesty approves of the decor/Photo: Jonathan Lappin Photography

PH: How does your husband feel about the bedroom? I find the Pink House Husband can be a little, er, resistant to my bolder interior plans…

EJ: I am really lucky my hubby usually loves my ideas and is pretty happy to go with whatever crazy designs I impose upon, ahem, I mean present to him.

PH: Was there anything you would do differently with hindsight?

EJ: I should have gone bolder and darker with the grey paint... 

PH: Which of the furnishings did you buy especially for this room?

EJ: We replaced our cheap bed with a quality frame and mattress to help me sleep better when I was pregnant with my daughter. Best decision ever. We also swapped a ceiling light for the yellow pendant lights, which makes the room much cosier at night. 

 

Get The Look

  • Walls: Painted in Dulux Night Jewels 4
  • Bed: Stuart Jones Vivaldi bedframe - I chose the aquamarine fabric. 
  • Bed linen: Debenhams
  • Queen picture: I bought it years ago in a pop up gallery in East London after spotting it in the window. Ten minutes later the gallery closed its doors forever. Annoyingly, I can't remember the name of the artist.
  • Neon picture: It's a print of a quote from the movie Inception by one of my favourite art print shops The Loft and Us. I apply this motto to everything in my life! 
  • Gnome tables: Phillippe Starck for Kartell. They're actually stools but they work well as side tables if you're not bothered with having storage.
  • Yellow pendant lights: They're E27 pendant lights by Muuto. 
  • The blue chest, lamp and mirror: Ikea
  • The bag and shoes: Haha, old Celine bag and very old Zara shoes.... 
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In Bedrooms, Expert Advice Tags Colourful bedroom, Gnome stools, button-backed headboard, queen portrait, pop art, neon picture, yellow lights, pendant lights, bedside tables, grey walls, ikea, bold bedroom, go bold or go home, interior design, home decor
← The Pink House Tour: Dining RoomThe Pink House Tour: Kitchen →
Amara Interior Blog Awards IBA16 Best Newcomer winner The Pink House
Winner Pinterest UK 17 Best Wow factor interior The Pink House bathroom
Best of Pinterest awards best use of colour 2017

"Fabulous family living!"

Emily Murray founder of The Pink House Living

"Hello! I’m Emily Murray, founder and editor of The Pink House. I’m a lifestyle journalist who has written and edited for loads of different publications, including Stylist, The Guardian, Grazia, Cosmopolitan, Conde Nast Traveller, Brides, and Mother & Baby. Here I am in the bricks-and-mortar Pink House in South East London, where I live with the Pink House Husband (PHH) and our two small, semi-feral boys. Our fabulous Christopher Farr sofa is covered in marker pen and chocolate, and the Eames rocker has a few suspicious stains. Come in and make yourself at home. No need to take your shoes off." 

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Bringing your first book home to show your parents is a bit like introducing them to your new boyfriend:
😅Will they like it/him? 😅Are they just being polite? 😅Does it/he look comfortable in its/his new surroundings? 😅Will it/he stand up to scrutiny?
😅What are the chances of them flicking through it/him when you’re not looking...😳
Luckily, the first meeting of Pink House Living (the book) with the Pink House Grandparents has been a success so far. Not only did the book make itself at home on the pinkest thing in the house (this chaise in the garden room), but my dad was heard to make a number of enthusiastic-sounding noises before opining: “This one’s a keeper*” 💖
*He didn’t exactly say this, but I thought it would be a fitting conclusion to the book/boyfriend analogy. 
OVER ON STORIES: A mini tour of my rug-mad mother’s super-stylish Edinburgh home, plus her verdict on her aesthetic vs mine 😒. #meettheparents #sorryabouttheswearing #lookatthespineonthat #sexybook
A few days ago the Pink House Husband and I agreed we’d postpone Valentine’s Day until next Thursday 💝🚫. As well as the fact that this tedious lurgy should have buggered off by then, it makes lots of sense from a restaurant-finding, bouquet-pricing, babysitter-booking perspective to make February 21st our own personal V-Day. I’m thinking I might apply the same principle to Christmas - just add a couple of weeks and your present budget will stretch a LOT further 🎁💯. Anyhow, this week is exciting enough without a posh dinner and some pink (never red) roses...because this week my kitchen was included in interior gurus @apartmenttherapy ‘s feature entitled These Are Our Favorite Kitchens Ever 😊. I’ve added the link in my bio if you want to check it out. This kitchen here, which belongs to @kipandco founder Alex McCabe, was also featured. Actually, sod PHH; I think Alex’s kitchen can be my Valentine - pink, gold and gorgeous: what more could you want from a life partner?🥰.
📷: @nikoleramsay #cheatingonPHHwithfurniture
Gutted. Tonight I was supposed to be heading to a glorious Galentine’s evening at the gorgeous @whitecityhouse with top gal pal @katefaithfullwilliams to listen to @bowelbabe talk about dildos with @cherryhealey as part of a @thehotbedcollective live podcast recording 🍆. Perfect night, right? Except I’ve got girl flu which means that instead I’ve got a date with my sofa and some Vicks Vaporub 😳. To cheer me up, Emma from my fave florist @hayfordandrhodesflowers showed up with this stunner of a love-wreath for my front door (#gift). It’s for all of you, too - my little Galentine’s gift to anyone in need of a bit of love 💗. Swipe for wreath close-up 😍. Right: better get into the Lemsip before my chat runs out...🤒
It’s like @houseofhackney read my mind sometimes 👩🏻‍🎤💭. There I am, trying to find a cool, jungle-with-a-twist wallpaper for my 9yo son’s bedroom when WHAM! the kings of maximalism serve up these rolls of dino-design deliciousness 🦕🦖 - swipe for the Ecru colourway. Obviously I prefer the pink but I don’t think the progeny is going to go for it 🙄. Hell, I might just paper the walls of the kitchen with it instead! PHH is going to be absolutely THRILLED! 😃💖😃
#pinkisforpeople
[AD] What an INCREDIBLE holiday. The main aim of this, our first ever family skiing trip, was to introduce the kids to a sport me and PHH both love with a passion, and show them how much fun it could be. Mission accomplished ⛷ 😍. And that’s thanks to: excellent ski instructors (St Gervais ski school 🙌🏻); wonderful weather (loads of snow, blue skies nearly every day); and, of course, @chalet_mirabelle, which has taken what is a potentially fraught situation (first time away skiing with two young kids) and turned it into a truly magical experience for every single one of us. Yes, this is an AD, but don’t for one second think I wouldn’t have written exactly the same thing had we been paying full price. And yes, I fully intend to book the chalet for next year, no AD required. 
p.s. That is a cup of tea I’m holding #rocknroll 
OVER ON STORIES: PHH jumping out of the hot tub into piles of snow. There are other Stories but they pale in comparison. 💖
#familyskitrip #stgervais #montblanc #hottub #thepinkhouse
[AD - #guest] This seriously stylish ski lodge comes with a serious story...As a result of @chalet_mirabelle owner/designer Jacqueline’s cancer diagnosis at the start of the chalet’s build (she has thankfully now been given the all clear), wellness played a huge part in its design. From the products - which are all sustainable, recyclable and eco-friendly - to the catering, with its emphasis on local, organic and seasonal ingredients, Chalet Mirabelle is full of thoughtful touches, with the well-being of its inhabitants and the planet in mind. But that’s not where the story ends...
Having survived the c-bomb (and the chalet build) Jacqueline pledged to give back, especially to cancer and family trauma support areas. And so she has committed to giving 2 weeks’ free stay per year at Chalet Mirabelle to charitable causes, starting with the chalet as an auction lot for @maggiescentres ‘Secret Garden Party’ this March. 
It’s been an honour to stay at @chalet_mirabelle - not only because it has provided the venue for our family’s best EVER holiday ⛷🕺🏼🌭🥂 (and we still have 2 whole days left!), but also because of what it gives back to the world, in so many senses. 
Photo: @susielowephoto 💖 SEE STORIES FOR: The 9yo’s reaction to apres ski | What kids can learn after 3 ski lessons | Ski style in the 1980s 💖
It’s been a brilliant, beautiful bluebird day up here in the French Alps above St Gervais 💙. But there’s no doubt that skiing - and especially skiing with kids - involves rather a large amount of faff. Is it worth it? YOU BETCHA! Especially if you’re staying at @chalet_mirabelle [AD - #guest], where they have genuinely thought of everything when it comes to ensuring all members of the family have the best possible skiing holiday. So for anyone who’s considering hitting the piste avec progeny, once I’m back from this snowy paradise I’ll be writing a blog post sharing my dos and don’ts of a successful family skiing holiday. Speaking of which, I’m just off for a sauna before I finish the champagne I started in the hot tub earlier 🥂. The kids? Oh they’re playing with the mountains of Lego and watching Netflix in the gorgeous playroom (pic to follow soon). Haven’t seen them for hours 🙌🏻. OVER ON STORIES: Me making an apres ski tit of myself as per 🕺🏼 | Lunch with a view | The 6yo ready to ski | Sauna @chalet_mirabelle
❄️ #skiingwithkids #bluebird #stgervais #ihavethisthingwithpink #ontopoftheworld #thepinkhouse #pinkhouseliving
Life’s pretty full on right now and I have a sneaking suspicion I may have taken on too much (ground floor renovation and wall knock-through; bathroom extension building; kids bedrooms renovation; blog relaunch; book launch; kids to keep alive; Pink House Husband to entertain...etc). But I refuse to be beaten. And I refuse to be one of those constantly busy people who are always rushing around saying how busy they are (I have been guilty of this on a number of occasions). Because, as The Beatles remind us, life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans. So to ensure I enjoy the life I’m living right now, as well as the life I’m planning for, I’m currently doing the following things:
* Listening to my favourite musical soundtracks (today was West Side Story and Crazy For You)
* Dancing to said musical soundtracks in the kitchen and imagining I’m on a West End stage until someone shouts they can smell burnt fish fingers
* Buying and appreciating lots of pink tulips (see Stories for the most amazing pink-and-yellow beauties)
* Gazed at these glazed breakfast bar tiles (@bertandmay Siham tiles) which are just the perfect shade of pink and one of my favourite parts of The Pink House
* Lapping up (not literally 😳) the hilarious memes involving #fyrefestival ‘s ‘take one for the team’ boss Andy King (see Stories) 🍆
What about you? What’s giving you life this week? 
#cheatingonfashionwithfurniture #pinkhouseliving
This where I’ll be having breakfast on Sunday morning 🥐. And for the next 6 mornings after that 🥐🥐🥐🥐🥐🥐. Except the view from the beautiful @chalet_mirabelle doesn’t look like this right now. Because the mountains around St Gervais in the French Alps are COVERED IN SNOW! ⛷☃️ Yup - me and the Pink House Husband are taking the kids skiing for the very first time, and we couldn’t be staying in a more beautiful, or more family-friendly place 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦✅. If you’ve ever thought about taking your kids skiing but were worried it would all end in tears (yup 🙋🏼‍♀️), Chalet Mirabelle could very well be the answer. I’ll be reporting from the slopes, sofa and sauna next week (I know; tough job) so you can see how we get on ⛷🛋😅
FULL DISCLAIMER: My family and I will be staying at Chalet Mirabelle as Jacqueline’s guests. Jacqueline followed me on Instagram and asked if I would be interested in staying in her brand new chalet in return for Instagram coverage and a blog post, as she thought you, my style-savvy Pink House Guests, would appreciate the place (spoiler: it’s completely gorgeous.) Even better, when Jacqueline was looking for an interiors photographer to photograph her beautiful new chalet she decided to ask The Pink House’s very own @susielowephoto out to the Chalet in the summer, so I have Susie’s beautiful interior shots to share with you, which will be interspersed by some snowy scenes when we actually arrive. I’m so excited I might cry; though it’s been 11 years since I last went skiing so let’s hope the crying isn’t as a result of a downhill race against PHH that goes badly wrong... #guest

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