Laura Crichton, from the blog Edinburgh Life With Kids, lives with her husband and their three children in a new-build house in Edinburgh. She asked The Pink House for help with re-designing her bedroom...
Laura says:
We moved into this house six years ago. Since then I've hardly had any time to do it up, but now I'm ready to get on and make some changes. I've made the first move in redecorating my bedroom by painting the walls Farrow & Ball Dove Tale - a lovely soft grey - and now I'm looking for inspiration for the rest of the room. I need to keep to a relatively tight budget, so the built-in wardrobes will have to stay, as will the baby, who is currently sharing my room! But I'm not particularly attached to either the cushion or the throw. The blue curtains and lamps were here when we arrived - I don't mind the curtains, but the pendant lampshade is disgusting. Style-wise, I'm trying to go with the new-build flow, and keep the decor quite modern - I'm thinking a backdrop of sensible with pops of colour here and there - can you help?
The Pink House editor Emily says:
Hi Laura! Happy to help. Now, I don’t know exactly what sort of budget you’re working with, but I thought I’d give you my first thoughts on what you could do with your room, while keeping costs down...
Farrow & Ball French Grey on skirtings, shutters and walls
PAINT: I would take a paintbrush to both the radiator and the built-in cupboard doors. For the radiator, I’d suggest painting it the same Dove Tale grey so it disappears; currently it’s rather a feature of the room and I’m sure that’s not what you want. For the cupboard doors, you could either a) paint them white, which would look smart and go much better with walls than the orangey wood, or b) paint them - and the door frame and all your skirting - in Dove Tale, which would probably be my preference. Painting everything the same colour (except the ceiling - keep that white for brightness) is a relatively quick and inexpensive way to make a room feel instantly more sophisticated (see pic). It also makes a smaller room feel bigger.
Chinese Garden quilt by Pip Studio at Daisy Park
THE BED: As this takes up much of the room it’s important to get it right. If you keep the rest of the room neutral, you could go for one big colour pop by investing in a quilt or blanket that covers the whole bed. That way you avoid the potential messiness of cushions and throws and keep it simple. This Chinese Garden quilt by Pip Studio at Daisy Park (pictured) is lovely and bright, or try Anthropologie, Zara Home and Amara for fab, on-trend fabrics. If you do go down the cushion/throw route, I’d suggest something brighter, and a mix of patterns. It also tends to look good if you have two of each cushion - maybe two big plain cushions, and two smaller patterned cushions, or vice versa. Or mix a big pattern and a smaller pattern in a similar colour way. Velvet cushions are also nice on a bed; Graham & Green has a great selection (pictured), as does Made.com. I’d do the cushions first if I were you, then decide on the throw. It may be the one you have looks fine with bright cushions as it won’t fight with them. Or perhaps a contrasting coloured blanket would be nice. For a softer look, how about a linen duvet cover? The Linen Works has a gorgeous soft pink Cassis Rose set, which would look lovely with dark blue cushions or pillow cases. Pale pink would work with the grey walls too. Then maybe you could add a couple of Ikat yellow silk cushions as well; I have one myself from Jessica Buckley Interiors - they’re beautiful and v reasonably priced.
A masterclass in cushions by Jessica Buckley Interiors/Photo: Douglas Gibb
THE LIGHTS: If I were you I’d go for a small, pretty chandelier as the central light. That will glam up the room and add a bit of softness as well. Try John Lewis. And then the table lamp - you’d be amazed by the transformative effect of a lovely coloured lampshade. Pooky has a wide range of patterned and plain, and again, Graham & Green is a good source of shades too.
CURTAINS: The ones you have are a nice bold colour and go perfectly well with the grey, so no need to replace if it’s an expense too far - good curtains are NOT cheap. Choosing cushions/bedlinen/art that go with the curtains will prevent you from incurring this expense. If you did want to invest in new curtains, I’d get a proper pleated version that hides the rail. And maybe choose a heavier fabric to give the room warmth and make it feel extra classy. A darker blue could work well. Or even a velvet. I have these moss-green Designers Guild velvet curtains in my bedroom and I love them (see pic).
Monika Forsberg's funky Kew print
ART: Finally, how about some punchy art above the bed? This doesn’t have to cost a lot - there are so many fab inexpensive prints out there. I'm a big fan of London-based Monika Forsberg and her bright prints that fit perfectly into Ikea Ribba frames. Or what about Grafomap, who will create a work of art out of any map of your choice? If you have time to browse, notonthehighstreet.com always has loads of interesting and affordable prints.
But these are just my ideas; the most important thing is that you choose things you love. It's your bedroom after all - the baby's opinion doesn't count!
