The master bedroom in our little Victorian terrace needed more than a little love when we moved in. We took on the project determined to do every piece of work ourselves, from repairing and painting the original floorboards to reinstating imitation Victorian coving and a ceiling rose. It was a long, hard project but transformed the space from Just Somewhere We Slept to our Dream Bedroom – we love little more than languishing in here on a weekend morning, coffee in hand, cat on bed. It’s our paradise.
The Bed
The rattan bed from Made.com was a higher ticket item, but also the literal and figurative centrepiece for the room. The rest of the design and styling choices just fell into place once we’d found it – even the colour scheme was based on the beautiful tones in the natural material.
While we’ve gone green on green with the bedding and walls currently, I’ve got my eye on a ochre-and-baby-pink set for the spring…
The Bedside Tables
Our house is a lot smaller than the last place I lived, which has made me realise how much of my furniture was bigger than it needed to be. And how that, in turn, was making the rooms feel smaller than they really were.
This was really evident with our old bedside tables. They were huge compared to these neat bijoux ones from La Redoute. Switching to the smaller tables has freed up some crucial inches either side of the bed, allowing for more breathing room between the door and the chest of drawers in the corner. And the compromise? We can’t fit quite as much of the usual rubbish that builds up in your bedside table drawers – hardly a crushing sacrifice!
The Light & Mantlepiece
I know, you’ve seen this rattan ceiling light everywhere on Instagram. It’s the interiors influencer’s Zara Dress – the Macy’s carrier bag of the IKEA showroom. Believe me, I’ve considered this. I’ve decided I don’t care.
I love this light. I love the subtle curve in the lines, I love the contrast between the grand silhouette and the organic material, I love the mad shadows it casts on the ceiling like a spirograph.
The Door
I really, really hate clutter. I have as many storage boxes as an Office Depot, because I can’t stand things not having a place. But what’s turned out to be one of my most valuable anti-clutter devices has surprised me – hooks. Hooks on the back of every door. Hang bags, jackets, totes, towels – things that you need to hand but don’t have anywhere to live. They’re easy to ignore when the door is open but if you choose stylish ones, don’t look unsightly when it’s closed. Perfect.
The Desk
While we work on redecorating our home office, this corner of my bedroom is where I work. It’s far from ideal – working and sleeping in the same space is bad for our health. But it works for now, thanks in large part to this Made.com set-up – a massive desk with tons of storage, a good light for gloomy evenings, and a comfy office chair that doesn’t look…ergonomic.
There we have it – everything we’ve chosen, collected and curated in our little bedroom. It’s no boutique hotel, but we’ve designed it thoughtfully, starting with how we want to exist in our space, and working backwards to furnish it.
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