Bedroom Makeover: Before and After
A full transformation that started with an abstract concept and evolved into a moody, luxurious retreat.
Totally abstract concepts as design inspiration are my favourite starting points - I’m an abstract artist after all! This approach to design usually means a client knows exactly how they want to feel in a space but they have no idea how to bring it to life. That's where I come in!
It’s probably no surprise that I’m my favourite type of client. I’ve redone multiple rooms in my home since moving in 3 years ago - each with a more obscure starting point than the last, but the very first was my bedroom. It was uninspiring to begin with, but the lack of a real bed while in my full fledged adult years was the cherry on top of an already sad and melty ice cream sundae.
Here’s what the bedroom looked like before I bought the house:
THE INSPO: Create a space that feels like the steam from hot chocolate on your cheeks after a walk on a cold winter's day.
Immediately what came to mind were moody and classic warm tones. This space already had a great black and white wool Moroccan inspired rug and a lonely (single) whimsy looking nightstand that could easily be incorporated in to the space.
DESIGNER IN THE KNOW ALERT: With heavy black accents reaching the end of their 8 year trend cycle and beige neutral everything kicking off the latest in neutral trends, it was extra important that I put a fresh spin on these overdone and typically boring and predictable default colour choices.
This bedroom is really large so it needed a strong focal point to anchor the room. A soft black was chosen as an accent wall (something I won’t typically recommend, but there’s exceptions to everything!) to link with the rug and ground the heavy style of bed I selected.
The rest of the walls were painted a delicious creamy tone that looks fantastic in all lighting throughout the day.
Most windows look unfinished without layering on curtains, so creamy wispy panels were chosen to closely match the main paint colour to create a subtle, luxurious and layered look.
The bed, a beautiful chocolate brown leather-like fabric was the perfect ode to the sweetness of hot chocolate swirling in your throat. The rounded edges soften the strong presence of the bed frame and dark accent wall.
I'm a sucker for asymmetry and with a boxy but feminine statement nightstand on my side, I chose a rounded, textured nightstand for my partner’s side. Since there’s a tall, built in dresser to the left of the bed, I didn’t want to overwhelm the space with too much furniture lining the wall.
I intentionally chose to duplicate the tone on tone look of the sandy curtains and main wall colour by choosing a dark colour for the nightstand that blends with the accent wall, calling the viewer to look closely at the subtleties of the space.
Crisp white bedding and a light grey linen duvet cover adds contrast and links with the tones of the black and cream paint colours.
And of course, no room's complete without art! Since neutrals LOVE colour, the trio above the bed were created specifically for this space. Using black frames that blend with the wall colour but have large white mats really make the art pop.
Pink blankets and a patterned pillow topped it all off!
Here’s where I started, a few months after moving in:
And here’s what I get to enjoy now:
If you’ve been living in an unfinished space for months (or more!) and aren’t sure where to start and are too busy to figure it out on your own, my room refresh and total transformation packages will help. Check them out.
Or, get my free guide for some inspiration.
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