An extension provided Becky Shepherd with enough room to create a brand-new bedroom, which she has decorated with luxe touches and decadent details. Here, she shares the story of her makeover...
My experience...
We knew how much work was required when we viewed this house. However, that didn’t put us off and shortly after moving in, we started planning the two-storey extension, which was to include our new bedroom. I knew I wanted a luxurious, hotel-chic feel for the space – somewhere we could really relax in.
After doing a bit of research, I decided that a darker colour scheme would fit the bill and create a sumptuous feel. I opted for a deep blue for all the walls and teamed it with a paler carpet to keep it bright.
Welcome to my home...
A bit about me I’m Becky, 36, and I’m an auditor. I live in a four-bed house in St Albans with my husband, Chris, and our children, Chloe, six, and Alex, four, and our cats, Apple and Mac.
My problem bedroom Our old bedroom had peeling woodchip wallpaper on the ceiling and walls, crunchy brown carpet, an entire wall of orange wood wardrobes and crumbling single-glazed windows. The dated décor was an eyesore! The house needed a lot of TLC, but we could see the potential.
The next job on the list was dressing the large window to keep out the early morning sunlight. I called in so many fabric samples for the curtains, but the price of making them up, plus the fabric cost, put me off.
It was only by pure chance – while I was ordering clothes online at H&M – that I came across some gorgeous velvet curtains. I even ordered an extra pack to cover my old headboard.
Chris and his dad then got busy building a PAX wardrobe from IKEA, which fits snugly at one end of the room. I also loved the idea of having ceiling pendants as bedside lighting, so we ordered a pair of concrete shades from Pooky.
A bit more about my home...
How I made it work We just didn’t have enough rooms for our growing family so we decided to build a two-storey extension to include our brand-new bedroom, which meant we could start from scratch. We remodelled our whole house and gave the existing bedrooms to our children and designed a new bedroom for us.
My favourite part I’m so delighted how we’ve managed to revamp our old bed. It was so boring before but now, with a newly upholstered headboard and gorgeous new bedding, it’s the star of the show!
For extra storage I also introduced wooden furniture with chevron details. Echoing the curtain fabric, I finished off the room by adding accent colours in coral and turquoise to soften the look. It’s just so tranquil in here now. It’s nicer than any hotel room I’ve stayed in.
My style advice
Make it your own
Becky has always lusted after a dressing table but wanted to incorporate a contemporary style to her must-have piece. ‘I loved the chevron inlay detailing in this table and also the brass handles,’ she explains.
‘I paired it with a large round mirror and wall light with brass accents.’ The stand-out feature makes perfect use of the space, with the added mirror bouncing light around the room.
Colour co-ordinate
The large window was given a makeover with some soft velvet curtains featuring a tropical print from H&M Home, which ties in perfectly with the rich blue-painted walls.
A dark teal velvet blind from Blinds2go has a blackout lining, keeping the early morning sunlight at bay.
‘Choosing luxurious fabrics like velvet was important to create the hotel-chic feel,’ Becky explains. She then picked out the coral, pink and turquoise shades of the fabric with accessories around the room.
Mix up materials
‘Different materials can really enhance a room, and I love the warmth and look of wood,’ says Becky, who chose oak bedside tables with a chevron inlay to store her bedtime reading.
Having plenty of storage also means Becky can easily keep her bedroom looking tidy and organised.
‘We ordered this pair of tables from Wayfair as they have such a huge range and they match the dressing table.’
Shop the look
Walls in Hicks Blue absolute matt emulsion, £47 for 2.5L, Little Greene. For similar curtains, try the Layne velvet curtain, from £78, Anthropologie. For a similar mirror, try the Katun brass mirror, £25; for a similar cushion, try the Dutch Glam fringed cushion, £14, both Argos. Keltner bedside table, £164.99, Wayfair. Annie double duvet cover set, £49, MADE.com. Blossom Pink low stool, £59, Cult Furniture. Soprano pendant lights, £63 each, Pooky. Plush velvet Roman blind in Teal, from £28.95, Blinds2go. Navy velour cushion, £10, Wilko. V&A Everlasting Bloom throw, £91, Oldrids & Downtown. MOALIE woollen throw, £45; FLÅDIS seagrass basket, £13; PEPPARKORN vase, £6; FEJKA artificial eucalyptus plant, £7; FEJKA artificial string of hearts plant, £9; PAX TYSSEDAL wardrobe, £605, all IKEA. Mantel Echo clock, £30, Newgate. Elaina brass wall light, £19.90, Lights.co.uk. Green glass candle pot, £7.99; pink glass candle jar, £3.99; geo small frame, £5.99, HomeSense. Mikado poster, £12.95; Abstract Sunset poster, £8.95, both Desenio. Lynx velvet bolster cushion, £60, Emma J Shipley. Brass wardrobe door handles, £9.96 each, The Handle Studio.
This is a digital version of a feature that originally appeared in Home Style magazine. For more inspirational home ideas, why not subscribe today?
