Sometimes a simple change can make a room feel entirely different – and clever painting tricks can transform the feel of any room.
For Rebecca Brannen-Mills, updating the ceiling gave the whole room a warm, inviting feel.
About me
I’m Rebecca Brannen-Mills, 39, a business analyst, and I live in a four-bedroom Victorian terraced house in Sunderland with my husband Ollie, 42, who works in finance, and our children Lola, five, and Remy, two. You can follow my home journey on Instagram @mynortheastterrace.
My problem bedroom
I really liked the size, and the lovely light that comes through the bay window, as well as the built-in wardrobes that already mirrored the panelling around the window. However, it had a grey chimney breast, which made it feel dark, and the ceiling was covered in Artex.
How I made it work
Luckily, we didn’t have to go back to brick, so we’ve given it some drama with a pink ceiling, pops of pale blue, new panelling behind the bed and brass fittings. I’ve also enjoyed finding new furniture to suit the boutique-hotel look I was after. To add softness against the painted floorboards, we opted for a large rug and lots of plants.
My favourite part It has to be the pink ceiling! I really like the warm feeling it creates. After getting about 10 paint testers, I’m really happy with the colour we picked.
After we had our first child, Lola, we relocated from Bournemouth to the North East and bought a period property near the beach in Sunderland. I loved our big, light-filled bedroom at the front, but was keen to get rid of the dark-grey feature wall and give it a boutique-hotel makeover.
My starting point was the painted ceiling and, luckily, when I floated the idea to Ollie, he was quite keen as well. First, though, we had to get a plasterer to skim over the Artex. Then Ollie did the painting, as I was pregnant with our second child, Remy. He also installed moulding on the headboard wall, to mirror the wardrobe opposite.
Once the pink was decided on, the rest of the palette came together easily. At the time, we were planning our pale-blue kitchen and wanted to link the colours in the house, so we incorporated other pops of blue with cushions and the bedside drawers.
The floor was already painted off-grey, but we’ve used a creamy white to brighten it up, and we painted the walls off-white. I didn’t want to fill the space with too much furniture, but we did decide to upgrade to a super-king bed.
Then we turned our attention to the bay window. There were only blinds before, and the light would stream in from 5am during summer. When Remy came along, we needed it pitch-black, so we opted for a bespoke track and curtains to fit inside the bay. It’s made a huge difference, and is much better than putting up makeshift black panels in the windows every night like we used to! There’s plenty of space for my new dressing table, too.
Looking back, I wish we’d had the floors properly sanded, and finished with a limewash stain. We should have done this when we got the floors sanded downstairs, but I wouldn’t bother now as it would be too messy. The whole reno took about a month and, although I’d still like to add more pictures and plants, we couldn’t be happier with how it’s turned out.
Style advice
Three simple tricks to try in your own home!
1. Create cohesion with other rooms
Rebecca’s bedside tables were previously white, so she painted them in the same blue as her kitchen units to tie the upstairs and downstairs together, and changed up the handles, too. Brass light fittings are another thread that runs throughout the house.
‘The first wall lights we ordered looked a bit too cheap, but I’m much happier with these ones from Lampsy. We also took the opportunity to splash out on high-end plug sockets and light switches to finish things off,’ says Rebecca.
2. Take your time sourcing furniture
Having previously had a wooden sideboard in the bay window as a temporary measure, Rebecca found the perfect dressing table in Barker and Stonehouse, adding the unique touch she was looking for.
‘I love the shape, as well as the warm neutral colour that ties in with the headboard and curtains,’ she says. The stool was sourced later on. ‘We had a pink one with metal hairpin legs before, but it never looked quite right. When I eventually found this blue one in Dunelm’s sale, it was perfect and worth waiting for.’
3. Choose one hero feature
Rebecca had seen a picture on Instagram of a painted ceiling and knew she wanted to recreate the look. ‘I chose pink, as it has impact while still retaining a light feel. We contemplated having pink in the front room, so we already had a lot of pink testers.
'Stick-on samples from Lick made it much easier to try on the ceiling, and the coverage is great. A pink ceiling isn’t for everyone, but I’m so happy with how it’s turned out.’
My shopping list
Walls in Johnsons Trade acrylic durable matt (colour-matched to Farrow & Ball’s All White), £33.91 for 2.5L, The Paint Shed. Ceiling in Pink 03, £45 for 2.5L, Lick. Floorboards in My Colour luxurious durable matt in New Chalk, £30 for 2.5L, Johnsons. Curtains in Devonshire Stone fabric, £472, 247 Curtains. Aubrey super-king bed, £1,499, Feather & Black. For similar drawers, try Paris Antique French style chest of drawers, £529.99, Homes Direct 365. For similar side table try the Samara side table, £70, Habitat. For similar bedside table try the Scandinavia 3-drawer bedside table, £65, Argos; painted in dead flat in Lulworth Blue, £79 for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball. For similar knobs, try Raw Brass Bauhaus hexagonal knobs, £7.99 each, Dowsing & Reynolds. Searle swirled T-bar handles, from £21.95, Plank Hardware. Lucia dressing table, £689, Barker and Stonehouse. For similar ottoman, try Pittston Cambridge round storage ottoman, £85.99, Wayfair. For similar mirror try the Thiago mirror in Champagne, from £150; for similar bedspread try Boutique Hotel velvet stitch quilted bedspread in Rosa, £195, both John Lewis. For similar cushions, try Tassa Grande Surf cushion cover, £30, The Pure Edit; Duck Egg velour cushion, £7, Dunelm. Contina swing arm wall light, £69, Lampsy. Crosley Voyager pink turntable, £100, Urban Outfitters. For similar clock, try the Bondis wall clock, £22, IKEA. Eleanor Bowmer shell vase, £25, Next.
Feature by Karen Wilson. Photography by Katie Lee
