Eager to update her bland and boring spare room, Charlotte Brett introduced bold colours, playful patterns and luxe details to create a five-star space.
Here, she tells us all about her bedroom makeover...
My bedroom makeover
We often have family or friends coming to stay with us, and I wanted to invite them into a space that felt cosy and luxurious.
So, with the help of my interior designer friend, Lou Wolfenden, I picked out the things I didn’t like about our spare room – like the mismatched furniture and lack of style – as well as the things I did like, such as the grey carpet, pale blue walls and matching pieces of art by Louise McNaught.
As the wall colour wasn’t going to change, Lou suggested creating a big statement with bold curtains.
Welcome to my home...
A bit about me I’m Charlotte Brett, a freelance writer at the-sharpener.co.uk. I live with my husband, Paul, and our three girls, Maya, eight, Aurelia, six, and Thea, four, plus our puppy, Ralph.
My problem bedroom The spare room was part of our big renovation works five years ago, and at the time we were under pressure to get the work finished, so we simply decorated it in neutral colours, used spare furniture to fill it and added a huge crystal drop light for a wow factor. The result was a confused, uninviting room – think Dynasty meets IKEA!
She found an incredible graffiti-style fabric from Timorous Beasties – which ties in with the other artwork round our home – for the framework above the window and it quickly became the showstopping piece of the room.
The bright tones inspired the rest of the colour palette and we worked a lot of pinks, oranges and teals into the space.
A bit more about my home...
How I made it work I asked my interior designer friend, Lou Wolfenden, for advice on how to add style without completely redecorating. She suggested splashing out on bold curtains to create a focal point, as well as adding plush textures and elegant accessories to ramp up the luxe factor. We also upgraded a few key pieces, such as the bed, but reused the bedside tables and artwork to save money.
My favourite part The curtains really add a unique wow factor to the room. I absolutely love them – everyone does, even if they’re not into graffiti. I also love the matching handmade cushions – the attention to detail really gives it a boutique hotel feel.
We replaced the crystal chandelier for a more on-trend pendant light that worked much better with the contemporary scheme, and painted the woodwork in a contrasting blue to add extra interest.
As we had splashed out on bespoke curtains and cushions, I bought the rest of the items from the high street or online. The neon sign above the bed was a great online buy and – together with the graffiti fabric – gives the room a cool, funky vibe that you often find in boutique hotels.
Now, when visitors see the room, they’re wowed by the space, which is just the reaction I was after.
Style advice
Take inspiration from luxury hotel rooms
Add some special touches that you would usually see in a luxury hotel room, such as a long mirror, a vase of flowers and a separate sitting area, and you’ll win extra brownie points with your guests.
‘I also like to add jars of sweets as a fun touch,’ says Charlotte. The brass clothes rail is a stylish addition, but it’s also a practical solution when there isn’t space for a wardrobe.
Choose bold decor in spare bedrooms
As your spare room may not be used every day, you can be a little braver with the décor and experiment with a mix of colours and patterns you feel less confident with using in other rooms in your home.
Avoid the look being OTT by picking accessories that have common colours running through them for a scheme that ties together, like the teal and orange tones used in Charlotte’s room.
Ask for design advice
‘Asking our interior designer friend, Lou, for suggestions helped us to maximise the potential of our spare room when we couldn’t get it right. I would never have chosen that curtain fabric myself, and it wouldn’t have crossed my mind to paint the woodwork, but it all works so well together,’ says Charlotte.
‘We ended up mixing old and new furniture, but everything that’s there feels like it has a place; it’s not just thrown together.’
Shop the look
Window framework in Graffiti Stripe velvet fabric, £160 per m, Timorous Beasties. Roscoe king-size bed, £499, MADE.com. For a similar table, try the Enzo Cage coffee table, £99, Dunelm. For a similar table lamp, try the Caelan table lamp by där lighting group, £86.49, Lights 2 Go. Grey velvet ottoman, £149.99, HomeSense. For a similar throw, try the Burnt Orange quilted geometric velvet bedspread, £37.99, Homescapes. Bespoke neon light, £180, Nailed It! by Holly. For a similar rug, try the STOCKHOLM 2017 rug, £165, IKEA.
This is a digital version of a feature that originally appeared in Your Home magazine. For more inspirational home ideas, why not subscribe today?