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I was delighted when the new owners of this beautiful Victorian property approached me to help them pull together the design for their master bedroom and ensuite. They had already chosen a beautiful Nina Campbell wallpaper from Dickinsons and wanted guidance on colour schemes and a number of aspects so that the rooms flowed well.

 

I suggested they continue their idea of panelling the bathroom through to the bedroom to bring the rooms together. Colour matching of the panelling to the wallpaper above, as well as the ceilings and wall beyond the picture rail was an intrinsic part of this project succeeding. The bathroom has an easterly aspect so the clients didn't want it to seem too dark later in the day and after careful consideration they opted for a lighter colour; Little Greene’s Portland Stone, for the panelling.  I then suggested they use the Portland Stone Pale above the picture rail and onto the ceiling, in both rooms while maintaining the picture rail, ceiling rose and coving white, to stand out elegantly. Photoshop was used to discuss how each idea might appear.

 

For the bedroom, I recommended the panelling continue but in Farrow and Ball’s Oval Room Blue to complement the background colour of the wall paper. It creates a darker and more dramatic look overall, almost akin to the style of Abigail Ahern, which “knocks back” excessive detail from the eye thus allowing the gold and opulent finishing touches to be more apparent. The bedroom is South facing, so in my opinion light was not a problem. Instead of removing an existing wardrobe I again applied the visual “knocking back” ideas of Abigail Ahern so that it blended in with the walls overall.

 

When the chandelier arrived, it was far creamier than it seemed online, so little persuasion was needed to send it back for a replacement. The second version (which was also put into the bathroom) was an absolute triumph in that it completely echoed the paintwork on the wallpaper. These types of finishing touches can completely make or break a design. I chose the lampshades to match the texture of their bedspread and they offset the gold bedside tables splendidly.

 

Much of this project was self-managed, but my advice and opinion was frequently sought on numerous aspects, including colours, wallpaper, flooring, shower tray and marble plus tiling methods and soft furnishings. Now that the carpets are down and the curtains are up it looks truly grand and edgy.