Well, It’s the weekend, time to sit back and enjoy some down time. And for your viewing pleasure I thought we’d try a What the Wife Likes post at the weekend. So today you can see what came of my bedroom renovations…. Starting with the Before’s.
What Went…
Like the rest of you, despite having grand plans and big ideas, I’m severely limited by funds and time. I’ve rushed a few ‘house renovations’ in the past and learnt the lesson that it’s better to do it slowly than to waste money buying ‘will do’ purchases that get ditched for ‘must have’s’ further down the line. Pete and I have furnished the whole house in this way after the last flat felt like we were living in Ikea, now everything is considered carefully and if expensive, saved for hard!
A few old Ikea pieces have endured however and it was time to say goodbye…
The TV. I still haven’t decided if this is a plus or minus – I miss watching it late at night with a film or on Saturdays while Pete plays footie in the morning, but it didn’t look pretty and I certainly don’t miss Match of the Day!
The Lamp shades (and my earrings hanging off them – I now have a white gloss jewellery tree!)
The old mirror – a cheap venetian look alike which was a steal from Ikea but I wanted a massive one I could sit or stand in front of and make the focal point of the room.
The soft grey walls.
A tatty old throw on the bed (Ikea again – that shop has a lot to answer for!)
The cushions – made by my Mum from some silk I brought back from Thailand, these just show how mismatched the whole room was. It was a collection of things I loved once and some I still loved, but they didn’t go together and certainly didn’t provide a restful oasis at the end of the day!
What stayed…
Even in grand renovations, some things have to stay out of necessity or choice and my bedroom was the same. Somethings we couldn’t find a suitable replacement and to replace others would have been wasteful. So they stayed…
Ikea White high gloss wardrobes. I love the glossy finish to these and I’m constantly re-inventing the interior with the latest cool storage. They’re a good ‘off the shelf’ fit for the space but they’re wonky and I wish we could get sexy built in replacements. Thats a big expense for a house we’re not staying long in though so they stayed put.
Ikea Bedsides – More cottage than chic which was the eventual look we decided to go for, but these have proved hard to replace. Most options are super expensive and after doing everything else, it’ been a matter of having to wait a little longer. I do have my eye on some very similar to the Graham and Green mirrored ones in BHS for half the price.
Carpet… don’t get me started.
My dressing table – An absolute steal from Dunelm Mill 4 or 5 years ago when mirrored furniture just came into vogue – it became one of the focuses for our scheme, hotel glamour.
White leather coin trays from Crate and Barrel a couple of years back.
The Blinds – A neutral printed silk, they do the job and blend well so seemed unnecessary to replace.
And now for the After’s…
What We Purchased…
The Graham and Green lampshades. These were the starting point for the room – I love Wallpaper and this Osbourne and Little print is so thick it’s almost flocked on a soft white gold back pearlescent ground. It reminds me of deco glamour and palm springs circa 1930′s. Had to have them and we kept the lamp bases which were from BHS again, many years ago.
The Laura Ashley Lille Wallpaper
Plain white bedding, with a contrast grey border trim from The White Company
Cushions, also The White Company. I bought 2 throws to choose between and loved them both but could only keep one so I ended up buying both designs in the cushions for textural variation and the complimentary shades.
I love a bit of Grey which provided the depth to the mainly white scheme. This throw (The White Company again!) is soft as a feather and so bouncy it really added the luxe feel we wanted. Add to that the reversible tones in a pale mink and silvery grey that meant I could fold it to show both and it was perfect.
All the prints came from Rockett St George. The main one was chosen to provide a central focus in the room and we bought a set of six smaller ones for the hall. When they arrived, 2 were so perfectly matched to the colour scheme in the bedroom and the lamps that they were swiftly redeployed to tie the scheme together.
My most searched for item was the Mirror, I stumbled across this in Next after looking high and low for something similar. Everything I found was eye wateringly expensive and I resigned myself to a purchase of the Gatsby mirror from Laura Ashley (it had to be BIG!) with a 30% discount… then they promptly stopped the offer. This one was still half the discounted price and looks beautiful!
What I still have to buy…!
So it’s still really a bit unfinished, but if I had waited for it to be complete I think I would never have shared and I know how much I like nosing around other peoples homes so I hope you enjoyed it.
I’m still looking for the perfect new bedsides, a new light fitting – preferably a chandelier (and there’s now another 30% off in Laura Ashley for me to miss!) and that stool…
Yours Truly,
Rebecca
xoxo
Now there’s a bedroom I would find very very hard leaving of a Monday morning!
Your cat looks awfully proud too!
We’re off to Ikea today to get a few ‘facelift’ bits (and to scoff some meatballs too!)
Loving home is where the heart is
Jenny x
Imagine my confusion as I was reading this blog still a bit dozy on a sunday morning and saw pictures of my feather and black bed and ikea bedside tables. Whose been in my bedroom taking pictures? And then I realised, it’s not my house! It’s Rebecca’s. The finished result is beautiful. I love that wallpaper. Darling husband and I have considered using it in our house too!
Love it Rebecca, the wallpaper looks fab with the soft greys on your bed. The mirror looks amazing, especially compared to the TV, you’ll soon get used to not having it (do what I do when you want to cosy up with a film on Sunday morning and take the duvet with you to the living room! Almost as good!)
Also, LOVING the butterfly prints!
Bex x
P.S. So needing Ikea meatballs now too Jenny!
oooh pretty! love the wallpaper x x
Wow. Thanks for showing us your bedroom, Rebecca. It really is beautiful. In fact, it has made me want to go and straighten up mine now! Lots of inspiration for our new house. I love the lampshades…and the wallpaper…and the White Company bedding…xx
Oooh, thank you! I love having a post to read on sunday. I’m at work so it’s a treat at lunchtime! (Am 4 hours ahead of the UK…not having lunch at 10am as it may appear!)
Your bedroom looks great, I love seeing into other people’s homes. Feeling inspired to get nesting! xxx
Thanks for posting this Rebecca! Loving the transformation in look despite not changing every last thing. I would also love those bedside tables, just need to convince the boy regarding the £££! Xx
Oooooooh so pretty, I love it!
oh you should post this on the livingetc forum
They would love the way you’ve gone through your decision making process!
It’s lovely. I really like the butterfly prints.
x
Lovely Rebecca, I love the wallpaper, and the rocket st george prints, that shop is great, isn’t it!
It looks really elegant Rebecca. Particularly loving the wallpaper, those stunning butterfly prints and that White company bedding which looks so cosy.
Happy Sunday!
Rachie xo
Your comment about Ikea having a lot to answer for made me laugh so much that a bit of my coffee went uo my nose. Not cool. And so true as Martin and I did the same when we finally got round to decorating our abode.
Really really love what you’ve done with your bedroom – esp the bedding. I am such a sucker for lush bedding.
Righto, off to peruse the white company website…xoxo
I would never previously have aspired towards “white on white”, but I think this looks fantastic. What a calming place to shut yourself away from the world. Particularly love the wallpaper. And the moggy.
I too am a fan of the oversized mirror (although I find it quite taxing walking past it first thing in the morning!) Our bedroom is really non-fuss (literally all you can do in it is sleep or get dressed, no makeup, hairbrushing, nothing, all that’s for the bathroom) and I’ve always loved it that way as it’s a proper sanctuary. But this achieves much the same effect and it much more beautiful.
And I love the bed. Such a sucker for wrought iron.
lampshades make it!
Love it. We have that wallpaper too, a classic and timeless look (almost two years since it went up) .
OMG! I too have the same bedside cabinets, have had them for years and still going strong! I also have very similar bedside lamps from the white company, a black metal bedframe (another IKEA special)..AND cream carpets… almost identical BEFORE bedroom…
Loving the revamped version especially the lampshades.. was thinking of papering the wall behind my bed this… http://www.cole-and-son.com/collection_detail.asp?collectionid=13 what do you think ladies?
Oh, liking the trees Marlene!
Hi Marlene (and everybody – thanks for the lovely comments ladies!)
Did you mean the trees Marlene? – they’re very contemporary – I’ve seen them in lots of fancy places so you must have good taste!
I wanted the Fioretti taupe coloured paper in our last flat but didn’t have the funds at the time. I have used Cole and Son for the RMW office though… you’ll have to wait to see that!
xoxo
Love love love those prints. And of course the new lampshades, how glam!
Ah only this week I put the same wallpaper in my hallway. looks fabulous, Such a beautiful change x
Thanks Bex.
Rebecca, yes, the trees, have been lusting over that wallpaper forever and have considered it for most rooms in our house… May have to bite the bullet
Love Cole and Son too. Already have their Grove Garden wallpaper in black in my hallway J. Also have a penchant for their cow parsley too…x
PS: can’t wait to see what wallpaper you chose for the RMW office!
How I wish my Boy liked wallpaper. He however hates it. Boo. If I had my way our place would look positively Victorian. So, he might have a point.
Before the wedding planning took over my life I used to live in interior decorating magazines, can’t wait for that time again. Next year, once we’re back from honeymoon, we begin making the house a place for grown ups!
Kitchen (my favourite room) bathroom and our bedroom. Hugely excited and determined not to go to Ikea (who am I kidding!)
Brilliant post Rebecca! And on a Sunday, what a treat!
Hols
x
What a Sunday evening treat this post is!
I love your bedroom and just wish mine was such a calm sanctuary I could hide away in.
I will just have to make do in my blue and white theme bedroom, which has minimal furniture and piles of stuff everywhere. One day I will have a sleek and sophisticated room like yours Rebecca!
xxx
Lovely Sunday post… I have the Next mirror – it’s great. And I think white bed linen is perfection.
Sooooo pretty!! I now want to strip my whole bedroom and start over again!! Loving the stripy wallpaper and I ADORE the white company!! Sadly due to the H2B being a rugby playing engineer, white bedlinen never stays pristine for long.Sob. xx
Looks great, loving the grey and the mirrored furniture.
The rooms in our house resembles a picture out of an Ikea catalogue. Once the wedding is out of the way it’s House and Home magazines all the way!
Gosh Rebecca, this is a bit freaky…my bedroom is uncannily similar!!! Very good taste!!
must.stop.looking.at.wallpaper!!
Lovely post to come back to on a monday morning, like lots of others, once the wedding is out of the way, its going to be house-tastic down our way!
r.now x x x
Thanks for sharing your renovations with us Rebecca! The bedroom looks lovely. We did the same with buying lots of Ikea type stuff when we were renting a flat and now we’ve bought our own house we’re having to (very) slowly replace items with good quality and matching ones!
Loving this type of what the wife likes, keep them coming! Soon I will feel guilty enough into getting another room done in our house!
Ahhh your bedroom looks super good! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the wallpaper!!
How was the meet up on Friday – I hope it went well – was so sad to miss it!
Julia xxx
Hi
Do you mind telling me where you got the frames from for the smaller butterfly prints?
I’ve got the exact same prints and have been looking for something like them for an age!
Loving your bedroom.
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Fabulous Rebecca! Sooo pretty!
A quick question though, where is your black bedframe from?? I am in love with it! xx