A Colourful Bedroom Makeover

Disclosure: I received a set of Tetbury bedding from Bluebellgrey and paint from Farrow and Ball to style this colourful bedroom makeover.

Amazing how quickly the summer has passed. It seems that no sooner as the first snowdrops appear — and we joyfully wave goodbye to the cold and grey — that we we have the longest day, the nights begin to draw in and, in the blink of an eye, autumn is here again. I’ve done a colourful bedroom makeover to keep my spirits up during

It’s so unfair. The dark days always long outstay their welcome — but spring and summer seem to fly by.

My sure-fire antidote to this is to fill my eyes with as much colour as I can during the summer months.

I think this is one of the reasons I love festivals so much.

They provide so much colour and entertainment; a feast for the senses, that create colourful memories to last long after the summer has passed.

But although I’m a huge fan of colour — and my wardrobe choices reflect that — our home has always been a little more ‘muted’ (for want of a better word).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for bright accessories but these have generally been tempered by a pale background.

Until last year, when I bucked the habit of a lifetime and — on a whim — painted the walls of our snug in the darkest charcoal grey.

I loved  the effect it had on the rest of the room; the furniture and accessories totally came to life by putting such a dark colour against them.

In fact, I was so thrilled with how it turned out and decided to take the plunge and give our bedroom the same treatment.

It was definitely not the most inspiring room; pale grey and white walls with dark wooden bedside tables and black lamps. White (or grey) bedlinen — with a token coloured cushion or throw.

You can pop and have a look at how it used to look here and here.

So after a couple of weeks of hot debate — and a mini Instagram poll — I decided to paint the back wall in the darkest, inkiest blue I could find. I went for Stiffkey Blue from Farrow and Ball in the end. The bottom swatch on the picture below.

A colourful bedroom makeover | Farrow and Ball swatches on on the wall
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

But this then led to a conundrum about the bedside tables and lamps — they practically disappeared into the dark walls — so I went on the hunt for the perfect replacement.

I chose new ones from Feather and Black. Their Radley bedside tables were perfect.

The fresh white really pings out against the blue of the wall and they are such a lovely size. Compact and beautifully sturdy, with a drawer to stow away all the junk and a little shelf underneath for books and magazines.

Our old black lamps got their marching orders too. These were replaced with Blyton Table Lamps. Possibly the loveliest lighting I’ve come across in a long time. A sturdy wooden base with a putty coloured metal shade, suspended by a vintage looking flex. They’re a really unusual shape — blurring the boundaries between traditional and modern; they’d fit any setting.

A colourful bedroom makeover | Stiffkey blue walls and bright bedlinen
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
A colourful bedroom makeover | Blyton Lamp from Feather and Black
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
A colourful bedroom makeover | Radley bedside table
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
A colourful bedroom makeover | Autumn flowers
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
A colourful bedroom makeover
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
A colourful bedroom makeover | My bedside table
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

Summer Colour All Year Round

I’ve never been keen on coloured bedlinen; like the walls I’ve always preferred white (and on the odd occasion grey). But feeling inspired by my inky blue backdrop, I found the  most beautiful bedlinen from bluebellgray.

Strewn with watercolour florals, the Tetbury Meadow design is perfect for bringing summer colour into the bedroom all year round.

A colourful bedroom makeover " Navy walls and bright bedlinen from bluebellgray
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
A colourful bedroom makeover | Tetbury Meadow bedding from bluebellgray
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
A colourful bedroom makeover
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

I added chevron striped cushions — again from Feather and Black —and strung a paper garland across the back wall to add a little more colour to the mix.

It was actually a Christmas decoration that I bought, last year, to dress my alternative Christmas tree but ended up not using.

It’s such a simple thing; tiny colourful paper discs — sewn onto a cotton thread — but it looks amazing against the blue.

Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
A colourful bedroom makeover
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

Vibrant Colour and New Energy

It’s nothing short of amazing how different the room feels.

I never particularly liked it before, if I’m honest. It was just the room that we slept in.

These days I definitely find myself wanting to spend a bit more time in there; instead of feeling bland and a bit unloved, it’s such a lovely space to go and relax.

Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

It’s got a new energy. And that might sound a bit hocus-pocus (I’m not a believer in things like Feng Shui) but it really, really has a different vibe.

I think colour is one of the biggest mood enhancers; get it wrong and it can zap your energy. Get it right and it can lift your spirits; and make you feel vibrant as the shades that surround you.

So whilst my colourful bedroom makeover may not be to everyone’s taste — it’s definitely ours.

(And our furry-faced lodgers too.)

Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
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Caro Davies is a former art-director turned writer and content-creator, and editor behind UK lifestyle blog The Listed Home. She writes about home-related topics, from interiors and DIY to food and craft. The Listed Home has been featured in various publications, including Ideal Home, Grazia, and Homes & Antiques magazines.

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