Guest Bedroom Refresh – From Boring to Boutique Hotel

My guest bedroom had been painted duck egg blue since we moved in 14yrs ago, it was looking tired and worn and desperately needed a refresh. I first repainted the walls in Dulux Heritage Raw Cashmere and the woodwork in Dulux Heritage Flax Seed. This neutralised the room beautifully and gave me a blank canvas to work with. The room needed a wow factor, and fortuitously Photowall.co.uk got in touch and asked if I would like to try one of their wall murals. I took a look at their website and was amazed at the selection, so jumped at the chance!

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Mural wall

I chose the Martin Bergstrom Cicuta from Photowall Sweden. I was inspired by the dried flowers in the hedgerows around me and loved all the natural tones. As you can see above, the addition of a mural transforms a room.

The murals come from Sweden in a matter of days and are printed to order to fit your wall. They come with full instructions, and you can order a pack with everything you need to put the mural up. I painted the wall black before putting up the mural to ensure the seams don’t show. I found the mural easy to hang; you paste the wall not the paper and start on the left and work to the right. Once the mural was up I painted the skirting board black to continue the look to the floor.

Fireplace

On the opposite side of the room there was a chimney breast which would have originally had an open fireplace – all the other bedrooms have one. I wanted to reinstate the fireplace but opening up the wall would have been difficult and expensive. So instead I bought a cast iron fireplace surround, removed the back plate and attached it to the wall. I then painted the area behind the grate black, put pinecones and fairylights in the basket and it looks authentic. I added a Zara Home (now sold out) over mantle mirror, and the look was complete.

DIY Art

Art can be very expensive so I decided to make my own. I bought four inexpensive frames with mounts, HERE are the ones I used. I stuck black card to the back board and arranged dried flowers in the centre of of the card. Each arrangement is different but similar. Hung together they have quite an impact and look expensive. I continued the theme of dried flowers by placing arrangements around the room in vases. Dried flowers last for years and need no attention.

Bedside Tables

I decided to keep the original bed as I like the traditional style. I wanted the side tables to complement the wall mural and decided on black wood with cane inserts continuing the natural look. I found some bargain ones in B&M for £30 each, click HERE, but they had unvarnished wood and a cheap handle. With a quick coat of clear satin varnish and a new knob they looked much better. I’ve found some similar ones in Dunelm which are already varnished, click HERE to see.

Bedding and Curtains

As the mural is such a significant feature I went for plain bedding and curtains so not to detract from it, and give the room a classy feel.

I chose a cotton material for the curtains from The Millshop online in almost the same colour as the walls – Raw casmere by Dulux Heritage. The Olive Tree Stitchery made the pinch pleat interlined curtains and covered the pelmet for me. I then added voile panels behind the curtains to create a layered look. I found some beautiful brass holdbacks on ETSY which complete the look.

For the bedding I chose Dorma 300count sateen sheets, pillowcaseshttps://www.ufurnish.com/en-gb/p/a/491388/dorma-300-thread-count-100-cotton-sateen-plain-cream-duvet-cover-cream?affid=katyatthemanor and duvet cover in cream. These have a very luxurious feel and were the perfect colour. I added different textured throws that I already owned. A sheepskin rug either side of the bed is the finishing touch. Dunelm have an amazing range of sheepkins at great prices.

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