Having a space of your own for the first time presents the perfect opportunity to discover your design style. Take it from new homeowner Kate Moorhouse (@my_littlewood_home): “I’m a first-time buyer, so I wasn’t really sure what my style was,” she says. “But I knew that cold, white spaces were not for me.” Unfortunately, when she first moved into her two-bedroom terrace, it was all white.
“The whole house was a completely blank canvas, painted floor to ceiling in white, including the woodwork,” Kate says. “The only warmth came from the carpet I chose, which is a warm neutral. As time went on, the white walls began to feel all-encompassing. There was no dimension to the space, and it completely lacked any identity.”
Kate knew that the first room she wanted to personalize was the primary bedroom because it’s the room where she comes to relax after work. Her redo is all about “the power of paint and some key decor pieces,” she says.
Fresh paint adds personality.
Kate says her first step was thinking about the feeling she wanted to evoke in the room. She wanted to create “the feeling of warmth, emulating the sun that shines into this room [in the] evening.” She notes that the biggest change to the space is the new paint color (Farrow & Ball’s Templeton Pink) and the painted circle feature (in Farrow & Ball’s Red Earth) behind the headboard.
Some practical tips helped with the painting process.
Kate’s painting advice is all about patience and investment. “Take your time with your color choice, and invest in paper testers, so you can move them around the room to see how the different light makes them look,” she says. Also “invest in a good paint if you can” — thicker formulas will give you better coverage. Finally, if you’re deciding where to splurge on supplies, see if you can save money on rollers while investing in nicer brushes. “Cheap paint brushes splay out and lose hairs more,” Kate says.
Her last bit of painting advice will help protect your supplies and will save you time. “At the end of each day, wrap your paint rollers and brushes in cling film, or put the whole tray (with the rollers in) into a [trash] bag and press it onto the roller head and brushes,” she explains. “The paint doesn’t dry out, and you’re ready to go the next day!”
Neutral bedroom staples have lasting power.
After her paint process, Kate moved on to furnishing the place. Because she splurged on paint, she tried to find budget-friendly items that she could keep for a long time. “They can follow you and evolve with you if you get something you really love,” she says of big pieces like beds and nightstands.
A rounded fan adds texture and makes the perfect headboard.
The large bamboo fan placed against the painted circle adds much-needed texture and a bit of drama. “It creates such a focal point in space and adds warmth and dimension,” Kate says.
All in, Kate spent about $450 on her bedroom makeover, and she loves the whole vibe she’s created. “I love plants, and playing with textures and color, so the extra touches like this make the room feel a bit more like me,” she says. “I love how the space makes me feel. It’s like a warm cocoon that glows in the sunlight and feels warm on the cooler winter evenings.”
