After a Makeover, This Formerly Cold Bedroom Feels Like “Sunshine”
When home decorator and content creator Grace H (@fromlondontomanchester), her partner, and her cat Maggie moved into their Manchester home, the guest bedroom was a cold and uninviting space. “It felt cold and prison-like and lacked any personality,” she says.
Grace wanted the room to be both a welcoming haven for guests and a creative home office for herself. The original bedroom was a palette of gray on gray, far from the vibrant hues and fun patterns they desired. It was drab and dull, featuring plastered gray walls, a gray carpet, and a boarded-up fireplace.
“I liked the proportions of the room, the high ceilings, and original wood flooring that was found underneath the sad, grey carpet,” adds Grace.
The starting point of the transformation was to remove the carpets, reinstate a picture rail, and resand and varnish the floor.
The bedroom’s makeover was completed in two phases.
Initially, Grace and her partner painted the walls a moody blue-gray hue — Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue. However, they soon realized that they wanted a brighter space, so they repainted it using a soft, muted gold hue — Little Greene’s Madeleine. “I’m obsessed with all things colourful and wanted to add clashing colours and prints whilst still keeping it cosy and playful,” adds Grace.
Then, they focused on all the details. They upgraded all the sockets and hardware, painted a bespoke wardrobe in Little Greene’s Bronze Red, added a patterned headboard from The Odd Company, and sourced vintage bedside tables and mirrors from eBay. They also selected decor pieces from Alice Palmer & Co, colorful artwork from artist Emily Hadley, and arresting, patterned curtains and bedding.
The result is a yellow, red, and blue color-drenched bedroom with thoughtfully curated decor pieces and furnishings. The playful contrast of the hues and patterns keeps the room feeling fresh and contemporary.
The biggest surprise was uncovering the original fireplace and beautiful emerald tiles.
For Grace, the best reward came when she opened up the fireplace and saw the striking emerald tiles. “It was such hard work and took forever, but it was so worth it. I still need to source the missing grate and hood, but I’ll get there … eventually!” Grace adds.
The bedroom remains a work-in-progress. “I still want to add more. Maybe an upholstered chair and a little bench at the bottom of the bed,” she concludes.
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