I LOVE This Paper!
Being fairly unafraid of colour I quite often get asked how I come up with a room scheme. I have no hard and fast rule but it all usually starts with an amazing textile. Thus, I don’t think to myself I want to paint the room blue – I say “wow! I have got to use that fabric for curtains/blinds/ soft furnishings” and then I base the paint colour around that. Alternatively it could be an amazing wallpaper or I could be inspired by a book or magazine (Pinterest, no doubt for techno savvy folk!) When I love a magazine feature I rip it out and file it in a box file. If I am finding it difficult to come up with ideas for a room I want to decorate, I return to my box file. Every now and again I cull this box and wonder why on earth I kept certain articles!
When we first moved into the house I measured every room and window and recorded the details in one of my little black books (Moleskines are fabulous). I roughly drew each rooms windows and measured height, width, depth etc.. and this became my bible for seeking out bargainous sample/display/secondhand curtains. Equally I had the measurements at hand if I wanted to buy discounted fabric. How often have you seen amazing ready made curtains/blinds in the John Lewis clearance sale, but not been sure of your measurements (these items are normally non returnable). My Moleskine is also peppered with places that have inspired me, thus I stick in photo’s/leaflets/postcards or do quick sketches. Charleston Farmhouse is definitely a place that has influenced the way I have decorated rooms over the last twenty five years or so.
So, back to room schemes! One day I was having a bit of an online trawl of sale items in Anthropologie and came across the Gallery Curator wallpaper. I just HAD to find away of using it! A year on from buying the heavily reduced paper I am finally trying to create the scheme to decorate a bedroom. This is how I am tackling it.
Paper bought.
My current Moleskin has the following detail to help me with the cunning plan. Headings for wall colour, ceiling (usually bog standard white!), woodwork (old built in cupboards and skirting), Dressing table (at the moment shocking pink!) Additionally, I have headings for bedding/window treatment and furniture that I ideally want to sell/ replace. Flooring (existing sea grass) and lighting form other headings.
Window Treatment- this has formed the next part of the plan. I have found what I want but JL was SO busy I decided to leave it until another day. I am choosing to make a Roman blind, it will be more cost effective and i’ll be able to splash out on some fabulous trim! If you are ever unsure of a fabric, always leave it and come back with fresh eyes on another occasion. This will give you a clear idea of whether you really love it (or actually not!). Sometimes I am so tempted to say to someone eyeing a “very of the moment” fabric… “Don’t do it!!” If you are going to the expense of having curtains made you need to be REALLY sure of the fabric and style of curtains you are choosing. If at all unsure go for a gorgeous plain coloured fabric and use pattern as an accent (cushions, throws, foot stool etc..) Cushions etc.. are easy and relatively inexpensive to change.
With my blind fabric chosen I will then get busy with my paint charts, and as you probably already know I am the Queen of paint snobs! I will take the wallpaper together with my blind fabric and choose good daylight into the to-be-decorated bedroom to select wall and woodwork colour. I often snip out the paint samples that I like from the paint charts and lay them directly on the wallpaper/textile/wall. Again, I often come back over a couple of days to make decisions regarding paint selection and whittle down/reassess my choices. I never go and play Russian roulette at B&Q with paint choice! I go armed with the exact colours and finish I want (the paint samples will have been stuck into my Moleskine). The lighting in your own home is so different to that in a paint suppliers ( in DIY stores it’s notoriously depressingly dull). If you are lacking in confidence buy tester pots and paint large patches on at least two walls (different light aspect). Assess your choices over a few days. I don’t generally use tester pots, but must admit when we were painting the exterior of the house ourselves, we had a variety of tester pots. With 90 litres of paint it could have been a very costly mistake!
So now you have paper, fabric, paint for walls, ceiling and any woodwork including any furniture. The hard work begins!
60 minutes later (if you are on 60 Minute Makeover timings!) you’ll be able to get down to all the lovely detail which makes the room uniquely yours.
In my head I can visualise the bedroom, it will have crisp white bed linen, wool throws, framed vintage landscapes for the un-papered walls, a window seat cushion, garden flowers in antique jugs and ultimately i’m hoping it will feel very calm.
I’ll keep you informed of any progress. How do you plan a scheme for your decorating projects? Please share any tips.
Stashing Future Plans
Books To Inspire
Little Black Book
Choosing Paint Colours
Making It Uniquely Yours
Pattern Mixing-Yikes!
