I actually can’t believe that it’s been several years already since I last redecorated my bedroom – where does the time go!? As I subconsciously wake, change and sleep in the very same surroundings daily, my bedroom shockingly hasn’t changed at all since I was in my mid-twenties…
It possibly helps that I’ve kept my boudoir rather minimalist, calm and neutral with the odd addition of extra storage boxes and accessories over the years. My life has changed so much in the past several years, yet I still share the very same bedroom with my past-self. It’s definitely time for an update!
My bedroom is predominantly white which I still absolutely love, so my current style isn’t poles apart from the previous decades decor; I can certainly make some stylish tweaks and improvements to make this calming space far more suitable for my present stage of life and requirements without breaking the bank.
So here I will share how I transform my bedroom into a bright uplifting space with a more conscious nod to my present lifestyle. I will be keeping the same white flooring, white painted walls, cream curtains and black 12 arm chandelier as these are all nicely neutral and in perfect condition; but I hope that changing the bed, feature wallpaper and accessories will be minimal adjustments that provide maximum impact.
It used to be fashionable to have a white faux-leather bed when bling was a thing, oh lord! But it fit into my white theme at the time to brighten up the space and avoid clutter. Floral wallpaper on a feature wall also used to be a thing apparently, with mine being a generic blown wallpaper with slightly glittery leaves on a repeat pattern – I blame my younger self for this poor decision!
My colour scheme for the bedroom is black, white and grey with silver and charcoal accessories and I’m still very much a fan of this palette but I feel as though I need more life and soul in the room and less cliche early-noughties. I want this space to better reflect my present lifestyle as a yogi for which I am drawn to nature, textures, living plants – as opposed to fake – and tranquility.
So I’m not a million miles off of where I want to be, I just have a better insight into who I am now that I’m older. Considering my love for my extravagant black 12-arm french chandelier still burns brightly, marrying harmoniously to the colour scheme of my silver oversized Venetian mirror and antique French white wash bedside tables, I’m looking to create a luxuriously mindful space by incorporating more natural elements.
For this reason I will be playing with natural textures rather than patterns and adding green and burgundy to my colour scheme through living plants as well as Himalayan salt to purify and cleanse the air. Whilst smarter storage options will reduce dusty space beneath the bed frame and eliminate the need for storage trunks and natural lighting will add warmth and peace to this otherwise minimalist and plain space.
Perhaps the most iconic part of this transformation will be exchanging my shop bought floral wallpaper for a Photowall made to measure white marble wall mural, creating a show-stopping natural focal point in-keeping with my monochrome colour palette.
I chose their premium wallpaper over standard as it features an extra layer to give it a matte finish and is more resistant to scrapes without reflecting sunlight. Costing £29/m² it’s non-woven material allows the glue that is included to be applied directly to the wall, is environmentally friendly, PVC free, fire rated, doesn’t fade in sunlight and is suitable for cleaning products.
All wallpaper at Photowall is made to order to your exact measurements for a perfect fit and as walls are not always perfectly straight I took the longest measurement for width and height from my wall and added 6-10 centimetres as recommended to provide a margin of error during application.
Being individually made to order means that no products are stored in a warehouse or thrown out unnecessarily and their printing ink contains no hazardous chemicals as well as being biodegradable. I particularly love how they work with development cooperation organisation Vi Agroforestry who plant 5000 trees every year in the area surrounding Lake Victoria in East Africa. Shipped within 1-3 days of ordering, the climate conscious cardboard box packaging is made from recycled materials and contains the wallpaper, powdered glue and application instructions.
You can also create your own wallpaper, print, canvas or poster by sending in an image or illustration that you love and and their designers do the rest! I chose their White Marble Background mural as I love the greyscale texture and stunning detail of this design.
Having a super kingsize bed (all to myself) is a non-negotiable as I appreciate the freedom of space when sleeping so a big bed stays; however I will be changing the frame from white faux leather to silver velvet with a more striking headboard in order to bring contrast and dominance to the room along with more elements of grey and geometry instead of this submissively light, femininely curved frame that I have at present.
I very much like having light grey bedding but will be switching off the waffle style texture of my duvet for a new smooth cotton bed set and adding further marble scatter cushions for a more furnished look. My new bed will have four large practical storage drawers removing the need for my storage trunks in the room and preventing my shoe collection currently stacked beneath my bed from being visible and gathering dust making the room cleaner and less cluttered.
I will be switching my glass-mirrored bedside lamps with grey-pleated shades for rare natural grey Himalayan salt lamps and matching candle holders because of their many health benefits and stunning texture of natural rock. Salt lamps are typically available in 1-15kg in weight ranging from 7-13.5″ in height. At 7kg in weight, my lamps are both around 12″ in height.
Salt lamps are used in the home to balance electromagnetic radiation, cleanse, deodorise and purify the air, calm allergies and reduce asthma, alleviate coughing and symptoms of the common cold, improve blood flow, raise energy levels, sharpen concentration and enhance the mood making them ideal for the bedroom.
Whilst salt lamps are traditionally pink or white, these rare grey salt lamps achieve a higher temperature when heated due to their darker colouring which increases their hygroscopic effect and enhances their air cleaning properties. They are not as bright as a pink or white salt lamps and have a unique glow like that of a volcano which will compliment the burgundy accents in my plants and assist in relaxation through the reduction of exposure to bright light in the evening to better induce sleep.
In a nod to my youthful adoration for animal print summer dresses which embodied my wild side I have selected an Elephant Ear Alocasia Zebrina Tiger plant for my feature foliage. Originating in the Philippines this plant has fashionably sturdy animal-print rhizomatic stems and broad arrow-shaped Elephant Ear leaves which scream female empowerment to me.
Alocasias are loved for their big, arrow-shaped leaves but this variation has iconic animal print stems, quite the upgrade from a vase of dusty fabric faux flowers wouldn’t you agree? The strongly articulated veins in this plant are a deep green colour which emerge in neat curls and unfurl as they grow making a spectacle of its growth. As they thrive in bright indirect light this will be replacing the large silver velvet storage trunk beneath my mirror, adding a splash of life and colour whilst tying into my white minimalist scheme with a geometric textured ceramic white glazed pot.
I have chosen two Parthenocissus Amazonica plants for my hanging plants that will be suspended on either side of the bed above my beside tables, supported from the ceiling by beautifully woven macrame plant hangers. Not only will this draw the eye line upwards and add height to the otherwise low level room, it will also introduce more natural forms of texture and materials.
This plant typically grows as a climber, but when the stems are unsupported it also makes the perfect hanging plant and in-keeping with my Tiger plant, these arrow shaped leaves are a deep greyish green, patterned with a network of silvery veins and a burgundy flushed underside to add warmth to the room from below.
Switching The Bed
My trusty faux leather white bed had to go as I’ve had it for around nine years now and it was starting to get creaky as well as showing signs of wear and tear making it unsuitable to be donated to charity. This is my first attempt of sawing up a bed as I generally don’t like things to go to waste and donate to serve others a turn rather than destroy but this would be unsafe to do so.
I found it surprisingly good fun to saw through the headboard and foot of the bed so that it could fit in my car and driven to the recycling centre. It took me around 40mins to remove the bolts, slats and framework from the bed and a further 30mins to saw it up and load it into the car. Something I never thought that I’d do, but easily achieved and a great workout.
My new bed was delivered shortly after and I’m more than a little in love with the storage drawers that now safely house all of my shoes to free up some wardrobe space and prevent the dusty pairs formerly tucked under my bed from getting sun damaged or covered in cobwebs.
With my new bed being higher than my former, not only do I have far more accessible and practical storage, but raising the height of the bed has made it a striking focal point of the room feeling almost regal and more luxurious. I love the new energy it has created in this space.
Prepping The Skirting & Walls
My next job was to remove my old wallpaper – those silver glittery leaves that shall forever haunt my dreams! Followed by soaking off and stripping the backing paper, wiping down the walls and dusting and cleaning the skirting boards and coving in preparation for painting.
Whilst the rest of my bedroom will remain white, I took down my black lily canvas and filled, sanded and repainted over the holes as well as repainting all of the walls and glossing the skirting. It’s amazing how white paint can yellow over time through sun exposure and age and once you start painting one thing the stark contrast of new paint makes everything else look so old and dull.
Now beautifully fresh and sparkling, my room is finally prepped and ready for once my wallpaper arrives so that I can install my feature wall mural and sit eagerly by my window waiting for the postie to deliver all of my trinkets and accessories to bring my bedroom to life with the all important finishing touches!
Hanging The Wall Mural
My wall mural is printed to order onto high quality wallpaper that is specific to the measurements of my bedroom feature wall. The wallpaper is then cut into strips and labelled in the order that they should be hung on the wall to make the entire process far easier and less stressful. To hang this wall mural I simple glue the wallpaper straight onto the wall and hang the strips from edge to edge which sounds easy enough!
Whilst I’ve previous wallpapered a feature wall in each room in my house I haven’t attempted to hang a wall in several years now and have flashbacks of messy glue, sticky floors and a shocking amount of wasted wallpaper thanks to inconsiderate repeat patterns. So having my wallpaper already cut, numbered and ordered is a dream come true for me.
As I’ve lost the few wallpapering tools that I bought years ago after only using them a handful of times, I decided to also get their wallpaper kit too which includes a brush for applying glue, a seam roller for making the seams invisible, a paperhanging brush for smoothing the strips, a knife and cutting guide for trimming excess wallpaper as well as a spirit level, pencil and tape measure.
My wallpaper arrived just a few days after ordering it and I had everything that I needed in the pack to be able to hang my wall mural by myself as being a single parent I’m pretty used to being hands on.
Whilst this is my first wall mural that I’ve hung, I hoped it would be similar to wallpapering and made sure that I read all of the instructions and familiarised myself with the steps and tools before I started so as not to overlook anything or have the paper dry too soon before I’m ready or prepared to trim it off.
The main difference between traditional wallpaper and my wall mural is that it came on one long continuous roll of really thick, beautifully printed, quality paper. As I unravelled the roll of wallpaper there were cut markers throughout, showing eight pieces of paper which were numbered for which order to hang and which way up they should be – far easier than leafing through lengths of patterns to find a match to join at!
I was also able to apply the wallpaper paste directly to the wall, for which I would usually paste the back of the wallpaper on my kitchen table and make everything sticky and messy, not to mention the paper becomes very heavy and is at more of a risk of tearing. This method allowed me to easily position the wallpaper slices and use the spirit level from the tool kit to ensure everything was perfectly straight and aligned.
I used half of a bag of wallpaper paste for which it was recommended to use a bucket with 4litres of lukewarm water and an entire bag of paste powder that you stir briskly and leave to thicken in order to cover up to 20-22m of wall space. Using 2litres of water and half a bag of paste in a kitchen mixing bowl was more than enough for my eight strips of paper with some left over.
After hanging my second strip onto the wall and following the simple number guide at the top of each strip for alignment, I then used a wallpaper brush to smooth out the paper from top to bottom and out towards the edges to release any air bubbles or folds as well as a seam roller to press down the edges of the paper for a seamless finish between slices.
To cut around sockets I first unscrew them from the wall so that they hang slightly away, before cutting a cross into the paper directly over the centre of the socket. I then make small relief cuts going outwards so that the paper can be trimmed away in the centre and any excess tucked behind the socket before it is screwed back on for a flawless finish.
I had three sockets to contend with, two doubles and a single and after finding my feet again with the first socket I was far quicker with the following two. It made wallpapering the empty space between the sockets feel like and absolute dream!
In all it took me just over an hour from start to finish to hang eight slices of wallpaper and trim off the excess. Using the trim guide and knife from the tool kit I was able to achieve a beautifully straight, crisp edge that far exceeds the finish and attention to detail of my previous wallpapering attempts from several years ago.
It goes to show that with a high quality paper, clear instructions and the right tools for the job, home DIY fans can achieve a truly flawless and professional finish without having to call in the experts.
I am absolutely thrilled with how stunning my white marble wall mural has turned out as it has totally elevated the space. My bedroom now feels so grown up, luxurious and yet incredibly natural and peaceful at the very same time; I literally can’t stop smiling from ear to ear when I stand at the foot of my bed and look at it.
The print quality, finish and attention to detail of the paper is exquisite and has made my once very generic, unexciting sleeping space so utterly addictive. I can’t wait for my final accessories and furnishings to arrive so that I can share with you my grand reveal!
Now that all of my accessories have arrived I’ve had so much fun putting my bedroom back together and love how the warmth of the light wood, string plant hangers and twisted rope tie-backs for the curtains add a natural texture to the room.
This has taken my colour palette from monochrome black, white and silver to varying shades of grey, cream, peach, light brown as well as the red and greens of the plants which creates the most calming and peaceful atmosphere for rest and relaxation.
It is an absolute joy to come home after a busy day and relax in my bedroom, as the soft volcanic glow of my salt lamps in the evening is so serene, it fills me with so much calm and positivity. I feel that this is a far more adult space, still similar in colourways but entirely more grown up, sophisticated and nature conscious.
I’m absolutely in love with my new plants which I hope will continue to flourish and grow in height and size with the hangers reaching down to my salt lamps and my raised planters taking up entire corners of my room.
My feature wall mural has really tied this space together and added that stunning attention to detail that wouldn’t have been as striking or awe-inspiring had I have used a regular wallpaper like before.
It goes to show that putting in that extra effort, going the extra mile and being conscious of your statement pieces, accessories, heights, textures and light sources really makes an incredible difference to the outcome of a room.
It has been an absolute joy making over my bedroom and I’m beyond thrilled with the results. I hope that in sharing my journey with youall that I might have inspired you to try to add more natural, calming and environmentally friendly touches to your own home.
You can also use my code “tracykiss25” at the Photowall checkout for a 25% discount on any of their products which is valid until November 10th 2021!
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