TOPSHOP EDIT
Planning a Bedroom Makeover
I swear throughout the years my most made-over room has been the bedroom, it's one we spend so much time in and I always want mine to grow with me, and reflect my feelings and tastes at the time. Maybe it also stems from the fact my parents let me get WAY too involved with redesigning my childhood bedroom too... Either way, it's an important one to get right as it's a space we spend so much time in and the wrong balance can have a huge impact on our mood, mindset and even sleeping habits. When we moved I put a lot of my focus in to getting our bedroom just right, and it's my favourite room in the house! I've already posted a few pictures here, but today I wanted to show a couple more recent snaps, plus I've also popped our official Bedroom Tour video in to this post too!
If you're thinking of having a little bedroom makeover, I've listed a few key tips on redecorating your bedroom that could make all the difference...
PLANNING
This is a very straight forward one, I mean, lots of you probably viewed this post from Pinterest. BUT I have a particular method I like to use which can often be helpful, and avoid feeling totally overwhelmed by ideas. I start by making a board specifically for that room makeover and pin EVERYTHING I like to it. Images from Pinterest, links from interiors shops, everything. Once I feel like I've pinned enough/maybe too much. I take a look at the board and make notes of key themes, colours, textures, brands, specific items that repeatedly pop up etc. Once I've done this I take out everything that doesn't fit in. Maybe you've got mostly mid century furniture but then a couple of images showing white glossy modern sideboards that stand out and don't fit. What you should be left with is a curated selection of images that fit together really well and you can get get an idea of the space you're looking to create. Whether it's dark walls with mid century furnishings or a light and airy feel with a boho vibe, this method should help you work out what it is you really want.
YOUR COLOUR PALETTE
Whilst putting a room together it's so easy to go all out with various different shades. But I've found starting out with just a few key colours always works best, as you naturally add a little more as time goes on. In the past I've ended up with an overload of colours as a result of not thinking things through enough. But it's important to make sure your colour palette applies down to the details. For example, our old living space had nothing black in it, but when buying shelves we stupidly picked black even though it wasn't part of our colour palette. We hadn't applied that rule right down to the details, and guess what? It didn't work. If you're in a rented space it's also a good idea to account for the colour of your permanent fixtures, even if you've bought somewhere and aren't ready to replace certain aspects yet - take that colour in to account! We went for more nude tones over pinks in our bedroom as the carpet is a tan/beige tone.
FURNITURE
It's important to know your budget early in the planning stage, as this shizz gets expensive. Once you've completed your mood boards you'll have a good idea as to what you mind need, but also what's already working out for you. We shopped around different sites to get the most affordable version of what we wanted and did sacrifice a few extra details here and there in the interest of not going bankrupt. My advice would be to add new items one by one, and to not get ahead of yourself and order everything all at once. It's good to add things slowly and get an idea of how it's working in the space and whether you NEED that ottoman or extra mirror.
LIGHTING
This is such an important one when it comes to revamping a bedroom, and one me and my other half have argued over on occasion - especially when it comes to how we choose to block out/let in light. I LOVE airy sheer curtains, they're about the only kind of curtain I consider "chic", other than that I hate them. Boyfriend prefers thick, temperature regulating ones that block out every ray of light EVER. However, shutters are something we've both come to agree on. They insulate a room, block out light and also let in light whilst still shielding you from Bob and Vera across the street, because let's faee it, when you've just rolled out the shower the last thing you want is to stroll in to the room and have them spot you from the house opposite. Our shutters were already installed when we moved in, but I have a feeling they're from Next!
When it comes to artificial lighting, a little bedside lamp or two is my favourite way to light a room. In fact I can't have the ceiling lights on now because it just feels WRONG. I have two little lamps in each room from Heal's, but Oliver Bonas and a few other retailers also have similar items. They give a warm soft glow, whilst also being nice and bright. It makes the room feel super cosy and that's exactly the vibe I wanted. I recommend visiting a few stores that have lights on display and seeing how they glow before you make your mind up completely.
STORAGE
This ones key regardless of whether you're going for organised clutter or minimal clean surfaces. It's important to make sure your new space is one you can grow in to. Go for the extra storage, whether it's the next wardrobe size up (if it fits obvs) or the under bed storage, or that jute basket to pop in the corner. Storage is key and though everything might fit now it might not in a year, and it's important to avoid upgrading furniture so soon if it's unnecessary. It also gives you the potential to have a clean and tidy space, which is key for a bedroom. Tidy space, tidy mind and all that, but I swear it helps you get a better nights sleep.
SHOP THE BEDROOM
15 comments
A SNEAK PEEK OF WHAT'S CURRENTLY LITTERING MY DRESSER...
*Paid collaboration with Astrid & Miyu*
One of the huge perks of upsizing when we moved was the chance at having a space to get ready in, a space to throw my extra clothes and shoes (oh my gosh I never realised how many shoes I owned until they had their own room - where were they before?!) and jewellery. I guess it's a dressing room of sorts? Part dressing room/beauty room/office, it's a slash-y of a room! A place to store the things I have too much of - mainly the afore mentioned jewellery, shoes and, of course, beauty products. Fun fact, the top drawer of this chest alone currently stores jewellery boxes. I need to sort things out and cut down, but just to give you an idea of scale, that's the stage things are currently at!
Extreme hoarding aside, today I thought I'd give you a little peek at what I'm keeping on top of my dresser. There's a full tour for this room coming to my channel soon, but until then I thought it might satisfy some curious eyes and feed my need to post photos of this set up - it's quite cute and I'm really pleased (/smug) about it. The chest of drawers itself is the Kiera Chest of Drawers from Oliver Bonas I'd dreamed of owning this for so long and I was so pleased to have been able to fit it in to this space. Balanced on top is the Metal Framed Round Wall Mirror from West Elm - another item I've loved for so long and was so happy that I found a spot in the house that was just calling out for it.
On the right of the dresser we have a cute pot from H&M Home (originally meant for toothbrushes I think?) that houses my Powder Blue makeup brushes from Real Techniques, a pink face brush from Guerlain that I can't bring myself to use, Fleur De Force Brow Pencils and a Tom Ford Velvet Orchid Rollerball (yup, get thee to a Sephora, they exist). Nestled around it is one of my favourite Diptyque fragrances and the most adorable cactus jewellery holder from the Zoella Lifestyle range! This is where I keep a lot of my earrings and rings stored right now as the dish in my bedroom is overflowing and things are looking a tad tragic.
My current jewellery favourites are from Astrid and Miyu, a jewellery brand I've been a long time fan of for their gorgeous ear cuffs, but their earrings and rings are equally as stunning. The brand is based in London and their contemporary jewellery pieces play with juxtaposition beautifully, mixing both classic and edgy designs, which is one of the reasons why I've become so fond of them. Their cuffs, which they are best known for, are designed to be worn both alone and stacked together, and have so many different variations of metals and stones, from dainty rose gold cuffs to more edgy gunmetal and gold pieces. The variety of metals and stones ranges through all their collections, from earrings right through to necklaces. With so many options to choose from, and so many combinations to play with, there really is something unique for everyone.
My current favourites are the gold wishbone ear cuffs with the black stones as they add an edgy feel to something quite dainty and feminine (a good example of how Astrid and Miyu take something very feminine and give it more of an edge). Today I'm wearing the gold and rose gold fiztgerald cuffs with the clear stones as it works nicely with the rose gold Zodiac earrings, which are super dainty and I've been wearing them so much recently. But a lot of the time I enjoy mixing a lot of their fitzgerald ear cuffs together with their wishbone ear cuffs, mixing golds and gunmetals for a more edgy feel. For rings I have the Double Bewitched Ring in Silver and these delicate little Astrid and Miyu "The Perfect One" rings. Sometimes I wear just one alone, but more often I stack all three together, and the metals when worn in the right order blend really nicely together. The perfect mixed metal look!
SHOP ASTRID &MIYU
Then we have the constant littering of makeup that is often strewn across the surface. In addition to testing products at my desk, this is also a space where I have a good old play with new things. New in favourites include the YSL All Hours Foundation (oh my god it's SO GOOD), the Glossier Haloscope Highlighter in Topaz and the Charlotte Tilbury Instant Eye Palette. The Glossier Stretch Concealer and By Terry Baume De Rose have become permanent fixtures that I keep out to sooth and cover the aftermath of makeup experiments.
To the left of the mirror we have Chanel No.5 (because it's pretty), Jo Malones Basil & Neroli and one half of an Oliver Bonas Quartz Book End (seriously the most beautiful and decorative book ends I've ever seen) to balance things out. The grey of the crystal matches a few of the drawers on the chest so nicely - as a matter of fact a lot of the accessories on top match a drawer on the chest - it's all ended up being very colour co-ordinated!
SHOP THE POST
NEW HOME ADDITIONS, PT 2.
*sponsored by Homesense*
Welcome back to part two of my lovely little (or, errr, not so little) Homesense haul! If you missed the first one or you're not familiar with the homeware wonderland that is Homesense, you can read all about it in my previous post here! It showcases all of the pieces that I bought for our Bedroom, and it really was the cherry on top of the icing in finishing the furnishing of that room.
Today I'm talking through all of the bits and bobs I picked up for our living space - so living room, dining area and kitchen!
First up, can we please just take a moment for the Pumpkin mug (£7.99)? It's so unbelievably cute I just couldn't leave it in the store! In addition to great everyday essentials and lovely unique pieces, Homesense is also great for seasonal items, whether it's Halloween decorations or Autumnal floral wreaths, Christmas accessories or the perfect summer picnic pieces, they do it all. This mug will be perfect with a warm chocolate drink and some marshmallows on those cosy autumn evenings - just the thought of it brings me so much joy!
Then we have this gorgeous furry stool, a very "on trend" (for lack of a better, less cringy term) home accessory at the moment. This cost £59.99 and I was so happy with the price as others I'd seen were so much more! I also love the wooden legs verses the more common gold legs - it makes it a little more subtle and will help it to stand the test of time a little better! It works nicely in our living room as you can pop your feet up on it, but also use it to hold a tea tray or your laptop too. It works really nicely with the abundance of baskets in the room too (all from Homesense), the newest one is a lovely round multi-toned one that keeps our extra cushions (and a few of the new puppies toys) neat and tidy!
Keeping with the pumpkin theme, this pumpkin and almond candle (£5.99) smells delicious and is the perfect transition in to autumn as the almond fragrance gives the pumpkin a little bit more of a fresh smell, so our home doesn't smell of sickly sweet pumpkin just yet! But oh, just you wait! To keep our candles out on our dining table and save us using our coasters on that end of the room, we now have this grey marble slate (£12.99), the quality is amazing and looks lovely on our dark wood dining table. It works really well under our extra bowls/plates we might have whilst eating dinner too! Speaking of - I picked up some new textured bowls (£3.99 each) are such a perfect size, and seeing as we use bowls far more than we use plates, I thought it best to stock up on some new ones! I also picked up this pink ramekin (for £2.99!!!) which is perfect for housing my side salads or guacamole and is way cuter than the old chipped white one I've had for years now!
And finally, new doggie bowls!!! These monochrome spotty bowls with a gold trim are just an actual dream. I've never seen such gorgeous pet accessories and though Homesense always comes through with great dog toys, I so impressed by this! I actually need to go see if they have any left over in store so Rory can have the same set when she's bigger!
And that is it! I feel like this haul helped me so much in finalising the last few bits I needed for our new house, so a big thank you to Homesense for making all my home interior dreams come true! If you haven't already watched the home haul where I buy all of the above, head over and watch it here. Also keep your eyes peeled for my first room tour which will be coming this month!
NEW HOME ADDITIONS
*SPONSORED BY HOMESENSE*
The store was huge, and I found SO many beautiful things (you can see them all together in this haul here), it also had a TK Maxx joined on to the store as it's part of the TK Maxx (or TJ Maxx if you're US based) family. It's great for everyday essentials but also really unique pieces and the stock changes super frequently, so there are always new and amazing pieces to find - you can also buy everything for up to 60% off their original retail price - did you need more reasons to visit?
After scouting out every inch of the store (and making two trips to the till), I had a tonne of amazing new pieces for both our bedroom and living area. Today I'll be running through the new additions to the bedroom and how I styled them! The bedroom is one of my favourite rooms in the house, and is an absolute joy to work on. Though it was almost 99% done before our trip, I actually found the perfect large piece of furniture to add to the room - totally unintentional as I'd planned on leaving the space bare but the gorgeous grey herringbone armchair was too perfect to leave behind. It just about fit in the car but fitted in to our little nook by the shutters perfectly. It also cost me £159.99 which for this style of chair is such a saving I couldn't believe it! I added our coral fur pillows (a previous Homesense purchase from a few weeks back, costing £34) to add a little pop of colour. We also bought a tan coloured fur rug (£34.99) which slotted in perfectly to the side of it, and a tan and gold planter which sits perfectly to the side - all four make the perfect little nook in the corner of our bedroom and I couldn't be more pleased with it.
To go with the more natural colour palette we've introduced to the bedroom I also picked up this fringed cushion (£24.99), which almost has an aztec pattern to it, I love it and it fits in perfectly with all of the baskets and tan tones of the bedroom. The final purchases were perfect for my bedside table - the copper candle with a real marble top that cost £7.99 and smells so citrusy and fresh, followed by an everyday basic that has a little bit more of a luxury feel to it - but without the matching price tag! These marble coasters with the rose gold foil around the rim go perfectly with our green marble side tables, but also match the neutral tones of the room perfectly, and at £9.99 I couldn't be more pleased!
Don't forget to check out the Come Shopping With Me vlog for all the details and to see what else they have in store! Keep an eye out for my next blog post where I'll be showing you everything I bought for our living room and kitchen!
Find your nearest Homesense store here!
As if we didn't already know, by the fact I'm constantly showing new home purchases in videos, or the fact I made a whole instagram account (@hellooctoberathome) for the subject, I'm obsessed with home interiors. I always have been, but until recently I didn't have the space to really go the whole hog with furnishings, accessories and a good lick of paint (oh yeah, you wait for the paint part). Now that there's nothing holding me back, I physically have to hold myself back or I could literally go absolutely nuts and spend a fortune on things that just aren't practical.
With that in mind, I've not been one for too many scattered trinkets when shopping for home pieces this time around. After our last place I was so stick of open shelving and cluttered displays that I really wanted everything to be streamlined and clean this time around. The decorative pieces I've been searching for serve more of a purpose and, whilst I'm almost at a good place where we have everything we need, there are are still a few more bits and bobs I'm drooling over - et voila - todays post idea was born. These are my Top Home Wear Picks This Week!
So let's get started with all things pink and fuzzy, this stool from West Elm is something I've been all heart eyed over for so long. It looks super cute and adds a nice bit of texture to a room and for a shorty like myself, makes sitting on most chairs a little more comfortable! The matching cushion is also super dreamy, though lots of you may have seen last week I managed to find some really similar cushions in Homesense and was over the moon at the saving in price! Oliver Bonas also have some similar more affordable alternatives in stock right now too! Speaking of West Elm though, I might have purchased this tasseled little number this week and am so excited for it's arrival. it's another piece that adds a little texture to a bedspread or couch. I'm also super in to their little gold planters too, not to mention this marble door stop, and the beautiful gold round mirror that might be sitting next to me in my office as I type this...
As we have such a large living space to fill (a novelty that I'm not sure will ever wear off after our last tiny living room), the search for armchairs and seating feels never ending. We always want our furniture to be comfortable, but also look amazing too and to potentially be versatile enough to move around the house depending on our needs. So I've has my eye on this little "space chair" (my name for it - doesn't it just look like the future?!) from Oliver Bonas as well as this footstool and I'm currently deliberating between the two. Then we have these gorgeous blue velvet dinging chairs from Made - another purchase I'm currently sitting on as we're forever back tracking on our dining table situation - do we want a bench set up or a new table or just new chairs? We just don't know.
And then there are the last few decorative accessories I'm uhmming over, these West Elm coasters are beyond beautiful and will make the perfect addition to my crystal/precious stone coaster collection (I have quite the collection, I know, but you'd be surprised how many visitors + drinks we constantly have around. I'm really in to blue right now and these have really caught my eye. Then we have what might be my final planter purchase of the year these concrete/stone beauties would look perfect on the corner of our marble fireplace (still can't get over the fact we ended up with a marble fireplace either) with a cute little banana plant inside. YASSS.
SHOP THE POST
So let's get started with all things pink and fuzzy, this stool from West Elm is something I've been all heart eyed over for so long. It looks super cute and adds a nice bit of texture to a room and for a shorty like myself, makes sitting on most chairs a little more comfortable! The matching cushion is also super dreamy, though lots of you may have seen last week I managed to find some really similar cushions in Homesense and was over the moon at the saving in price! Oliver Bonas also have some similar more affordable alternatives in stock right now too! Speaking of West Elm though, I might have purchased this tasseled little number this week and am so excited for it's arrival. it's another piece that adds a little texture to a bedspread or couch. I'm also super in to their little gold planters too, not to mention this marble door stop, and the beautiful gold round mirror that might be sitting next to me in my office as I type this...
As we have such a large living space to fill (a novelty that I'm not sure will ever wear off after our last tiny living room), the search for armchairs and seating feels never ending. We always want our furniture to be comfortable, but also look amazing too and to potentially be versatile enough to move around the house depending on our needs. So I've has my eye on this little "space chair" (my name for it - doesn't it just look like the future?!) from Oliver Bonas as well as this footstool and I'm currently deliberating between the two. Then we have these gorgeous blue velvet dinging chairs from Made - another purchase I'm currently sitting on as we're forever back tracking on our dining table situation - do we want a bench set up or a new table or just new chairs? We just don't know.
And then there are the last few decorative accessories I'm uhmming over, these West Elm coasters are beyond beautiful and will make the perfect addition to my crystal/precious stone coaster collection (I have quite the collection, I know, but you'd be surprised how many visitors + drinks we constantly have around. I'm really in to blue right now and these have really caught my eye. Then we have what might be my final planter purchase of the year these concrete/stone beauties would look perfect on the corner of our marble fireplace (still can't get over the fact we ended up with a marble fireplace either) with a cute little banana plant inside. YASSS.
SHOP THE POST
After a few trips to Tiger and H&M, I quickly found myself accumulating copper ornaments. They slowly made it on to the shelf and I started to look at the best way to arrange things. Strangely, it was quite the process to get to a point where I felt completely happy with the arrangement, so I thought I'd share a few pointers in case you've ever stared longingly at Pinterest or Kate's blog (my personal favourite for interiors) but felt like you didn't even know where to start...
START FRESH: I started with a completely clear set of shelves. After taking away all of the previous inhabitants and giving them a good old wipe down, I had a blank canvas to get to work on.
WORK WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE: I could have spent hours on Pinterest eyeing up different shelving ideas, but would have ended up buying even more things to put on it and over thinking it. I started looking at various items of home ware we already had that wasn't working perfectly and looked at incorporating them. The copper basket used to house my lush items, but wasn't quite right in the bathroom (due to being metal n'all) and my ikea aloe vera plant was meant for our shoe shelves but ended up being slightly too big. The copper mug/candle (from Homebase, I think?) and Tiger tea light lantern were gifts from my birthday too.
WORK OUT A COLOUR PALETTE: After filling the bottom shelf with the copper items I already owned, I knew that copper was going to be a huge theme on the shelves. All copper felt a little over the top, and I found filling the basket with black items (mainly candle jars and camera equipment) worked as a rather chic contrast. Once I introduced the aloe vera plant in its tin pot, I knew I then had green and silver to work with as well as black and copper. This came in handy when adding the handing basket (top, centre) as the final touch. Sticking with a theme gives the whole look consistency, but allows for enough variety to keep you interested.
TEST OUT DIFFERENT SHAPES: Something I've struggled with in the past is breaking away from symmetry, which is slightly ironic as I'm generally easily bored when it comes to symmetrical arrangements. I could see that making the top row too similar to the bottom row ran the risk of becoming very boring, so I opted for a smaller chrome potted plant and played around with the shape even more by making it a hanging plant. By having the leaves drape down, it added something different to the bottom shelf and kept the top shelf interesting as it was much smaller than the aloe vera plant.
TAKE YOUR TIME: The whole process of putting together my perfect arrangement took about a month for me, but it really was worth the extra time. I spent a lot of time standing opposite the shelves, thinking about what it really needed and where. Did it need more height in the top centre? (yes) Did I want more than three on the bottom shelf? (no) It also allows time for the extra items to come into your life. The copper hanging basket was a little treasure I found at a local market, and was the one that finished the whole thing off.
GET ADVICE: Back when I still had a few spaces on the top shelf, I popped a little tweet out to see what everyone thought it needed. Most people said plants (so right), but it was interesting to get different ideas and see if there was anything new out there I hadn't thought of.
DIY: Sometimes the perfect arrangement calls for a bit of DIY. Luckily I only had one little DIY moment (my boyfriend is very grateful for this), consisting of sticking a pin in the ceiling to hang the copper hanging basket. It didn't look right laid on it's angle and came with clear string already, so a clear topped board pin was the best way forward. Other DIY's include painting or spray painting other old items that would otherwise be unloved - this way they can match or clash any of your current items. You could also use some sticky back plastic coverings to change the surface of your self if you were feeling really brave. I have a marble roll and I was so tempted!
Last Saturday we took a trip to the magical place that is Ikea. A.K.A a claustrophobes nightmare. I had a shopping list that had built up to the point where the total spent came to more than our rent, so we decided to make the trip and avoid the list growing any longer. We returned home with half of the wish list, and although there are still a few pieces we will need to get at some point, we've got the essentials - including mini cactai, obviously - so we can get by for now.
Part one of my little Ikea series is just to show a few of the little bits we picked up that have a definite home - there are a few pieces that will work better once other items have been built - so I'm waiting on that one (read: hurry up and build, boyfriend). I picked up a few new mini cactai to add to the living room, as our bay window was just so bare and boring, but at the same time the ledge is really narrow. We also picked up another one of their statement cushions and I'm pretty sure this is the new one that everyone and their dog owns - it works nicely with the colour of the arm chairs and the little bit of greenery behind.
For the bedroom I picked up some white hangers - a total last minute purchase, but they really do look much nicer than regular hangers. Especially seeing as our bedroom is completely white. And then my last two impromptu purchases are the giant (and I mean bigger than my head and neck) milk bottle vase and fake flowers. The flowers reminded me of the norwegian flowers that we ordered in for an event recently and I LOVED them. The thing I found really difficult about the sections that house the little bits and bobs like this is that you end up styling (or is this just me?) and putting things together and before you know if you've picked up a ridiculous amount of small items that will work together in various corners of your home.
How we came in under budget I'll never know...
Remember my old bathroom? Oh wait, you probably don't. It was dark, yellow and damp so, surprise surprise, I never let a photo of it grace the pages of H.O. But times have changed and now I'm blessed with double the space, two windows instead of zero and a sink that actually resides in my bedroom. It's also not yellow, so it gets a 10 out of 10 from me.
Last weekend my dad came and put up a glass Ikea shelf as well as some towel rails, I'm still in the middle of organising these so excuse the lack of photos - my beloved Oskia cleanser and Aesop hand wash on my sink side is all your really getting product-wise today. But I did also go a little nuts in H&M home. In addition to new towels and a striped shower curtain, I threw two floor towels, a geometric print hand towel and a rose gold basket into the mix. The basket keeps my current trove of lush goodies (yes, my bathroom does smell incredible).
I'll probably do a video at some point showing you more of the space once everything is up and running and I'm 100% that all the spiders have been turfed out. No one needs to see me shrieking on camera now do they?...
P.S My bunny slippers are from new look for those of you who might be wondering.
Since getting the all clear for the move in August, I've been spending what could be considered an unhealthy amount of time browsing interiors on Pinterest (heads up: Nouvelle Daily's is my favourite). And I've come to the conclusion that I like white furnishings (but we all already knew that) and stripes. Not so girly that my boyfriend will regret moving in with me and not too in your face, just mimimalist but without the feeling that you've secretly been sectioned.
So with my ideal home in mind, I've made a rule that I won't waste my money on buying millions of "cute" things that won't actually fit together once we're in. And on my most recent trip to Next for a good raid of the home section, I well and truly stuck to it. I was lucky enough to find some striped cushions and bedding, but many a candal and unnecessary ornament were left well alone.
Yes, once I got home the boy did grumble something about "more pillows?..." But they do make for a very pinterestable bed. Paired with white sheets and a sainsburys white waffle throw, I'm almost unable to mess up the bed at night. Almost...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)