Hey everyone, welcome back to the blog. I was supposed to do a post last week but I decided to take a little break and rather than force content and do it for the sake of doing it, I thought I’d wait until an idea came to me and it felt natural to do it.
Like pretty much everyone that isn’t an essential worker, I’ve been spending my time either at home watching Normal People and falling down an emotional wormhole afterwards before looking on tinder hoping to find the gay version of Connell Waldron (or any GAA playing, silver chain wearing country man for that matter) or going on walks within the allowed 5km radius around my house. As well as that, I’ve also found that my passion and interest in interior design is back and better than ever and with this, shared with you guys my sunroom, a section of my back garden and a brief glimpse at my bedroom. I got so many questions/queries about my room that I decided that’s what I’d do this weeks post on!
Layout
My bedroom would be what you’d consider the master bedroom. Our house was built in the 1970/1980’s at a time when all you really had in your room were two bedside tables, your standard double bed and maybe a chest of drawers or a mirror tucked away in the corner.
We first designed my room when I was studying for exams so a desk HAD to be in my room somewhere. By putting a desk in, it would mean that you wouldn’t be able to fully walk round the double bed which was to be used for guests when they stayed over. To combat this, rather than keeping my bed on the wall with the sockets in which to place your bedside licokers in front of, we put it on the other wall and put the desk up beside it. This then allowed me to not only have a desk that was covered in natural light, it also meant that both sides of the bed could be accessed.
Paint
When it came to the colours, I wanted a grown up , modern colour scheme but also something that wouldn’t date and wouldn’t need to be painted in a short space of time. I chose Green Fizz by Dulux which is a washable paint which and is designed with a children’s room in mind. The other colour I chose was Silverwood by Dulux. This again is a scrubbable paint that is perfect if it’s going to be used in a space that has high footfall such as a hallway or living area. The use of these colours really gives the room a fresh, airy feel especially on a summers day.
Flooring
When we moved in, my room had cream carpet that had seen much better days. I decided that I wanted wooden floor but one that wouldn’t show dirt or any marks. We went for a dark zebra wood laminate system from Des Kelly which they unfortunately don’t stock anymore but do similar styles currently.
Furniture
When it came to furniture, I wanted a clean and modern look, just like I did when I chose the wall paint. I decided on white , minimalist furniture from IKEA. I went for the MALM desk with it’s built in drawer and door cabinet. It’s slightly longer then I need but ensures I can work comfortably from it. I also needed storage and a stand for my TV so decided to go for the KALLAX book storage unit. Instead of having it stand upwards, I decided to place it on its side and use it as a sideboard. I bought two of the KALLAX door inserts to create small but useful cabinets within the unit as well as five of their DRONA fabric storage boxes in grey to match my overall colour scheme.
On the wall, I have two LACK floating shelves to match the rest of my furniture. I’ve used this as a bit of an accessories area with a framed photo, candles and my faux flowers on it.
As storage is a premium in my room, I needed to be creative with how I used the floorspace I had left once I had my desk and sideboard. Eventually I came across an Ottoman bed which is a bed on gas springs. The springs allow the metal frame that holds the mattress to lift up giving you extra space underneath. I use this space for my shoes and college material that I might not need right away but will at some point.I found a similar one to my one on Oxendales for an affordable price!
Accessories
I’ve picked up various accessories over the years when and if my budget allowed with my favorites pieces being four small green clocks that I’ve placed on my KALLAX unit as well as the Southern Comfort bottle with faux flowers in it to give the room something a little different.
Bedding
I’ve recently discovered Marks&Spencers bedding and found it was quite reasonable and good quality. I bought a set of their grey Geometric print for my double bed. I’ve also used mostly IKEA for my bedding which includes a grey throw with some white peppered through it as well as some green and grey cushion covers. I decided to add in a bit of texture and picked up two wool cushions from Tesco’s homeware section.
I’m really enjoying these Interiors posts and getting to use my knowledge and experience in showing you guys how to get similar spaces like mine without blowing your budget. In total and excluding accessories, my room came in at around one thousand euro which could be seen as a lot but is a worthwhile investment considering I’ll most likely be living at home for years to come.