Once cold, run down and rusting, this guest bedroom was the last place you’d want to spend the night. Now, it’s been totally transformed. Adorned with Adelaïde from The Purnon Papers, the finished look is warm, romantic and irresistibly inviting. It’s a room worthy of its grand surroundings — Eller How House, a country estate in the Lake District. You can explore more of this ambitious renovation on Instagram @ellerhowhouse. In the meantime, we caught up with Nina, the creative mind behind the magic, to find out all about this project.
1. What was this space like before you started redecorating?
This room has remained untouched since we moved in three years ago. It’s a natural choice for a spare room because it has a sink, giving guests a little privacy. Even though it’s a small room, it has so much character: a little flight of steps up to the door; the original, metal windows; views to the gardens and woodland beyond; the classic, sloping ceiling and wide, wooden floorboards. I’ve always thought it was a gem of a room with oodles of potential. However, the layout didn’t work. There were two modern, built-in wardrobes forcing the bed into the middle of the room, which always felt in the way. The previous lining paper was also curling off the walls, the metal window had rusted with years of condensation and the taps on the sink dripped. It felt cold and unloved.
2. What made you choose wallpaper rather than painted walls?
My vision for this bedroom is one of the only ideas I had at the start of renovating to stay with me. I knew I wanted to ‘wallpaper drench’ the room to create a cosy, cocooning feeling of safety with a little touch of magic. I adore it when rooms feel like this and I think an attic bedroom lends itself perfectly to it. When I saw Adelaïde from The Purnon Papers, I fell in love and knew I’d found the design to create that feeling. It fitted both my romantic design style and the practicalities of the room — the pattern was able to move quite organically across the walls and onto the ceiling.
3. You’ve chosen such a beautiful scheme with Joa’s White, Singed Red and Tack Room Door. How did you choose the colours to accompany the wallpaper?
I am very indecisive by nature. So, I need to see colours in the space and at different times of day, to be happy with my choices. I also work a lot on gut feeling. I liked the soft colours used in Adelaïde and I could pick out complementary colours to bring the scheme together. I have the Farrow & Ball colour fans, which are indispensable. The fans push me to try colours I might have overlooked or not thought of using. I love red and pink together and I’m enjoying using browns right now, so I used this as a starting point. Once I had the paint and wallpaper nailed down, I turned to the fabrics for the blind, bedding and sink curtain to bring the whole scheme together.
4. What impact has the wallpaper had on the bedroom? Are you happy with the finished look?
I am delighted at how the room has turned out! It’s turned out so well that it’s given me the confidence to trust my gut and be more experimental in my decorating. The wallpaper is the central design element tying all the other elements together. It’s also a beautiful background for furniture and artwork, as well as being a feature in its own right. The quality of the wallpaper is beautiful and the slight texture where the paint has been added brings another dimension to it. The room feels inviting and especially magical in the soft light of the evening.
5. Did you work with a decorator on the project? If so, what did they think about the paper?
I did all the prep and painting myself. I have always used Farrow & Ball paint but this was the first time — dare I admit?! — that I used a Farrow & Ball primer and it really made a difference. I used much less paint than I had thought I would and the coverage was fantastic. I know my own limitations, so I asked our go-to decorator to put the wallpaper on. Even with the awkward corners, Craig did the whole room in a day and a half! Craig says: "Like all Farrow & Ball products, the wallpaper was great quality and easy to use and put on the wall.”
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