Our house... the madness of renovation
Our house, our bedroom renovation project
It's not often that I'm writing or drawing inspiration from the track 'Our House' by Madness (UK Ska and Pop band from the 70s).
However, this has come to mind several times while renovating our home. We are of course in the business of creating beautiful spaces for other people, and naturally, they think our house must be immaculate. The reality is the same as the lyric from this song…
"There's always something happening!"
However, we recently finished one space we wanted to share with you, which was created with the idea of being a place of relaxation and calm. At the end of a busy day we wanted a place where you could forget about it all, and to quote Madness…
"Simply waste the day away"
The home we bought was a throwback to the 1980s, where dark brown tones were everywhere; windows, floor tiles, walls etc. Light sapping crepi adorned the walls, sauna wood was on the ceiling, which meant we had our work cut out when it came to creating a space with a feeling of openness and calm.
Read on to see how we dressed this bedroom and brought together some of our favourite modern furniture pieces to create ‘Our House’, Our Home…
The renovation canvas
Core to this philosophy was using natural tones. We visited Riviera Coleurs (strongly recommend for anybody close to Montreux) to buy our paint. As this was going to be the canvas from which everything else popped, we wanted to ensure this subtle Latte colour matched precisely across the different materials, whether using emulsion or gloss paint.
The hero
The next decision we made was on the hero feature, the bed. If you want to amble the day away this was the place you’d want to reside.
We turned to one of our favourites, the FREEDOM bed by Italian brand Bolzan, which we love in the semi-aniline tan leather. It is natural, so soft to the touch and in the colour Teak 9006 which brings warmth to the room.
This has been paired with the Stone Washed Bisso Cotton Bedding Set, also from Bolzan. From the choice of many tranquil shades, we chose the Latte as this blended perfectly with our wall finishings.
We decided on a floor in natural oak, to bring warmth and natural materials to the room. To help root the bed, we chose to add a beautiful loom-knotted wool/viscose rug by Linie Design; the FULLER Rug in Heather. It is a joy to sink your bare feet into and paired with an underlay offers even greater comfort underfoot.
The supporting act
When it came to the bedside tables, we considered accessorising with wood, then pivoted and went for the ARES Side Table by Bolzan. Available in both a round and square version, we chose the latter to complement the shapes created by the stitching on the headboard of the FREEDOM bed.
We could have matched the bedside table to the bed frame and used tan leather, but instead chose a chenille fabric (Rally 403 Dove-Grey) that took hues from the rug and added a different texture and layer to the room. We chose it with a black lacquered top to match the black metal side table on the other side.
One feature we love with the ARES side table is its hidden storage, meaning unavoidable bedside clutter can easily be hidden away. Furthermore, with an integrated USB charger that is also discretely hidden when not in use, you have everything at your fingertips.
On the other side, due to a chimney column, we had a beautiful side table custom-made in black metal to fit our exact requirements.
The spotlight
Lighting in any space is a key consideration, and this bedroom was no different. We used LED strips mounted on the ceiling beams, which provide dimmable mood lighting. We complemented this with practical down lights, to facilitate tasks.
Then finally, the element that was a labour of love were the reading lights. We wanted hotel-like comfort allowing lights on both sides to be operated by either side of the bed, and of course a dimmable switch. This involved squeezing a lot of wires into a very small tube (user error was partly the blame), but was well worth the extra effort!
Then the final part was a bedside light design that was perfect for our space, which meant mirroring the rounded shape and black metal finish of the spotlights, in a smaller elegant finish. We actually designed these ourselves and worked with our partner to have them made. It’s always great to see what you envisage in your mind come to fruition (contact us if you have a similar aspiration!)
The accessory
Our desire to create a calm space where you wanted to relax meant we needed to ensure we had the right bedroom accessories. Luckily Bolzan offer the perfect decorative cushions in multiple sizes and shapes, so we added different layers, textures and shades to the bed with cushions in a variety of sizes and fabrics.
Shown here are two 60x60cm cushions in Agata 04 Dove-Grey and two linen 30x60cm cushions in Capri 13 Brown. Visually they look great, but are also very practical for when you want to sit up in bed and read.
The final act
Sometimes overlooked, but for us a mandatory item in any space, is to add some plants. The natural green tones really add something unique to the space, not to mention oxygen to the room.
We decided to go for a large plant and chose a 1 metre Fiscus Benjamina. We particularly love the long crisscrossing trunk, which adds interest to the shape.
We sourced this from Schilliger Garden Centre near Gland, which had a great choice and various sizes and options available to take away.
So, if you’re looking to create or renovate your bedroom, or any other space in your home to ‘simply waste the day away’ or entertain guests, then please feel free to get in touch and we can discuss what solutions we have to help ‘your house’ become your home.
Alternatively, if you just want to discover more about Madness and ska music, then you can find more information here!
Leave a comment