bed room makeover
Y ) .
L a w
.
Spare bedrooms are often convenient dumping
grounds for items you can't bear to throw out
or don’t know where to put. But it is valuable
real estate, and you can claim it back simply by
following these steps.
y
Clear out the clutter. Sort it into piles
for keeping and relocating, donating, selling
or tossing into the skip bin. Be ruthless.
y
If you’re going to change light fittings
or mount wall lights, or if you're planning
to install or move electrical switch plates
and plugs, now is the ideal time to hire an
electrician so it can be done before you start
painting and redecorating.
yf
Rip up your worn old carpet and replace
with new. If you have floorboards, check the
condition and, if necessary, strip and re-polish.
y
Repaint your ceiling, walls and finally the
skirting and architraves. As spare bedrooms
are often small, look for ways to make the
room feel larger. Whites and paler neutrals
on the walls and flooring help push the walls
back. Vertical stripes make the room seem
taller, horizontal stripes make it seem wider.
Bring in the furniture, hang your blinds,
install your new lighting and dress the bed.
STEP 4 Roll a coat or two of Warm
Neutral paint within each alternate
stripe. While paint is still wet, carefully
peel off tape at a 45° angle by pulling
the tape back on itself.
For project supplies,
see Stockists page
2. It’s not necessary to
splash out on costly custom-
made wardrobes, as there
are many affordable flat-pack
modular options available.
You have a choice of sliding
or hinged doors as well as
mirror, frosted glass or solid
doors. You can also customise
your wardrobe with fittings
including drawers, shelves
and hanging rails.
3. Introduce flashes of
colour to add richness to your
neutral scheme. Use cushions
to add accents of peacock
blue, turquoise, fuschia and
pink. By repeating the shades
elsewhere in the room - note
the flowers - it works.
Paint stripes
GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES
Dulux Wash & Wear 101 Advanced
Low Sheen acrylic paint in Natural
White and Warm Neutral; low-tack
blue painter's tape; spirit level; tape
measure; pencil; paint rollers; paint
trays; drop sheets; putty knife
Before commencing this
project, prepare your walls by filling
holes and repairing cracks using a
suitable filler and following directions
on the pack. Then apply an undercoat
and leave to dry.
HERE’S HOW
STEP 1 Paint walls of your room with
two coats of Natural White, allowing
paint to dry after each coat.
STEP 2 Using a spirit level and pencil,
lightly mark 23cm-wide vertical
stripes around the walls of your room.
It's best to start with a centre stripe
on the main wall (one unbroken by
windows and doors) and work out to
and around the corners. As you near
each corner, you may need to adjust
the width of the stripe slightly so you
can take it around the corner evenly.
STEP 3 Press painter's tape along
each marked line so you are left with
23cm-wide alternate stripes. Seal
edges with a putty knife to help prevent
paint seeping underneath.
52 BETTER HOMES AND
GARDENS, MAY 2011 bhg.com.au
Photography Phil Aynsley: styling Chantal Davison (magazine): concept Sophie Ward
