Blog: Julie's Scandi bedroom makeover

15 Dec 2016

Julie Stuart of Clever Poppy gives her bedroom a new Scandi look... in between running her business and being a mum to two young kids.

Our master bedroom makeover has been a long time coming. It was low on the priority list - we had other areas of the house to renovate, and I figured visitors didn't often see the space. Now that it's done, it's a peaceful space I love to retreat to at the end of a busy day. 

I wanted this space to be a mixture of decor I love and DIY pieces that I've made. I made the herringbone headboard using Resene paint, made over the chest of drawers and did a giant loom-free wall hanging. 

I knew I wanted a Scandi style bedroom, and was keen for the room to have a slightly feminine feeling. I decided on a white, blush and grey colour palette (using Resene Alabaster walls with a feature bedhead wall in Resene Half Rakaia) with touches of copper, concrete and blonde wood. Depending on the bedlinen used, the room can be given a more gender-neutral feel, as this photo shows. 

A bit of online research found that the key elements to a Scandi room were to use linen, layered throws, pendant lighting, cushions and artwork. Here are some tips of my own:

• Keep it light if you have a small bedroom. Our room is pretty tiny, so I made sure most of the walls were a beautiful crisp white (Resene Alabaster) to give an illusion of more space. The furniture is also white.

• If you want to regularly change up your look, invest in some classic and simple shelving to create displays that suit your latest look. 
• Add depth. In our room, a beautifully warm grey feature wall behind the bed (in Resene Half Rakaia) adds atmosphere but is still light enough not to close in the space. Resene Rakaia has a lovely touch of warmth so goes beautifully with the blush and copper tones in the room.
• Add touches made with love. I'm all about DIY, so my advice is to add a few pieces that either you've made or have been handmade by a small business. Pieces like this are so special and meaningful.
• Add texture through bedding, throws, curtains and the bedhead. This is a wonderful way to make the space inviting and warm - essential for a bedroom. For example, the curtains are a beautiful soft linen texture and the chunky bed throw makes you want to jump right in. 

Julie Stuart is owner of Clever Poppy, creating and selling on-trend DIY projects. She is also featured in the latest issue of Habitat magazine. 

Published: 15 Dec 2016