Design project | A restful green bedroom

I’ve been wanting to give you a peek at one of my finished projects ever since I launched my design services earlier this year, but the situation over the last few months made things tricky. Well, last week I was finally able to visit the home of my first-ever client, Nikki, and I’m so excited to share a few photos with you!

I helped Nikki transform the master bedroom of her modern Bristol house through my full-room package, which gives clients a bespoke design with everything they need (mood board, floor plan, visual renderings, source list) to implement it in their own time and at their own pace. I’m very grateful to Nikki for being my guinea pig while I tested it out, and it was wonderful to see my design turned into a reality.

The brief for this project was to create a contemporary yet cosy space incorporating a deep forest-green paint – ‘Brompton Road’ by Mylands – that Nikki (who has a fantastic eye) had already fallen in love with. She was also keen to include a few accessories that she’d collected over the years, so the challenge was bringing everything together in a way that looked cohesive and considered.

Taking the paint as a starting point, I devised a restful and sophisticated scheme combining clean lines with nature-inspired elements. Below you can see my initial mood board and visual renderings:

A green bedroom can be incredibly calming and ‘Brompton Road’ has a slight hint of yellow that counteracts the room’s bluish east-facing light beautifully. As the ceilings are fairly low it was kept to one wall only to prevent it overpowering the space, and the others are painted in ‘Cornforth White’ by Farrow & Ball – an understated grey that’s neither too warm nor too cool.

The previous furniture was too chunky for the space and covered in a shiny varnish that looked almost orange against the green, so I replaced it with paler oak pieces in a more elegant, matte finish. I also added black and charcoal-grey accents to introduce some depth, contrast and structure into the room.

For the bed, I suggested upholstery in a pale-grey weave to create a focal point against the dark wall. Finding the perfect bedside tables proved to be a bit of a challenge, but after a lot of research I tracked down an Ethnicraft design that mixes oak drawers with a minimalist black-metal frame. It acts as a ‘bridge’ between the wooden pieces and the monochrome accessories, neatly tying the space as a whole together.

The room catches the early-morning sun and so some form of blackout window dressing was essential. In place of the previous floor-length curtains I opted for a simple Roman blind in lined grey linen, making the room feel much airier, maximising natural light during the daytime and preventing heat from the radiator being blocked in winter.

To add warmth and cosiness to the otherwise clean-lined scheme, I incorporated lots of textures, including a waffled throw, linen cushions and tactile ceramics. I also recommended a large woollen rug – something which ‘anchors’ the furniture and draws the eye into the room, as well as partially hiding the carpet (Nikki plans to re-floor the whole house soon, so there was no point changing it). Nature-inspired artwork in complementary greens, greys and beiges made the perfect finishing touches.

So there you have it – a restful and sophisticated green bedroom. I know Nikki is very happy with the finished space (which is all that really matters), but I’d love to know what you think. And if you’d like my help transforming an area in your own home then please do get in touch. I offer full room designs and one-off consultations, and my approach is all about looking beyond trends to craft simple, timeless and calming interiors that you’ll love for years to come. I normally do things via Zoom so location is no barrier, but I’ll happily visit in person if you live within easy travelling distance of Bristol.

All photography by Abi Dare