Our bedroom is by far the largest room in the house, and could definitely accommodate an en-suite. We’ve thought about this addition so many times, but it’s always seemed a bit of a luxury, when so many other more pressing projects have demanded attention. We also have two bathrooms, so an en-suite really is the kind of thing that we might tackle if we are still here and if we fancy doing it. So, we’ve not actually done much with the big bedroom, compared to the rest of the house – but that doesn’t mean we’ve let it slip.
It’s now completely renovated. The half painted walls have now been painted white, including the internal bare stone wall, around the two windows. One feature wall has been painted a very soft grey to complement the white. The apex ceiling has been painted white. All of the woodwork is now white, apart from the beams, which have been treated and caulked (in places they needed a lot of TLC) and painted the same soft grey as the feature wall. The floor has also been transformed – it was once pale pine, but is now white. All very scandi and much more us. Bedroom furniture was purchased quite quickly when we moved here, as we’d sold our original bedroom furniture with our house back in Manchester. If we had the time again, we’d choose very different bedroom furniture, but we’re OK with it now, as we’ve chalk painted it all a very, very soft duck egg blue – exactly the same colour as the floor length velvet curtains. It’s a gorgeous room in the summer, with the two windows wide open (but with insect blinds down) and the morning sunshine bathing it in golden light.
Winter mornings are different – but the room is as beautiful. Firstly, the windows are firmly shut. It’s chilly here in Istria, in the winter, so we like to warm and toasty. And this means that the summer bedding is stored away and the winter duvets come out. We want this room to be calm and relaxing so all of the bedding is white, with plenty of throws to add warmth if necessary, in colours that complement. We don’t have carpets, as we like the expansive white wooden floor, but at each side of the bed, we have lovely, thick furry runner rugs – good for our feet, first thing in the morning. But the best thing about this room, in the winter, is the bed. Our gorgeous Eve mattress is still with us and the splash of yellow around her sides, is a lovely contrast to the whites and duck egg blues. A big, thick IKEA mattress topper adds a touch more comfort and soft, white, crinkled, cotton duvet covers and pillow cases, ensure the top level of comfort. We’ve dispensed with coloured/patterned bedding as we’ve finally realised white can’t be beaten.
This is definitely a very. very difficult bed to get out of, especially on winter mornings…