My dream bedroom is finally ready (and luckily my husband likes pink!). Inspired by Jaipur, I layered block prints, classic stripes and hand-painted blossom to bring a little of the outdoors inside. This was the room that kept slipping to the bottom of my list. Client projects with immovable deadlines, and moments when our own budget needed to be directed elsewhere, meant patience became a virtue. I often thought of the old saying: the cobbler’s shoes are always the last to be fixed.
Scale
As the master bedroom, I wanted a little drama. The scale and height of the Regal Rounded Headboard from Dormy House gave the room exactly that, while the block-print piping kept it playful. While some might have chosen a half-tester or corona canopy, I love that this achieves a similar sense of occasion while still feeling relaxed and playful. It suits our home beautifully - elegant, but not overly formal.
We used their custom service so that we could upholster the headboard in just the right fabrics. Their headboards are designed so beautifully that they become part of the architecture of the bed itself. I love the breadth of silhouettes available; each one has the ability to completely shift the mood of a room.
Palette
With Masquerade Light and Loft White from Little Greene providing the aforementioned pink / white backdrop, I wanted to add freshness with some complimentary green. I was decorating this room in spring when blossom and birch trees can be seen from our windows. I hand-painted the blossom branches across the fitted wardrobe panels, bringing the view outside in. Just a whisper of colour, working in the muted Green Stone family, again from Little Greene. My daughters suggested adding four butterflies to represent each of us, before helping me varnish our work, sealing the memories for years to come.
Layers
As with all of my work, I have layered styles and stories. Bespoke block prints sit alongside classic stripes by Ian Mankin; minimal brass lamps contrast with vintage Indian picture frames and antique oak tables. The latter were inherited from my mother, but we refreshed them by sanding back the dark varnish and finishing them with oil.
Dressing
As for dressing the bed, I always go for crisp white cotton. I love the touch of green in the ladder-stitch edge of this set from Rebecca Udall. This rose quilt was the very first design I ever designed, and I always knew it would end up here in London. For the cushions, the reverse of the Roses & Berries design felt just right, bringing a finer-scale print and a pop of deep berry into the room.
There is still one final layer to add. The curtains should be ready in a couple of months, but for now the room already feels exactly as I had imagined: calm.
The Journal
Modern Floristry Class
A different kind of floristry for a masterclass at my pop-up with Smock London.
Interview with CNN News18
An interview on block printing, craft and the meaning of 'home' with Surbhi Pathak for CNN's News18.
Pink Jaipur Blossom
Rani pink against crisp white cotton - the making of the second part of the Jaipur Blossom collection.