Dressing up my bedroom and keeping autumn at bay

So all the ideas I’ve had for our bedroom are still rattling about in my head. Some grander than others, and I can’t help feeling that it will take time and patience to achieve what I really really want.

However, there is a small, yet significant change I have made that had added a little bit of special to the room.

Yesterday I realised we have hit October already, and most of my plans for this year are way behind. Life seems to be mostly on fast forward. But with Jasper now being at nursery in the morning on week days, I have some time to myself to play catch up. Even if I am still playing catch up on the catch up.

I look outside and the weather is glorious. Is it really October? For the last few days here in The North of The North we’ve had what I consider better weather than most of August. There are still butterflies and bees in the garden; but seeing geese flying south this morning is a stark reminder that winter is only just around the corner. The dark nights are creeping in and the house feels cold in the morning.

Our bedroom is a rather dark room, made up of one wall of black wallpaper, with a dark purple ceiling and deep red walls. Very us, and great for sleeping in, but it doesn’t do much for creating much light space. With the onset of darker nights and mornings, the rooms feels a little drab. If I can inject a little life back in to it, I feel this would help. The feeling that summer is hanging on, even in to October, has given me the idea to add a little light to the bedroom.

The wallpapered wall was damaged with little Jasper, after he found a loose edge and pulled at it. We don’t want to change it, as the print on the paper is swans and hearts. Which we very much love. Unfortunately we don’t have any paper left over to repair it.

This has been something I’ve been thinking about fixing and what I can do with it. The plan is probably to find a large canvas print to hang on the wall, but until then I’ve come up with a temporary cover up. I bought a silvery grey voile, and have hung it on a short pole, suspended from picture hooks on the picture rail. I decorated the voile with stick on gems and added some silver beading. It certainly looks better than before.

Our usual bedding is dark red and purples, which are lovely with the room, but I’ve changed them for a wonderful summery cover. The print is very country diary looking, with delicate butterflies and flowers on a cream background. I still have the reds and purples hinted in the colours on the prints. The bed is a large part of the room, so creating a lighter appearance in this area has created a feeling of space and brightness.

I’ve concentrated on the bed for the time being, as this is something I can work on instantly. I have added a handful of cushions from Yorkshire Linen with various textures and colours. The red is a major part of the room, and compliments the bedding and the walls. The greys and neutral shades add a base colour.

The red fluffy cushion cover is what the girls refer to as the Muppet cushion, and is of course Jasper’s favourite. Wonderfully soft and huggable. In contrast are the decorative cushions with a pretty jewel attached in the centre. The red one is a small round cushion, with a spiralling frill. Just a nice sized addition, that adds the colour and a little sparkle.

A small step for a big change that has made a significant difference, and keep Autumn at bay for a little longer yet.

The bedding is by Dreams and Drapes, machine washable; 52% polyester, 48% cotton.

The cushion covers are fully removable and machine washable.

Available from Yorkshire Linen.
Thank you to Yorkshire Linen for the samples you sent us.
All opinions are our own.