Dark walls – light spaces part 2

Our bedroom is finally finished (well finished enough to show you all anyhow) and I’m so thrilled with the final look! We wanted something bold and I wanted to get out of my pastel comfort zone and challenge myself with dark walls. My previous dark walls blog post covered the thinking behind using such a bold dark colour such as Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue – pronounced ‘stookie blue’ apparently!? Farrow & Ball paint comes in two different types of emulsion – estate and modern. Estate emulsion has a beautiful matt finish and is ideal for bedrooms, however I chose the estate emulsion as it has a very slight sheen to it. The difference is barely noticeable between the paints, but the modern emulsion is hardier and more suitable for hallways, kitchens and spaces where there’s likely to be high traffic. But I have a toddler and no room is safe from the dreaded felt tip… and so the modern emulsion was the safer option for me as you can clean it!

Before getting down to the painting, there was plenty of prep-work to do. Using such a bold colour requires masking tape (I’d recommend using frog tape as it’s less likely to damage the walls). I wanted to make sure there was a crisp line between the walls and the skirting boards and ceilings which you just can’t achieve painting free-hand. Although if you live in an old property like ours and have wonky walls then it just adds to the character so don’t worry too much! We also had to fix a damp patch on the ceiling that was caused by a leaky radiator. My top tip is to paint over a damp patch an oil-based paint first as the stain will just seep through emulsion. We put a couple of coats of white gloss on the (dry) damp patch and then painting the whole ceiling in white emulsion to freshen it up.

Our bedroom is quite a small space and we didn’t have anywhere to move the bedroom furniture to so we ended up painting the dark walls in sections. Especially behind the heavy double wardrobe! It takes longer to paint a room this way, but it’s the best option if you don’t want to be hauling furniture around constantly!

Two coats of the fabulous Stiffkey Blue later and we just had to touch-up those edges. With an architect and budding interior designer living in this home there was no way we could sleep at night knowing the lines weren’t clean (we are really quite sad aren’t we!?). Already we could tell that the dark walls did not make the space feel smaller. A traditional cottage like ours wouldn’t have had any coving originally and so we decided not to add any in as it actually makes the ceilings feel higher then they are. With the right accessories to warm the bedroom up and give some contrast to the dark walls, it was going to look fabulous! A large mirror placed on the chimney breast to reflect light and my two pieces of treasured artwork which was the inspiration behind this room.

Once the ceiling was painted and had dried, we put up the vintage brass light fitting that I bought from Ebay for just under £25. Adding a filament squirrel cage light bulb just adds to the mid-century vibe and gives a glorious warm glow to the bedroom too. This light-fitting casts the most awesome shadows across the ceiling and created a great atmosphere.

I bought a few of these edison style light bulbs from Amazon as I couldn’t decide on a shape – they’re all so beautiful! But the others didn’t go to waste as I used them elsewhere – I don’t think I can ever go back to boring bulbs now! We couldn’t have a statement lighting piece like this and not have a light switch to match. This brushed brass toggle switch from Buster and Punch is made from solid metal with a diamond-cut toggle which is so smooth to flick on an off. The detail even down to the penny buttons (penny comes with delivery to tighten the screws) is on point and gives such a sleek finish to this room. I love the contrast of the brushed brass against this deep and moody Stiffkey Blue too. This toggle switch is in fact my fiance’s favourite thing in the whole room!

As we’ve only recently moved in together it was important for our bedroom to reflect both of us. My fiance’s style is minimalist, coastal and white whereas I love colour! But the Stiffkey Blue’s roots are from the Norfolk Coast and so with some key accessories to tie-in both of our characters – I knew I could pull this scheme off.

I have a set of two of these vintage white vases hand-blown in Poland where my Mum is from. The clay dove is made by a Cypriot artist which is where my Dad is from and the copper K are my fiance’s and son’s initial from… Oliver Bonas ; )

These coastal cushions from Space & Shape give a touch of the nautical to the bedroom and the fabric gives a cosy rustic feel to this otherwise sleek room. It’s a hat-tip to my fiance’s love of sailing, although my mum also loved these cushions and tried to nick them! For £10 off your first order at Space & Shape, just use code welcome during checkout.

I love how the dark walls look different at various times of the day. The Stiffkey Blue tones range from a deep blue to almost black on an overcast day. The small painting you can see below was my son’s first-ever painting that he brought home from pre-school (tool of choice – toothbrush). I already had a cheap frame lying around and so I simply painted the mount using the Stiffkey Blue to make the frame look more luxurious.

Some more finishing touches with the bedspread and some new cushions to tie-in the scheme as well as some pieces for the bedside tables to add a bit more of our own personality. I love the new sentiments range from Yankee Candles. They smell amazing and can’t help but put a smile on your face with their uplifting words – a good gift idea for Christmas!

And so here you have it…. my final bedroom! The painting above the bed was a gift from my mum and I’ve always loved the colours and the fun element in the art work. I wanted the painting to pop out and be the feature on this wall and so the bedding is complementary rather than competitive. And I think it works!

Still can’t keep the little one off my bed though ; )

I’ve since added a shelf in the alcove – take a look here: But first… let me take a shelfie
Natalia xo