I painted every piece of wood in this bedroom the same petrol blue, then wallpapered above it. The result feels like waking up in a storybook.
Bedrooms get the safest treatment in most homes. Soft grey, white bedding, done. I wanted the opposite: a room that wraps around you like a velvet coat.
The trick: colour-drenching the woodwork
Instead of painting the walls and leaving the trim white, I painted everything wooden the same petrol blue: the new panelling, skirting, door, door frame and window frames. When it all matches, the room stops looking busy and starts looking deliberate.
The wallpaper
Above the panelling, a small-scale leafy print in cream, blue and green. Small prints are the secret to adding pattern without overwhelming a room you need to sleep in. From the bed it reads as texture; up close it’s a little garden.
What I did
- Fitted MDF panelling to 1.2 m high (a picture rail height also works).
- Primed, then painted panelling, door and frames in eggshell petrol blue. Two coats.
- Hung the wallpaper above, starting from the window and working away from the light.
- Kept the furniture warm and wooden so the blue doesn’t feel cold.
- Added a round table for morning orange juice. Non-negotiable.
Budget
Panelling and trim: €210. Paint: €95. Wallpaper (5 rolls): €240. Total: about €545, with furniture I already owned.
Would I do it again?
Instantly. It’s the room I’m happiest to wake up in, and it photographs like a boutique hotel.
