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Box (Re)fresh
How to Decorate a Box Room
Think small spaces can’t be spectacular? Think again. Our co-founder Frieda Gormley reveals how she transformed the box room in her family’s Cornish home into a personal sanctuary.
“The box room was the smallest space in the house and had the least amount of character, apart from a pretty Georgian window. It served as a bit of a dumping ground until I spent a week convalescing in it – I then found the size to be very cocooning. So, I took it on as a personal challenge to transform the room from drab to magical!”
"It all started with a sample of the ARTEMIS carpet from our Axminster collection, woven from pure British wool in a beautiful blush pink. It was lying on my desk beside some other samples and the colours really sung to each other, so that was that.
I always encourage wallpapering all four walls (if not five, like I did here by taking ARTEMIS onto the ceiling). Alternatively, if you’re on a budget, just coat the ceiling in print and paint the walls – a contrasting ceiling is so unexpected, dramatic and fun.”
“ARTEMIS on all four walls feels like being immersed in a fairy-tale woodland; the carpet is like stepping out of bed into a garden of flowers.”
It’s much easier than you might think to hang wallpaper by yourself – our step-by-step guide tells you everything you need to know, and our in-house experts are always on hand to give you advice.
"It all started with a sample of the ARTEMIS carpet from our Axminster collection, woven from pure British wool in a beautiful blush pink. It was lying on my desk beside some other samples and the colours really sung to each other, so that was that.
I always encourage wallpapering all four walls (if not five, like I did here by taking ARTEMIS onto the ceiling). Alternatively, if you’re on a budget, just coat the ceiling in print and paint the walls – a contrasting ceiling is so unexpected, dramatic and fun.”
“ARTEMIS on all four walls feels like being immersed in a fairy-tale woodland; the carpet is like stepping out of bed into a garden of flowers.”
It’s much easier than you might think to hang wallpaper by yourself – our step-by-step guide tells you everything you need to know, and our in-house experts are always on hand to give you advice.
“Pink is one of my favourite colours for the interior, but it’s about ensuring it’s not too saccharine. A darker colour, in this case ‘Petrol’ blue, toughens it up a little. Using the same wallpaper print in two different colours also creates depth and interest. I like to work in a very cohesive colour palette, usually drawn from the tones within the wallpaper. Coordinating the colours brings harmony to a room, which is so important.
A room’s magic is revealed through the layering of personal objects, memories and textiles. Art is very important to frame a space and bring in new sight lines, so I furnished the box room with a few pieces by Cornish artist Richard Ballinger.
Another key feature was the half-tester Art Nouveau-style bed by Wessex Beds; its simple lines and warm chestnut colour were perfect for the mood I wanted to create. I had some fun reupholstering the headboard in ARTEMIS ‘Blush’ velvet, which helps to add some lightness to the room.
For the curtains I opted for the ANACONDA cut-velvet in teal-toned ‘Petrol’ – its textured snake motif is a cool way of doing plain colour. The finishing touch was a knitted patchwork blanket, made for the Help Refugees charity by a wonderful 94-year-old named Jean.”
“The overall effect is bold yet harmonious, cosy yet cool. It’s a dreamy, otherworldly sanctuary of a room – the perfect place to curl up in and feel held during these uncertain times.”
“Pink is one of my favourite colours for the interior, but it’s about ensuring it’s not too saccharine. A darker colour, in this case ‘Petrol’ blue, toughens it up a little. Using the same wallpaper print in two different colours also creates depth and interest. I like to work in a very cohesive colour palette, usually drawn from the tones within the wallpaper. Coordinating the colours brings harmony to a room, which is so important.
A room’s magic is revealed through the layering of personal objects, memories and textiles. Art is very important to frame a space and bring in new sight lines, so I furnished the box room with a few pieces by Cornish artist Richard Ballinger.
Another key feature was the half-tester Art Nouveau-style bed by Wessex Beds; its simple lines and warm chestnut colour were perfect for the mood I wanted to create. I had some fun reupholstering the headboard in ARTEMIS ‘Blush’ velvet, which helps to add some lightness to the room.
For the curtains I opted for the ANACONDA cut-velvet in teal-toned ‘Petrol’ – its textured snake motif is a cool way of doing plain colour. The finishing touch was a knitted patchwork blanket, made for the Help Refugees charity by a wonderful 94-year-old named Jean.”
“The overall effect is bold yet harmonious, cosy yet cool. It’s a dreamy, otherworldly sanctuary of a room – the perfect place to curl up in and feel held during these uncertain times.”
Shop Frieda's Edit
Top Tip
"When it comes to decorating your own small space, my advice would be that these are the rooms where you can afford to take a real risk! So follow your fantasies – if it becomes your own bolthole of escapism then it will be well worth the effort!”
Top Tip
"When it comes to decorating your own small space, my advice would be that these are the rooms where you can afford to take a real risk! So follow your fantasies – if it becomes your own bolthole of escapism then it will be well worth the effort!”
DIY: As Easy as ABC
Ready to get started? Our online made-to-measure service makes it incredibly easy to create your dream curtains and blinds. Then when it comes to hanging wallpaper, all you need is a swipe of adhesive paste and a little insider know-how, courtesy of our step-by-step guide.
DIY: As Easy as ABC
Ready to get started? Our online made-to-measure service makes it incredibly easy to create your dream curtains and blinds. Then when it comes to hanging wallpaper, all you need is a swipe of adhesive paste and a little insider know-how, courtesy of our step-by-step guide.
Little Green Book
Our House was founded on the guiding principles of creativity with purpose, integrity in our actions and compassion for our planet and people, which is why we strive to use only sustainably crafted, re-purposed or antique pieces wherever we can. Here in our Little Green Book, we list the people and places we sourced our planet friendly pieces and ‘future heirlooms’.
HOUSE OF HACKNEY
Paint, wallpaper, curtains, fabric, tiles
houseofhackney.com
AXMINSTER CARPETS
Carpets, House of Hackney x Axminster Carpets
houseofhackney.com
WESSEX BEDS
Antique bedsteads and frames.
wessexbeds.co.uk
HELP THE REFUGEES
Handmade blanket, knitted in aid of Help Refugees
Little Green Book
Our House was founded on the guiding principles of creativity with purpose, integrity in our actions and compassion for our planet and people, which is why we strive to use only sustainably crafted, re-purposed or antique pieces wherever we can. Here in our Little Green Book, we list the people and places we sourced our planet friendly pieces and ‘future heirlooms’.
HOUSE OF HACKNEY
Paint, wallpaper, curtains, fabric, tiles
houseofhackney.com
AXMINSTER CARPETS
Carpets, House of Hackney x Axminster Carpets houseofhackney.com
HELP THE REFUGEES
Handmade blanket, knitted in aid of Help Refugees
WESSEX BEDS
Antique bedsteads and frames.
wessexbeds.co.uk