Before and after: from bland and boring to bright and beautiful bedroom

An attic bedroom held a lot of appeal for the owners, but, unhappy with the ordinary decor and lack of storage, they set about giving it a complete makeover

bedroom with dark green walls and grey wallpaper
(Image credit: TBC)

Many homeowners dream of converting their loft to create extra living space, so the couple who bought this four-bedroom semi in London were delighted that the hard work had already been done for them. Their attic bedroom was practically ready to go - it was structurally sound and filled with light.

Get your makeover off to a flying start with our bedroom ideas

The only problem was it was blank and ordinary, and not at all to their tastes. There was also a major lack of storage space.

bedroom with dark green walls and grey wallpaper

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

The pair tackled the problem room with colour. 'It's a lovely light space, so we knew it could take a strong shade,' they say. 'We went for the darkest green we could find and were slightly nervous when we painted an initial tester patch. We put wallpaper behind the bed to zone the space and went for the houses pattern to add some interest.'

Get the look
Buy now: Invisible Green Absolute Matt Emulsion, £43.50 for 2.5ltr, Little Greene
Buy now: 
Hampstead Cool Grey wallpaper, £70.50 per roll, Wallpaper Direct

bedroom with white wardrobe and bedside table

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

Storage was the biggest headache. With the French doors on one side, the only suitable place was under the sloping ceiling. 'We could see we'd waste room if we bought standard units and we couldn't find anything we liked anyway,' say the owners. A friend recommended a local company that provides bespoke solutions, so they decided this would be the best way to maximise space and get the look they wanted.

It took six weeks for the wardrobes to be made, which gave the owners a chance to focus on the rest of the room. 'We didn't like the pine floor, as it didn't match our existing furniture,' they say. 'We hate clashing wood colours, so we painted it white.'

Get the look
Buy now: Similar Ideal Home Foster Metal Bed Frame with Mattress Options, from £329, Very
Buy now:
Similar Ideal Home Freydis Table Lamp, £49.99, Very

bedroom with dark green walls and view towards window

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

Wanting the walls to be the star, the couple chose plain white curtains for the doors, but in a thick fabric so that they wouldn't be woken up at dawn.

bedroom with relaxing wooden chair and colorful cushions

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

The armchair was an eBay find and it was given a new seat cover to match the grey rug on the floor.

bedroom with view to ensuite

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

In order to keep the renovation costs down and avoid wastage, the owners wanted to make sure the colour scheme would work with their existing furniture. Two chests of drawers they had brought from their old house were painted in mushroom and grey, and these versatile neutrals tie in perfectly with the dark walls.

Get the look
Buy now: Similar Ideal Home Normandy 4 + 2 Drawer Chest, £299, Very

bedroom with bright walls and colorful cushions

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

Next up: Before and after: the original hearth tiles inspired this classic bedroom makeover

Now that the decorating is complete, both husband and wife couldn't be happier. Their loft bedroom is now exactly to their tastes: colourful without being overly feminine. Unsurprisingly, they have earmarked it as their own space - and we can definitely see why.