Before & After: A Yorkshire Bedroom Goes from Beige to Beautiful
IKEA, as a store and a concept, can be pretty divisive. On one hand, there are those IKEA zealots who hold the low-priced furniture retailer in the same regard as a church—fanatically obsessed, somewhat understandably, with the store’s seemingly limitless bounty of affordable designs. On the other hand, there are those that seem to have taken on IKEA-bashing as their own personal mission, taking any opportunity to deride the company’s ubiquity and assumed shoddy quality. I’ve never quite understood these detractors, though. While I wouldn’t align myself as far as the zealots, I have to say that I do love me some IKEA. With the right vision, a bit of imagination, and a willingness to assemble flat-packed furniture, IKEA designs can be made to compliment almost any space beautifully (and the affordability is a major plus)! This project, sent to us by Yorkshire-based blogger Anna Nicholson, is a perfect example.
Faced with a bedroom that looked like something out of Privet Drive in Harry Potter and a relatively finite budget, Anna and her husband Mat knew that they would need to get creative—and creative they got! “We moved into the house a few months ago,” Anna writes, “and have begun gradually dragging the décor out of the 1970s. The bedroom was our first major project, and we knew we wanted to bring in some bright colors and be more daring decorators than before. So we went with greys, turquoise blue and bright yellow and weren’t afraid to mix patterns and prints.With a whole house to renovate, we kept the cost as low as possible by shopping at IKEA, DIYing and upcycling.”
After removing some built-in cabinets that were doing nothing for the space, Anna and Mat wasted no time in completely transforming the room. With large pieces purchased at IKEA, the couple dotted the space with family heirlooms and simple DIY projects, all tied together with a bright, refreshing palette. The end result, despite being a mashup of sources and time periods, is beautifully cohesive. It is a energizing, fresh space that is modern while still complimentary of the older pieces in the room. Check out all of the photos, Anna DIY tips, and furniture sources after the jump! —Max
