Our most recent project has been to swap George’s room and the spare room.
After some sorting and wardrobe building George moved into his new room over the summer holidays, so we have been de-Georging his old room and making it habitable for all the guests we have coming to stay.
Hah! We never have people coming to stay, but you never know!
I was allocated the task of decorating. My twitter followers had to put up with me moaning about how it dragged on. You see, Edwardians, they loved their painted woodwork, so our house is crammed with more picture rails, deep skirtings, architraves and fitted cupboards than you can shake a painty stick at. This meant lots of sanding down, priming and top coating to ensure the heinous yellowy cream gloss paint got covered entirely. I wanted the walls to be a cool grey. The paint we chose in the end was called Chic Shadow. A bit 80’s sounding, Dulux, but it works just fine, especially against the bright white of the newly painted original cast iron fireplace and some fresh new bedding.
As the room still has a lot of original features we chose a traditional metal bedstead and, for the moment, the hefty chests of drawers that we rescued from the army surplus store nearby are sticking around…until we decide to swap or paint them. It’s also a good home for my lovely walnut and lime jewellery box that Ed made me a few years ago.
Ed spent a day in the workshop designing and making a couple of simple, but elegant beech bedside tables. I gave them a couple of coats of lime wax to blend them in to the colour scheme and now they are ready to receive coffee stains, tissue boxes and iPhone chargers.
The room has a most excellent view across the valley, better than our room to be honest. I can’t deny that I occasionally go and sit in there for no better reason than to watch the tiny little milk tankers visiting the wee dairy farms on the distant hillside.
Ed tells me that they are not tiny, they are just far away. But I like them anyway.
One of my favourite additions is a framed print of my favourite Instagrams of the year. Every photo holds a memory so it makes me smile every time I look at it.
So there you go. Spare room, pretty much complete. Now there really is no excuse.
The kitchen must be next.
Kiki
November 3, 2013
Wow – who wouldn’t want to be a guest in this room! It looks gorgeous, and all the furnishings are totally my taste.
Lorna
November 3, 2013
It is gorgeous and I love the fireplace – we lived in Victorian and Edwardian houses when in the UK and it has suddenly made me miss them very much. Fabulous room
thingswemake.co.uk
November 4, 2013
Thanks Lorna – we are lucky that we have those fireplaces in almost every room. Sometimes they cause a bit of a draught though!
Sally
November 3, 2013
Beautiful. I love those dove grey walls. I would sneak in there all the time.
Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide
November 3, 2013
Our guest room isn’t nearly as nice and we have no takers either. Yours looks like a B&B.
thingswemake.co.uk
November 4, 2013
The funny thing is, when we were younger and didn’t have a spare room we had people stopping over all the time. As soon as you get organised and get your house sorted people have families and jobs and less time and there’s no one to use it! Nice to have though.
Oh – and this house was run as a B&B at one point too!
thegoodwifeguide
November 3, 2013
Love this colour, I’ve been trying to find a grey that’s chic but doesn’t make a room look or feel cold. Xx
thingswemake.co.uk
November 4, 2013
Yes, I was worried about it looking cold, but I think the white details help and it is a south facing room so the light is warm. I am glad I didn’t pod out double the money on a fancy Farrow and Ball paint.
thegoodwifeguide
November 5, 2013
Which number chalk mist did you use? I hope you don’t mind but I’m stealing your lovely idea for our spare room! Xx
thingswemake.co.uk
November 6, 2013
Hi, it’s Dulux ‘Chic Shadow’.
thegoodwifeguide
November 6, 2013
duh lol xxx
Stephanie
November 3, 2013
I’d come stay in that room. Its beautiful.
Kat
November 4, 2013
Please may I come to stay?
A Taste of Wintergreen
November 4, 2013
Wow – how beautiful. I’d come visit in a flash!
thefolia
November 4, 2013
Breathtaking! I am certain visitors will arrive now and they will not want to leave that cozy room! What does George’s room look like now? Happy Nesting!
thingswemake.co.uk
November 4, 2013
George’s room is really cool, we pimped his bed with colour changing lights and a wall vinyl:

thefolia
November 5, 2013
Cool!
acraftymind2013
November 5, 2013
I I love this room.
Jamie Sarner
November 6, 2013
The colour! Love the shade of grey and the delicate balance with the white. Wouldn’t mind this particular combination in my place too.
MrsBigSi
November 6, 2013
Ahh i love it – we did our new bedroom in Chic shaddow a while back, i wanted a white company style bedroom. Your blog makes me so happy! More baking now if you please x
thingswemake.co.uk
November 6, 2013
Ah, thank you! There will be cake soon MrsBigSi 🙂
mymess
November 7, 2013
nice room!
amsyybar
December 27, 2013
Reblogged this on INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS and commented:
thing you most to know
Dee at the Carlton
March 15, 2014
I love your spare bedroom – so beautiful!