NEW interior project – a minimalist monochrome bedroom and ensuite, designed by me!

Today I’m so excited to reveal a minimalist monochrome bedroom and ensuite that I designed recently for a client! This is the first project of mine that I’ve ever featured on the blog beyond my own home – some clients, quite understandably, don’t want their home published to the world, while others opt for one or two consultations for advice on much smaller re-style projects. So I’m thrilled these homeowners let me come back and take some snaps for my site! I hope you like this project as much as I do…

This was one of my first big projects as a solo designer – a complete renovation of a three bedroom Victorian maisonette in south west London, including a new kitchen and two new bathrooms. The property had been used as a rental and hadn’t been decorated in decades while the owners had been living abroad. It needed gutting – replacing rotten windows, installing new internal doors and handles, ripping up the carpet for wooden flooring, repainting and so on. I’ll be revealing the rest of the space shortly, but for now it’s time to take a peek inside the master bedroom and ensuite.

[interior design, styling and photography: Cate St Hill]

The minimalist monochrome bedroom
When I first visited the property, the bedroom and bathroom were two separate spaces. On the top floor of the Victorian conversion, the bathroom was a teeny space in the eaves, accessed from the hallway. The bedroom next door felt dark and cramped, with beige carpet, dark wood doors and two big, hefty wardrobes. The bed was pushed up against the wall under the window and there wasn’t much room to move around it with the sloping ceiling above.

Immediately I saw the potential to create a more generous master bedroom with a more luxurious ensuite that could appeal to potential buyers if they ever did come to sell. We closed off the door to the bathroom from the hallway and created a new opening from the bedroom, where one of the wardrobes had been. Shifting the layout of the bathroom around, and now without the door opening in the middle of one of the walls in the room, we were able to create a wet room that made the space feel instantly lighter and roomier. In the bedroom, the other built-in wardrobe was ripped out and replaced with a space-saving IKEA wardrobe that could fit neatly in next to the bedroom door. It was a bit of a Tetris-like manoeuvre in such a small space, but it’s made the room feel a lot more spacious and intuitive to use.

Above you can see my initial concepts for the master bedroom. I wanted the space to feel calm and tranquil, with light grey walls and pale wooden floors to make the room feel bright and airy. The owners were drawn to neutral decor and minimalist interiors – with the idea of possibly selling in the future, they wanted the space to have an elegant, timeless aesthetic.

To counteract any coldness from the grey tones, I added soft linen textures and natural wood to add an element of warmth. Monochrome details add contrast and little pops of interest in the space.

The bedroom now has a serene, soothing quality, with walls painted in Farrow & Ball Ammonite. At the back of the house, it’s a quiet space that feels cut off from the road and the hubbub of London.

The dark grey linen headboard adds a strong focal point behind the bed, while black Anglepoise lighting adds a functional, utilitarian detail. It’s all about considered, refined details, like the tactile leather handle on the wooden bedside tables.

Linen bedding gives a relaxed, welcoming feel and Beatrice Larkin’s black and white cushions [a press loan – affiliate link] add an element of subtle pattern. With a passion for honest craftsmanship, East London-based Larkin creates modern textiles designed and made in England. A woman after my own heart and not driven by trends, her designs feature geometric patterns inspired by the Bauhaus and Brutalist architecture. The designs start off as inky sketches, before being transformed into jacquard weaves that are woven from merino wool in small batches in Lancashire. The clean, sharp lines of the design contrast beautifully with the soft, organic texture of the wool.

One of my favourite prints by Kristina Krogh, as well as sculptural ceramics from West Elm and Shoulder vase [press loans], tie in with the monochrome theme. I love the natural, rustic quality of the Shoulder vase [affiliate link] by East London ceramicist Lucia Fraser – made by hand, the white stoneware has a satin cream glaze that gives each one a completely unique quality.

On the other side of the room, the original Victorian fireplace has been kept and restored. It would have been such a shame to get rid of this historical detail. In one alcove there’s a small dressing table/desk, and in the other, a cosy, welcoming armchair in the same linen as the head board of the bed.

The ensuite bathroom
And that brings me onto the ensuite bathroom. The key here was making the small footprint feel bigger than it actually was. For that, we needed lots of bright white and simple details to give a clean, uncluttered look.

As you can see, the bathroom turned out pretty close to my initial concept. Before there was a small, enclosed shower cubicle where the door now is, with a unit running along the opposite wall housing the WC and wash basin that ate into the space. By moving the shower and creating a wet room with an open enclosure along one length of the room, we were able to fit in a larger shower tray. The space feels more generous, helped all the more by the minimalist shower screen with that delicate, thin black line framing the shower.

A wall-mounted WC has been neatly slotted in to the left of the door, making room for a minimalist white wash basin next to the shower. Vertical metro tiles with dark grey grout add detail without overpowering the small room. Dark grey encaustic floor tiles in a hexagon shape help ground the space and provide an element of natural tactility.

Black taps and details give a smart contemporary touch to the white-washed room. I love the contrast between the bright white and the dark details – it just makes everything pop. I’ve added some terrazzo-style accessories to bring an element of texture – the soap dish [affiliate link] is from H&M Home and the black speckled soap dispenser is from Habitat [press loan]. The striped towel and the waffle towel are also from H&M Home [affiliate links], as is the basket, which is no longer available online.

I think it really benefitted in this bathroom to keep everything one colour – the black mirror, black shelves, black wall lights – it helps create a sense of cohesion in a small space. By repeating certain elements or shapes – such as the round mirror, the round wall lights, the round shower valve – it creates a unified look that’s appealing and calming to the eye.

So there we have it – a minimalist monochrome bedroom and ensuite bathroom. What do you think? Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about anything!

And if you would like any help with your own home, whether it’s a full renovation like this or a smaller redecoration project, please do get in touch.

I work with a range of budgets and property sizes, whether you’ve just bought your first home or are renting and want to make a space your own. I offer everything from one-off consultations to more involved schemes, helping with colour palettes, storage solutions, furniture sourcing and the final styling. I can even help give you an injection of inspiration if you’re looking to create a new look for less and fall back in love with pieces you’ve already got around the home. My ethos is all about simplicity – I’ll work with you to bring a sense of calm and clarity to your interior, so that it can better connect with you in a more meaningful way.