New interior project – a chic boutique hotel style bedroom

I’m really excited to share with you my latest interior project – a chic boutique hotel style bedroom in cool Shoreditch. I probably say this every time but I think this is my favourite yet! The previously dark, masculine space has been transformed into a calming neutral sanctuary with a show stopping, very almost black feature wall. It feels effortlessly stylish and oozes understated luxury, thanks to warm, tactile materials, sculptural art-inspired details and brass accents. Let’s have a look around!

Interior design and photography: Cate St Hill

You might remember this cosy beige bedroom and this cool pink and black home office that I designed in 2019. Content with the results, the lovely clients invited me back to makeover their main bedroom in the same loft-style apartment. Taking inspiration from both, and the raw industrial surroundings of the building, I created an elegant scheme that would allow the clients to feel as if they were going to sleep in a boutique hotel style bedroom every night. There’s nothing like crawling into your own bed, but if that felt like your favourite hotel, what luxury that would be!

The dark wall echoes that of the home office, while the soft beige presents a lighter version of the guest bedroom. I think it helps to form a cohesive home if you carry elements through from room to room – it could be something as simple as a colour, the shape of a lamp or the metal of your fixtures and fittings. That repetition and rhythm brings everything together and helps form a common theme.

The room is naturally fairly dark, so instead of fighting it and trying and failing to make it brighter, we’ve added a dark feature wall to give a rich, cosy feel. The pale beige of the wardrobes and bed prevent the black from making the space feel too dingy or cold. White would feel too much of a contrast, but beige warms everything up. The black tone is carried through to the bedside tables, bench at the end of the bed and accessories throughout the space.

Some people might say feature walls are a bit out of fashion, but I think it works here. Painting all the walls dark can sometimes make a small space look bigger, but I think in this case it paid to take a more delicate approach and use the dark tone sparingly. It forms a more dramatic backdrop behind the bed and provides an element of surprise when you walk through the door.

The design was commissioned just as the second (or was it third? I lost count…) winter lockdown got underway. I had just enough time to revisit the property to measure up and take photos, then the rest of the design process was carried out virtually, with Skype meetings and WhatsApp messages to keep everyone in the loop. Then along came our baby and now finally, almost a year later, I got to return to the property and finally see the beautiful space in person.

I’m so pleased with the results and I’m thrilled to share my photos on here today and reveal the before and after. The space has the same bare bones – the wardrobes, the exposed brick walls, the same layout. But somehow it feels like a different room. It’s warmer and more welcoming; somewhere you want to rest a while and enjoy. I think it’s a good example of how the right paint can transform a room and bring it to life. I think it also shows how a room can be neutral and minimalist in style, but still pack a punch – with subtle texture and timeless, quality details.

There’s lots of clever elements that all work together. I love how the fluted headboard mimics the lines of the wardrobes and how the element of brass is repeated throughout the space, from the lighting, to the mirror, to the light switches. Wooden frames, a cane bench, a cosy Moroccan-style rug and waffle linen all help to bring warmth and comfort. The bedding is kept simple, letting the gallery wall – with its mix of frames and abstract forms – shine and be the star of the show.

Storage was an issue before. Now they have a lift-up bed to maximise space. And on the other side of the room, a large chest of drawers fits neatly under the window – again echoing the fluted lines of the bed and the brass details in the rest of the space. Light floods in through the industrial style windows, but can be blackened out at night with luxurious floor-to-ceiling linen curtains. There’s a desk in the corner (a must in a post pandemic, working from home world) with some minimalist black shelves that follow the lines of the window frames. Everything is calm and considered.

So there you have it – a chic boutique hotel style bedroom. I think the big winner for me is painting the mid-grey wardrobes the same colour as the walls. They blend into the background and help make the space feel more expansive. They’re no longer dominating the space or making it feel dingy. Now the bedroom has a rich, luxurious quality that’s contemporary but timeless at the same time.

Below is the view from the door to the room – what a beautiful sight to see every night, don’t you agree?

I haven’t shared a source list of where everything is from because to be honest, that’s what my clients hire me for – access to my little black book of recommended retailers, makers and brands. But if you have any questions please let me know in the comments and I will happily answer. I hope you like this one as much as I do!