Sleep in BEAUTY

A timeless approach to design led to a dark, dreamy bedroom for a New Plymouth couple. It's a true exercise in smoke and mirrors, with wallpaper to match

- Caroline Moratti

Transforming a white bedroom into a dusky, opulent boudoir could be considered a gamble to some, but to Gina Fabish it was a risk that has paid off. The New Plymouth artist is a lover of all things timeless and it can be seen in her decor, which looks like a page ripped out of the most bone-achingly, glamorous history book. “I’m super passionate about all things vintage and maximising the spaces we have while being resourceful,” she says. The resulting space is dark in all the right ways, allowing for a sense of calm to ripple through the rich linens.

Your bedroom before was very much a white blank canvas. What inspired the change to moody, luxurious dark tones? We’d originally painted the bedroom all white around eight years ago. As it’s a small space, which gets very little natural light, it seemed the logical thing to do. It was perfectly fine and nice, however it always felt a little flat and lacked dimension. I’m inspired by how spaces make you feel so I decided to embrace how the room is naturally and go darker. The darker tone enhances the quality of the light from the window and it now feels so calming.

Meet & greet

Gina (photographer, designer and vintage shop owner) and Rick Fabish (builder) and their four daughters.