CALM & collected

Andrea Wilson mixed new with recycled to turn a tired, unused bedroom into a soothing sanctuary for her guests

- SEÁN O'CONNELL

After renovating the rest of their Victorian terrace, Andrea Wilson and Will Saunders turned their attention to the third and final bedroom. It was the room the couple had slept in while the rest of the house was being tackled, so they knew it had the potential to be an ideal guest bedroom. The fact that it was devoid of colour and needed completely new décor, carpet, and furniture, didn't faze Andrea, for whom interior design is a hobby. "This room was very dated and tired, with wallpaper literally falling off the walls. But that only provided me with even more scope to do just what I liked,' she says. The key to getting it right, according to Andrea, was having a clear vision of the feel she wanted to achieve the main aspect being that it had to be light and inviting and giving herself lots of time to source items well in advance.

CREATING COSINESS

'As you want your guests to relax and feel at home, it's important not to make the room seem too formal,' says Andrea. 'One way to achieve this is by adding colour through the bedding and cushions. Also, rather than opting for a bed in a contemporary style, I thought a traditional iron bedstead would look comforting - as well as being good and sturdy! It was our biggest outlay, but we saved money elsewhere by recycling and repainting other items.'

PROFILE

THE OWNERS