I created a fresh pastel look with budget DIYS'

When her daughter went travelling, Paula Morton gave her bedroom a makeover in pale shades, to create a serene space for her to come home to

- Paula Morton

Paula Morton and her husband, Andrew, moved into this three-bedroom Edwardian house in Stockport in 2020. When the family moved in, Paula's youngest daughter, Jess, took this room, which hadn't been decorated for years. She initially whitewashed the walls, and furnished the space simply with a clothes rail, bed and dressing table, but over the past three years Paula has given the space a few makeovers. 'When we moved in, we freshened up the space with white paint,' she says. "Then, when Jess was away studying at university, I painted large, pink, geometric shapes on the white walls to bring warmth and colour into her room.

After Jess graduated in 2021, she moved back home, bringing the belongings she'd accumulated while she was away with her, so Paula fitted a mirrored wardrobe into an alcove to store her daughter's growing collection of shoes and clothes. We also installed a reclaimed fireplace in the chimney breast as we wanted to add some period details to the room,' Paula explains, and we replaced the old carpet with a hard-wearing wood-effect laminate flooring, which is much more durable.'

THE PROJECT

When Jess left home to go travelling, Paula thought it was the perfect time to give this room another overhaul, ready for when she got home. 'After Jess went backpacking in Asia, I decided to make over her room by injecting colour into the space,' Paula says. 'I didn't want her bedroom to look empty and unloved while she was away, and I wanted Jess to have a beautiful bedroom to come home to.' She decided to use a combination of DIY panelling and statement wallpaper to revitalise the space, picking a pastel palette for a restful feel.

WHAT WE DID