bedroom
building my room from scratch
i'm moving back in with my mum
after 3 years of uni
travelling indonesia
living in a holiday let
and finally a year in new Zealand
it's a big step to take
but i love my mum so it's all cool
she finally brought a lovely home in cromer
and i have the 'box' room
you know the tiny room that's meant to be an office
yeah that's going to be my den
i'm super excited to make it my home
and doing it all as sustainable as possible
so let's jump right in
content
check out my youtube channel for videos of each stage
and more on how i physically built the room
moodboard
i straight away opened up my pinterest app
and started to create a moodboard
piling together colours and features i wanted for my room
as you can see i wanted a rustic feel to the place
very simplistic. lots of white, wood & plants
something peaceful and natural looking
a very minimalist style to the place
somewhere i can go, relax and unwind
a little eco haven
making an inspo board is a great way to keep on track
a place to come back to for inspiration and guidance
each time your out and about shopping
keeping in mind colours, textures and style
so you don't over buy or get anything that you don't need
things that wont fit in with the style of the room
but instead only purchase items you will defiantly use
I aim to downsize and minimise my junk
after living out of a backpack for the last year
and moving a lot between homes before that
i know that i don't need a lot to get by
and i want to start this new chapter
with a clear head and a clear space
so a simplistic raw style
with little details
lots of plants
and hints of me
to make the place pop
colour palette
Wall Colour
Secondary Colour
Metal Features
Foliage
Light Wood Features
Primary Colour
layout
it's a compact space
four walls in a rectangular shape
with a large window at one end
and a door taking up half the other end
it is 208cm x 287cm
the purpose of this room was to sleep and work
so a bed and desk were key components
i'm going with a rustic industrial vibe
i shall be building a pallet bed that will take up most of the space
then adding light wood and metal features to bring it together
such as a fisherman's light, a metal stool and some pipe brackets
also adding some more natural rustic tones
like a jute runner and lots of foliage
i shall be making a gallery wall
of mine, my friends and people i loves art
to cover the west facing wall
that will bring together all the tones of the room
Room Mock Up
before
as you can see i have a long way to go to get my desired result
this room is a lot of potential
yes it is horrendously blue
but that was nothing a lick of paint couldn't solve
a tall ceiling and the big window let in tonnes of light
making the space seem much larger than it was
its north facing so i get all day light
plus the most beautiful sunrises & sunsets
the window is double glazed which is great for regulating temperature
keeping the room nice and toasty in the winter and cooler in the summer
there is a carpet already laid
however, i doubt i shall use it as it is not my style
plus its quite stained and gross
i shall be removing the curtain rod and blinds
to replace with a more aesthetic version
all in all its a great blank space to work from so lets begin
first step
a blank canvas
for my first step i wanted to strip the place back
creating a blank canvas for me to work with
so that meant painting it white
when sourcing eco friendly paint you want to find something
without harmful odours, chemical, or added solvents
the things to consider are VOC level
(volatile organic compounds)
these relate to the toxic off-gassing from the paint
you want to choose paints with low to no VOC content
also look out for harmful ingredients such as ammonia or formaldehyde
some brands to consider are
earthborn's clay-paint
farrow & ball water-based paint
Eco's organic water-based paints (which are great for allergy sufferers)
these brand create paint from natural sources like water or clay
instead of chemicals which are much better for you and the environment
the floor
a more natural look
after I had painted
i stripped up the carpet
to see what lied beneath
and found this beautiful wooden flooring
i'm not a big fan of carpet
i find it attracts too much dust and stains so easily
having asthma dust is my worst enemy
so anything i can do to prevent it i shall
i much prefer a wooden anyway and could let this beauty get covered up
i did consider a cork flooring which would have been lovely but pricey
and since i had a free wooden floor anyways i went with that
i also chipped off the paint on the skirting board
it was badly put on and was coming off anyways
i presume the previous tenants had painted wall paint on the wood
and that never ends well
i had to bang in the nails and give it a sand
but after a bit of TLC and a lot of elbow grease
it didn't look half bad
this also made the transition
from white wall to wooden floor much more pleasing to the eye
the desk
a secondhand ladder desk
when deciding what desk to place in my room i wanted something simple
a desk that didn't take up much room, or wasn't heavy and dark
but minimalistic holding exactly what i need
a flat surface to place my laptop, then a couple of shelves for bits and bobs
after searching through pinterest a little
i came across ladder desks
a simple structure
two pieces of wood slanted against the wall
then a few planks laying flat across them
i was going to make my own out of scrap wood
however my sister had a brand new bamboo one that she gave me
as her new place already had a desk
so waste not want not
i nabbed it
and attached it to the wall with just two screws
and bobs ya uncle
it was originally from the futon company if you are interested
the bed
my very own pallet bed
i've been wanting to build my own palette bed for years
make something that fits exactly in the space
with no give or movement. like tetras
making it on my own and how i want it and with my own two hands
this was going to be fun
i'll be building it high
all the way up to the window to cover up the radiator
and also give lots of room underneath to build some draws
as i am in desperate need for storage
the bed shall be the biggest piece of furniture
as with most bedrooms
so i need to think carefully about it's size
since I'm building this myself i can choose the size of it
i just need to decide wether to be stingy and go for a smaller shape
as to give myself more room to move
or do i upgrade and stretch the width to a more comfortable size
but in turn loose some floor space.
considering mattress sizes
a single mattress is 90x190cm
a three quarter size mattress is 120x190cm
& a double size mattress is 135x190cm
the space i have is 208x287cm
208 being the width and 287 being the length
so the bed shall be 208cm long
an then i think i shall go for a 3/4 size bed as it'll give me that
little bit extra space without taking up the whole room
layout
bird's eye view
window wall at eye level
outside wall at eye level
door wall at eye level
inside wall at eye level
my pallets are 1m x 1.2m
the space is 208cm x 287cm
radiator
radiator
radiator
radiator
got the one i like
now to figure out the mattress position
and organise the space around it
storage
radiator
pallets
mattress
storage
key
storage
radiator
bed layout
hardwood
to stop the draft
Once i had pulled up the carpet
the flooring underneath although beautiful
did have a few gaps in it
which brought in quite a draft
so to combat this i placed down a layer of hardwood
which I found at my dad's yard
and cut to an exact measure to fit perfectly in the space under the bed
around the radiator and pipe
side table
d.i.y
i've been thinking about how to incorporate a side table into my design.
somewhere to attach a plug adaptor and have my phone, alarm, lamp, etc
since the radiator makes the bed stick out from the wall creating gaps either side,
I thought why not add a ledge in between the bed and the wall,
creating a surface for me to place stuff on,
whilst also stopping stuff falling down the side of the bed.
using pieces of scrap pallets and screws i found lying around the house.
I have created a simple lowercase n shaped frame,
i used four pieces of pallet wood as the legs.
since the gap is 18cm and the wood is 9cm wide I have attached two pieces
next to one another with a piece of hardwood and a couple screws.
then I placed a 2cm wide piece of wood down the back to hold them in place
and fill in the gap where the skirting makes the wood not sit flush all the way up the wall.
i then decided i wanted to be able to access underneath the ledges,
so i have attached hinges to top pieces.
first i trimmed the back of the legs down the width of the back piece of wood.
allowing it to sit flush with the top of the legs.
then I attached the top piece of wood to the back piece with a couple hinges.
i made two of these for either side on my bed.
on one side i attached an extra shelf with a hole in the corner.
this will allow me to feed charging wires down
to an extension lead i have fixed to one of the legs of the table.
i also made a smaller version of this to cover the gap in front of the radiator.
for the middle piece i attached two 78cm tall legs with L shaped brackets.
i have left a gap between each top piece, and between the outside two and the wall.
this was to allow them to open up with ease and not get jammed.
luckily i found a beautiful piece of wood at my dads yard
that i used as my top layer to all three tables.
this makes it look super slick
back to the bed
the finishing pallets
now the ledges are fitted it's time to finish the bed
since i was attaching a plug adapter to the side table
i needed to cut a section of the pallet out for the plug to fit in
for this i just drew out a section for the plug to fit in
then used a hacksaw, chisel and hammers
to remove the section
i placed another 4 pallets on top of the base pallets
raising the bed up
and creating extra room underneath
I recruited my mate Chloe to give a hand sanding and prepping the pallets
now the pallets are in place I have placed another sheet of hardwood on top
covering the gaps in the pallets to stop a draft
also creating a smooth and flat surface
since the pallets I got were old and upcycled
I didn't want to ruin the mattress from splinters
final bed layout
after placing the pallets and making the side tables
i found that the pallets where misshapen so didn't fit exactly together
leaving not room for a slide out larder cupboard down the bottom
instead i decided to use the gap between the mattress and wall to create a headboard
headboard
since my bed is 208cm long and my mattress is only 190cm
I am going to make a headboard that will fill the gap
i shall be using old scaffolding boards that are not fit for use
and otherwise would be scrapped or used for firewood
as there's an 18cm gap
I am going to slant the boards
creating a much comfier experience
firstly i cut five boards to 120cm
to fit the width of my bed
i laid one board up against the top of the bed
then attached a second standing up
using L shaped brackets inside
and t shaped brackets on the outside
I fixed this to the bottom of the first board
to make a butt against the top of my mattress
stopping it from moving and raising the headboard
i then attached 3 boards side by side by side
with 4 strips of wood laid across them
to secure the boards in place
i screwed one screw into each section of the board
and alternated them as i went along
putting one up one down
this was i create a sturdier board
to attach the two structures together
i sawed out the corner off the standing board
so that the bottom of the top structure
could sit nicely on top
without having a gap
lighting
eco friendly light bulbs
energy saving light bulbs
you can save energy by switching from incandescent light bulbs to cFLs or led bulbs.
these may cost more upfront, however over time they will use less energy and cost less to run.
best lighting for your eyes
also when thinking about lighting you want to consider the effect they will have on your eyes.
bright white and cool florescent tube bulbs and incandescent bulbs emit
the most radiation and cause the most damage to your eyes.
also excessive exposure to blue light from smartphones, tablets and some led lights can damage your eyes.
the choices are
incandescent warm light bulbs: these traditional bulbs provide a warmer light that produces less uv rays than white light, and tend to be the cheapest to buy, however not very energy efficient so end up costing you more.
full spectrum lighting: these types of bulbs simulate natural light and provide a balance of brightness and contrast. said to enhance readability, colour perception, and mood.
led bulbs: the most energy efficient and the most expensive upfront. these bulbs produce no uv rays. available in a range of colours and can provide warm light.
compact fluorescent lighting (cfls): is a fluorescent lamp designed to replace an incandescent light bulb. they contain a tube which is curved or folded. CFLS are also energy efficient, however contain toxic mercury which is hard to dispose of.
my choice
I shall be be going with an led bulb,
since it is the most energy efficient, and has the longest lifespan.
it is also recyclable, so disposal isn't such a huge strain on the planet.
plus you can get a warm light version which will be better for my eyes,
and create a cosier feel to my room.
i have gone for the 'LUNNOM LED bulb E27 600 lumen, globe clear glass, 60 mm'
which has an A** energy rating
and a lifespan of approximately 15000 hours.
also it is a warm light reading at 2200 kelvin,
light shades
now for the fun part the shades.
since my room is pretty industrial looking anyway
i thought i'd stick with that theme and get lights to match.
main ceiling light
i've seen lots of different versions of the fisherman's shade
so i search charity shops far and wide for one,
unfortunately i did not come across one.
however, a small little independent light company in my town
had a lovely array and i found a beautiful industrial brushed silver light shade
22cm diameter x 14cm height
I found some 4w flexible led bulbs
which have the Edison look to them fitting in with the style
yet save up to 90% more energy, with a class of A**
producing a warm white light reading at 2200 kelvins.
lamp
as for my lamp i wanted something super warm and cosy feeling.
allowing for my brain to produce lots of melatonin ready for a great nights sleep.
my sister made these incredible ceramic light shades for her degree show.
unfortunately it wasn't big enough to fit as my main shade,
so I've used it as my desk lamp instead.
it is so beautiful!
a ceramic shade with an etched squid
she used a sand blasting method to get this effect.
green energy
light and energy must come from somewhere
in the uk 90% of energy come from the big six;
British gas, EDF Energy, E.On, NPower, Scottish Power & SSE.
These Companies aren't sustainable
they get their energy from fossil fuels.
nonrenewable and damaging means of power.
ecotricty are the uk's leading green energy company
producing 100% green electricity
from their wind and sunmills
also frack-free gas
unfortunately green gas is a rarity in the energy business
however ecotricity produce 12% green gas,
but are in the process of making that higher with green gas mills.
also your money goes back into making green energy
by building new mills, maintaining old ones, developing battery storage
and expanding our national network of electric vehicle charging points.
plug adaptors
i have two surge protected plug adaptors.
surge protection stops damage being caused to your electrical devices from voltage spikes.
which is great if you have lots of precious tech.
as it make sure they wont die, basically.
this is good as it makes your devices last longer, creating less waste.
by having an on off switch on the strip,
or on each socket can help reduce energy wastage
as you can switch off individual power outlets when not in use.
the blind
my window is 100cm x 90cm
and north facing so allowing lots of light in
also since i live in cromer
i can see both the sunrise and set from my window
which is pretty cool
when looking for a blind
the choices were between a
wooden venetian style
or a material roller
i currently have vertical blinds
which i hate with a passion
they hang awkwardly
always get twisted
and flap like crazy in the wind
they are also cream so keep no light out
so there is literally no point in them
i love the style of venetian wooden blinds
they hang horizontally
twisting up and down to allow a little bit of light or a lot
you're also able to push them all the way up
or have them close completely
being wooden they much sturdier so don't flap about
there are also material roller blinds
these are one piece of material that drops down
can be rolled up or sit half way
not a lot of privacy with these though
and they tend to flap
i ended up going for a material roller blind
as my gran had one she didn't end up using
and it fits perfectly with the style of my room
it's also made of linen
so waste not want not, i'm always up for free stuff
my room is on the first floor and faces the road
so i don't have too many peeping toms to worry about
and since i'm an early riser and like the sun waking me up
i wasn't too bothered about having blackout
it is originally from dunelm
a plant shelf
so the plonkers who owned the house before seemed to have wallpapered over the curtain rail
:? derp!!!
i don't really understand
but basically when i took the rail off
their was a few massive gaps in the wall
since it's wallpaper i wasn't sure how to recover them
so i thought i'd just fill in the holes
and cover the area with a shelf
a plant self!
luckily i had an extra piece of the wood i used for the top on my side tables
so i decided to hang it up
attached by two industrial iron brackets
use what you have
sustainability isn't just about having the newest hipster bamboo item
it's about using what you have
making minimal waste
keeping the economy circular
and living harmoniously
a big part of that is to not just throw away what you already own
just to buy a more sustainable version
instead reuse the items you have
this is way more eco and economically friendly
this jute rug i've had for a while now
i got it from Homebase for £30
and it fits perfectly across my room
as it's 60 x 180cm
it also suits my rustic theme
wardrobe
my wardrobe isn't exactly in my room
although it does back onto my wall
it's actually in my mums room
in other words i've commandeered it
i have one section of it with just a rail
i prefer to hang all my clothes up so i know what i own
and can access things easily
without constantly rummaging and messing everything up
there was a lower rail which i removed as i wasn't using it
and it just got in the way off all my long garments
to store my winter and festival clothes in
stuff i don't wear often
and so didn't need to be displayed all year round
i brought some secondhand vintage suitcases
so i didn't have to buy new unsustainable crappy plastic boxes
which will shatter and end up in a landfill
next thing was to make a shoe rack
i thought instead of making a stand
why not just attach some planks to the wall
firstly i placed my tallest shoes down
and measured a few cm above
to know the placement of the bottom plank
i then screwed in some magnetic catches
to use as brackets
for the planks to sit on
i then repeated this upwards till i'd included all my shoes
all the items i used were upcycled from my garage
the planks of wood i found in a skip
and had been in the garage a while
i used the cabinet catches instead of brackets
as i didn't see the need in buying new l shaped brackets
when i could use up these instead as my mums had them for years
all the screws i found in a draw too
donating
when de cluttering
either your room or wardrobe
don't just chuck thing in the bin
if they are in good condition try reselling them
online or at a car boot
why not donate them
to a friend or family member
or pop them into your local charity shop
some charity shops even pick up from your door
how about trying freecycle
this is a great way to reduce your waste
and even make a bit of cash
keeping items in circulation and out of a landfill
never doubt an item will be sold
i've been shocked at the 'junk' i've sold on car boots
you never know what of one mans trash
could be another mans treasure.
my sister donated me her desk as she didn't need it anymore.
since my old room was a lot bigger
i have a few rugs
however since i shall not be needing them anymore
i shall be donating them to a local charity shop
to live a new life in a new home
buying quality
when buying new
consider who you're buying from
what materials it's composed of
where it's being made and in what conditions
look hard and find the best quality items
as they will last longer
feel nicer
and do better
one of my favourite fabrics is linen
Eco-friendly and natural
made from flax
it only requires rainwater to grow
meaning no nasty chemical used
This wondrous plant is made into linen fabric
most commonly grown in europe
under high standard of work quality
it is breathable, hypoallergenic and incredibly resilient
also super comfy
and naturally regulates your body temperature
i made the bed to fit a 3/4 sized mattress
giving myself a bit extra room, without taking up the entire room
however i don't have a mattress to fit this
so I needed to buy a new one
my first new purchase of the project
and to put my money where my mouth is
i did some googling
when searching sustainable mattresses
all the natural organic fibre one cost thousands
surprisingly though 'silentnight' came up
i was hesitant to start but they actually do a really decent eco comfort range
producing products from recycled plastic bottle
approximately 150 per bed and 17 per pillow
and they aren't badly priced either
sustainability is about using what you have as much as buying quality
and since the planet is infested with plastic
we might as well recycle it and put it to good use
the mattress is foam and fr chemical treatment free
also the soft polyester fibres are breathable
and keep you cool all through the night
plus its hypoallergenic with is great when your allergic to everything like i am
i also needed a duvet as mine got given away during my time abroad
again i was looking for something sustainable
and came across the fine bedding company's eco duvet
made from 120 recycled plastic bottle
in an award winning 100% green energy factory
it's a 10.5 tog perfect for both summer and winter
Brisa 100% Linen Bed Set in Dark Teal
Teal is my favourite colour
i used to have teal walls in my old house
however it was so dark, thats why I went for white this time
i still wanted teal accents in the room
i thought at first a teal bed spread would be draining on the room
until i found this set
it has a double needle stitch detail similar to what you see on jeans
and is a light wash teal
which looks great in natural light
luckily i have plenty of light having a north facing window
i thought by adding small white detail
like a throw and cushion
would brighten up the areas to
i struggled a lot to find a 3/4 sized fitted sheet.
especially one in my price range.
i cannot deal with flat sheets they are hells spawn.
john lewis have an Egyptian cotton sheet.
after looking into Egyptian cotton
i found that it is a much more durable material
it is individually hand picked which guarantees a high level of purity
softer, finer and more durable
meaning longer lasting and less wasteful
it's know for being super comfy too
i chose duck egg blue
i don't understand white sheets, white anything really
and again i thought a dark colour would be draining
and i have a soft spot for duck egg blue.
it also looks great with the teal bed set
since i only sleep with one pillow
i wanted a nice cushion so support when working in bed
to brighten up the space i went for a white
i also wanted to use linen
I made the pillow case from scratch
using two 40cm square pieces of fabric
i laid them on top of one another with the pattern side facing inwards
then sewed straight down three of the sides
and attaching a zip to the open end
then flipped it right side round
and vwala
since i have an embroidery machine
and can embellish and rework any materials
i thought why not spruce my bed up a little
with a custom design on my pillow
keeping with my colour scheme and minimalist theme
i went for a simple blacks stencil design
using Gutermann linen thread too
this design is from my sister
i asked her to draw me a simple face
i also want this design as my tattoo
to me it represents being in the moment
taking an breath, be chill and calm
not letting emotions, people or things bring me down
plants
also known as the cylindrical snake plant, African spear or spear sansevieria,
is a succulent plant native to Angola.
an air purifying plant
happy in the sun or shade, with minimal water
£18 from Hampton COurt
pilea peperomioides
also know as a Chinese money plant, pancake plant, UFO plant,
lefse plant, missionary plant or mirror grass,
is a species of flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae,
native to Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in southern China.
Pilea's are also known as friendship plants because the 'pups'
are easily propagated to share with friends.
bright but not direct sunlight
water when dry
£8 from Hampton Court
Spanish moss is an epiphytic flowering plant that often
grows upon larger trees in tropical and subtropical climates,
native to much of Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Central America, South America,
the southern United States, and the West Indies
and is also naturalized in Queensland.
spray once a week
£10 Hampton Court
i have an array of preowned cacti
ones i've had for years and accumulated from all over the place
some in terracotta pots
one in my sisters etched pot
a few in pots i got secondhand
spray infrequently
secondhand furniture
if you do want something
check to see if you can find it secondhand, before buying it new.
scour your local area for things you'd like, ask about, check charity shops, or go skip diving.
i was in need of some storage, so instead of buying some crappy plastic boxes.
i found these beautiful old vintage case for £5.
perfect for the clothes i don't wear all the time.
i also picked up this metal mug from 1928, which i'm going to use as a plant pot.
secondhand plant pots are the best as you can find such random quirky stuff.
i got an old wooden brick mould, which i'm going to turn into a succulent garden.
I love huge circular mirrors
i sourced this 60cm diameter on secondhand in a thrift shop
it sits flush on the wall
making my room look so much bigger and brighter
as it reflects light all around
decor
designing
when it came to decorating
i wanted to fill my room with only beautiful pieces
things i treasure greatly and that make me happy
i am sick of having tat, useless objects used to fill space
primarily from Poundland or the range
unoriginal unsentimental unsustainable rubbish
my sister gave me this beautiful glass frame from nukuku
a few years ago, but i never got round to filling it
until now, my friend gabby painted this beautiful image
and i saw it on her instagram and just had to get it
at lost village festival 2019 i tried my hand at fire writing
and carved this mountain range on a wooden ring
for above my headboard i wanted to place something tremendous
this seascape is one of my final university degree pieces
one of five in the series i created in 2017
on the topic of plastic pollution and the apathetic view of society
called 'drowning in plastic'
...