Alongside the downstairs loo, my dressing room was also somewhere I could go a little bolder with the decor. Nobody else uses the dressing room except me, so I had free reign with the style! I did worry at one point that I’d been a little overexcited with my colours and print on print, but I'm so happy I just went for it. Now, it’s my little haven of fashion and (sometimes) calm.
The wardrobes were made by a local carpenter and I wanted to use the full height of the room- which means some very high cupboards. I had them painted in Ladybug by Earthborn, and the walls are another Earthborn shade called Little Rascal.
Tall as I am, I knew I would need a ladder to reach some of the top shelves where my hat boxes live, but ladders aren’t too sightly in a dressing room. I found a wonderful antique Victorian step ladder on Etsy which actually turned out to be a pretty way around a practical problem! I checked with the seller that it was safe to stand on, as some antique furniture is purely decorative…and that was not a mistake I wanted to make, especially in heels!
My dressing table stool was re-upholstered since the last house in a whimsical, floral Lisa Fine Textiles fabric called Vita and the colour scheme began to take shape once I’d hung the Aleta Fabrics ruffled blind. It’s the Amapola Jal print in China Blue and the cafe curtain underneath is a linen muslin hanging on a Hunter & Hyland antiqued brass pole. It's a pretty window treatment and more importantly, provides a little modesty in the middle of a city.
The ottoman is by Sofa Workshop, upholstered in a red Ticking Stripe by Penny Morrison. It used to be at the foot of our old bed. Colour-wise it looks warm and bright against the joinery, tying in with the maroons and browns. You can’t really have enough storage in a dressing room so I’ve also got an antique chest of drawers that used to be in our spare room, one I found in an antiques shop in Oxfordshire. My dressing table is the one from our old house and I will never part with it; alongside my desk it’s my most loved piece of furniture.
The most exciting part of this room is the wardrobe detailing. I remember being up in the middle of the night feeding Inès and getting an idea. I messaged artist Amy Balfour on Instagram to see if she’d consider working her painterly magic on the cupboards. She said yes despite having just had triplets, designed some border options from the colours I gave her and we had a wonderful day with four bouncing babies, Amy’s Mum and a whole lot of paint! The result is gorgeous: Bloomsbury-inspired paneling and you can see the video of how it all came together here.
The finishing touch was a find of Mackenzie’s. As much as I love them, old mirrors tend to go a little mottled once they’re over 100 years old. So instead of the beautiful antique Chevalier mirror in my old dressing room, I went for a large White Company mirror with a rounded top, so I can actually see myself! The pendant light used to be in Honor’s playroom but I nabbed it because I have to have a bit of wicker somewhere…shame I can’t wear it really.
