Zoe-Lee Skelton

When I moved in with my boyfriend just over two years ago he told me he would soon be redecorating the lounge. Well, three years later, we’re still stuck with the same tired looking sofas and worn carpet. The room is cosy, but very dark, which can be somewhat depressing in the winter, especially because we get minimal light through the window anyway.  So I’ve decided to start gathering some inspiration in an attempt to get the project going before winter rolls around again.

I have so many creative ideas rattling around my brain as to what I could do with the space and I know I could spruce the place up at a low cost. I plan to scavenge bits and pieces from skips and recycle existing furniture.

The theme: rustic

I’m going for a rustic theme in a way that brings the outdoors in, with some splashes of colour.  I’d like to incorporate animal elements into the  design too, potentially using a woodland creature theme wallpaper.

I’ve split the project into three core areas; wallpaper, furniture and furnishings and I’ve created three separate mood boards showcasing my ideas.  Perhaps I’ll provide some inspiration for any decorating projects you’re doing at the moment.

Wallpaper ideas

I’d like to paper one of the lounge walls and keep the three other walls a neutral colour. I’m happy to spend the bulk of our budget on wallpaper because I want something that’s unique and not available from somewhere like Homebase or B&Q because I think the designs lack originality. It’s important to me that if you’re going to use wallpaper in a room it needs to be exciting to look at, like it describes some form of narrative so you never get bored of seeing it. That’s why I’ve decided to go for bright, bold animal themed prints.

If you’ve seen something you like, here’s where you can get it.

From left to right:

1. Harvest Hair Wallpaper from £60 per roll from Fabrics&Papers
2. Night owl wallpaper by Arthouse £18.98 per roll from Wallpaper Direct
3. Exotic birds on branches wallpaper  – out of stock but the link to the listing is on my Pinterest board
4. Flights of fancy in cream by House of Hackney, £148 per roll available from Wallpaper Direct
5. Insect wallpaper in orange by Vivienne Westwood, £70.00 per roll from Occa-Home
6. Owls and twigs wallpaper by Wallpaper Republic Laurie Forehand, £135 per roll, from beat.
7. Woodland owls in green by Fine Decor, £8.99 per roll from Wallpaper Central 
8. Tropical birds by Cole & Son, £72 per roll from Designer Wallpapers

Furnishings

Furnishings describes carpets, curtains, shelves and ornaments. I’d like to use rugs and cushions to add colour and animal motifs throughout the room. Some of the items featured are no longer available but I’ve tried to include links where possible.

From left to right:

1. Terrarium – featured in The Telegraph’s article about enclosed gardens designed by Ken Marten 
2. Bulb cage pendents by BenclifDesigns – unfortunately this has been sold but there are similar items in Ben’s Etsy store.
3. Lumber wood recycled into wooden flooring – from my pinterest board
4. Feathers blank cards by MilesOfLight. These are £7.82 for 6.
5. Lace inside embroidery hoops – easy make you can do yourself!
6. Animal pillow cases from Garnet Hill – no longer available but there are plenty of other designs to chose from.
7. Vintage rug source: http://blinkblink-blinkblink.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/polster.html
8. Inside look at someone’s log cabin, source: https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/helt-enkelt-11489665/uterum-1022446427/

Furniture

For the furniture, I’m keen to use natural materials like solid wood as well as reclaimed objects like crates for shelving. Here’s where I’ve taken my inspiration, from left to right:

1. A living room outdoors source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/bohemian-homes-youd-love-to-chill-out-in?sub=2303673_1249547#.sipAjWKGD
2. Reappropriated crates – you can get these from any grocers source: http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/wordpress/31-days-loving-live-day-14-versatile-pieces
3. Aspen sofa source: http://imgbuddy.com/rustic-sofa.asp
4. Woven textile blankets source: http://www.rotikapdamakan.blogspot.co.uk/
5. Logs – I like the surface pattern of these
6. Checked armchair by David Seyfried
7. Wooden cube shelves – make these yourself with reclaimed wood
8. Leftover wood coffee table by Lara Donatoni Matana
9. Tree branches for coat hangers source: http://designspiration.net/image/88300159086/

There’s still a lot more for me to do. And a you can see, many of my ideas embody free materials that need to be upcycled so the project will be quite involved. Luckily my other half is a gifted carpenter so I’m sure he’ll be able to turn something out quite quickly.

If you would like to keep up to date with my new lounge project or if you like some of my ideas, you can follow my New Lounge Pinterest Board.