We’ve had many interior design projects in Camberwell over the years, but this one was a favourite of mine. We worked magic in many rooms of this home, and the main bedroom and walk-in-robe was no exception.
The brief was clear: our client wanted a main bedroom suite that felt soft and soothing. It was a place she wanted to relax and unwind in, one that felt inviting and refined.
The added bonus was the footprint. It was large enough to accommodate a king-size bed zone as well as a seating area. Oh, and we also transformed the walk-in-robe with some custom joinery too. We couldn’t leave that area untouched.
Scroll on and take a peek at the before and after photos, plus get some large main bedroom ideas for your own home from this Camberwell main bedroom makeover.
And click here if you want to see all the rooms from this makeover.
The Main Bedroom Came to Us a Little Dated
The client had only recently purchased the property when she engaged us for design help. And to be fair, it felt a touch dated. The way it was staged for sale was rather traditional, and even the foundation elements like paint, carpet and window coverings felt a little behind-the-times.
Thankfully, we were given free reign to change whatever was needed in order to create the vision we wanted to achieve. The client didn’t really love any of what was in the room, so we got to work dreaming up a whole new concept for the space.
For me, the carpet was the main offender. For a premium home in a suburb like Camberwell, it felt a bit budget. And while plantation shutters certainly have their place in a Hamptons home (among others), they didn’t suit the new look we wanted to implement either.
The Carpet Was the First Foundational Change
The scheme felt quite beige, and dare I say it… a little boring. I was keen to evoke understated luxury in this bedroom and make it feel sumptuous. The current colours and materials were not delivering in that respect. With that in mind, we had to change the entire shell of the space.
A moodier plush carpet was the first port of all. I looked to the Brease range from Choices Flooring because it’s great for allergy sufferers, asthmatics, and pets. This home had all three, so it was the perfect fit. I opted for a darker grey tone to bring some mood to the room.
Then Came the Wallpaper and Window Coverings
The walls were not delivering anything of interest, so I opted to wrap the entire room in wallpaper. It’s such a great alternative to paint and gives the room more texture and warmth.
From a distance you can barely tell it’s wallpaper, which I love. The closer you get to it, the more it reveals its subtle pattern. I really like that sense of surprise.
Lastly, new window coverings. Motorised roller blinds adorned the windows. Over the top of those I chose to install soft grey sheer curtains. Again, like with the wallpaper, it was about softening the bedroom. The shutters were far too harsh.
Once the shell of the room was sorted, it was time to zone and furnish it.
Large Main Bedroom Ideas: Zoning the Space is Key
As an interior designer, I’m often faced with making small main bedrooms function well and look amazing. With this space it was the opposite. It was five metres by six metres in size, so I knew from the jump that it was going to be split into a bed zone and a seating zone.
You can see in the ‘before’ photo at the top of the post that not zoning the room made it feel incredibly empty. It was crying out for more furniture, but I had to be careful. The client didn’t like clutter. Not entirely a minimalist, but a sense of calm was so important to her.
Selecting the right furniture for both zones was an exercise in scale. We needed pieces that were the right size for the space so we could have the room feel less-is-more; enough to resolve the large footprint, but not so much that it felt stuffed or visually overwhelming.
An Extra-Wide Headboard Helped for a Few Reasons
As the approach in this main bedroom was all about layers of texture delivering warmth, it felt right to have an extra wide headboard in a soft fabric.
The width of it – almost running wall to wall – helped fill up space too. The vertical panels that run all the way along the front also deliver just the right amount of interest.
I then brought in two large bedside tables that sported an oak surround and marble top to bring some materiality to the room. It needed a touch of hard amongst all the soft.
Word of Advice Around Extra Wide Headboards
Bear in mind, if you’re going to have an extra wide headboard for your bedroom, make sure you get the cut-outs sorted for your pendant light switches. Many suppliers will do the cutting, but you’ll have to tell them where the holes are to be cut, or what sort of switch you want to install.
If you’re going to have lamps sit on your bedside table instead, ensure there’s a channel cut at the base of the headboard so that cords can run through and plug into power points behind the bed.
There are more tips in this post on buying an extra wide headboard for your bedroom.
The Seating Zone Was Minimally Furnished
Sure, it was a large room, but I didn’t want the seating zone to take up too much footprint. It’s tempting to put large sofas in zones like this, but for these clients it felt a step too far.
I wanted a path between the bed and the seating zone so the clients could walk to to the ensuite in the middle of the night without hitting furniture. I also wanted the rug, armchair and table to be circular in shape; no sharp corners to bump into.
They weren’t just round for practical reasons either. Those fluid shapes add even more softness to the room. Outside of the artwork, there’s barely a sharp corner on anything in this main bedroom. Even the bedside tables are soft-edged. That was all done intentionally. Everything feels easy on the eye.
The Original Walk-in-Robe Was Basic at Best
The walk-in-robe was flatpack. There’s no other way to say it, because it truly was. And don’t get me wrong, flatpack has its place and there’s a lot to love about it. But it wasn’t giving any custom solutions to our client, who loved fashion, makeup, and had an extensive shoe and handbag collection.
In this case, flatpack was not going to cut it. And to be fair, the colour was far too dark and dreary for what was now a soft, warm and welcoming main bedroom suite.
So we got to work designing a floor-to-ceiling robe with plenty of hanging space, a full wall to showcase shoes on, cubes for handbags and a vanity area to sit and do makeup at. It ticked all the boxes.
See the ‘after’ shots below which capture how beautiful custom joinery design can be in a room.
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Love this. Thanks for sharing. How did you turn the down lights into pendants? We have down lights everywhere and it’s feeling clinical! Would love to swap some so we can have a hanging light/lightshade. Thanks.
Hi Holly, any electrician can do it. Just make sure you pick a pendant with a ceiling plate bigger than the down light hole, unless you’re open to having some minor patching and painting done.