All posts filed under: Decorating

The Copper Bedroom – Final Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

Just like buses, you wait for ages, in the rain, getting puddle mud on the back of your skinny jeans, standing with damp denim stuck to your leg… then three of the double-decker blighters come all at once. My third final reveal post in as many weeks. That’s got to be some kind of record. The Monochrome Family Bathroom, then the Aquamarine Guest Bedroom and now the Copper Bedroom. That’s how it goes sometimes. Co-ordinating several projects at the same time can be a bit of a nightmare. But then you get a triple whammy of interior eye candy to gorge on. Before Today’s it’s the Copper Bedroom. The bedroom on the 2nd floor of the Edwardian property i’ve been working in for nearly the last two years now. Blimey! You can catch up with all the befores for this latest project, here and here. Drawing Room | Upper Brook St These are the two rooms that sit directly beneath the Copper Bedroom. On the ground floor it’s the Drawing Room and the floor above …

Bedroom 4 – Pre-reveal (aka The Copper Bedroom)

Published by Karen Knox

Remember this room? The Bedroom 4 Project. Yes, that’s right. This one. Well you may (or may not) remember it’s been going through a long and winding renovation. Mainly because period properties treat you mean to keep you keen. Whatever looks like a simple job of, “just a lick of paint” becomes a whole heap of pain. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karen Knox – Making Spaces (@makingspacesnet) Good pain though, the pain that’s totally worth it when the transformation is as good as this. Once all of the re-wiring, plumbing, new wall was built, old fireplace ripped out, original tiles around the hearth uncovered and a reclaimed cast iron one fitted, the room was put back together and all re-plastered. A blank canvas. This is what we were aiming for: And do you know what, it’s almost flipping there. I drove over last Friday to unload just a few bits. I just about fit in myself! So are you ready for some pre-reveal pics? For those not familiar with how …

The Aquamarine Room – Pre-reveal

Published by Karen Knox

We’re not quite ready for the final reveal for this project yet, but this room is looking a hell of a lot prettier than it did last October. Before – Oct 2017 If you listed closely, you will hear it… can you hear the walls?? “Help me…. heeeeellpp mmeeee!!” Not one to leave a room in distress I was more than happy to turn this room into something not only camera worthy but also ridiculously functional for my very particular client. Nearly after I can’t always discuss my clients so candidly on the tinterweb… it’s not professional, but this client is an exception. Firstly, because she’s now a friend (for my sins) after working with her on and off since 2015. Sherwood Forest – Jan 2016 And secondly she has been, now how can I put this nicely… she’s been a real pain in the arse during this project. I’ve said this to her face, so i’m not going behind her back here. She also reads my blog. So she’s now read it as well as …

An Introduction to Project: Bedroom 4

Published by Karen Knox

I’m back with a new project to share with you guys this week, at a property you will have probably seen before a fair few times. The Drawing Room – December 2016 Directly above this room is this room: Upper Brook Street Project – May 2017 And directly above this room is this room: Yes, we’re now onto the top floor of this Edwardian home. The homeowners are tackling bedroom four and five, plus what will become the main family bathroom, with a bit of help from me again. Be rude not to eh? Bedroom five, as shown on the floorplan below is kind of done, except for lighting, window dressing and the final faff. So i’ve been asked to help with the finishing touches for that space. More on that room coming in another blog post soon. For today i’m focusing on bedroom four as that space has proved to be slightly more tricky to sort. It’s pretty large but there are plenty of angles in this space with the ceiling being pitched on …

The Multi-function Room Goes Aquamarine

Published by Karen Knox

So first off, massive thanks to everyone who took the time to feed back on my previous post. Everyone’s ideas were just what I needed for a little inspo boost. So again, thank you! And so, back to normal stuff… it’s project update time! You can catch up on the Multi Function Room here. Here’s the room on my first visit. The second bedroom which needs to become a guest room and home office in one. Here it is about a month later with the gorgeously botanical Wildacre Anagpytpa freshly papered on the walls and the ceiling painted (don’t worry, we’ve got coving and skirting boards to be fitted – i’m not starting a new “trim-less” trend). Here’s Cartman the cat inspecting the workmanship, plus a little close-up of the wallpaper pre-paint. Speaking of which, here’s the colour scheme: Little Greene Stock – Mid | Aquamarine | Invisible Green Aquamarine on the walls, Stock – Mid on the ceiling and Invisible Green, that super dark, deep green will be going on the …

The Red Room – The Pre-Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

Just got back from a visit to The Red Room project. Big smiles here 😀 I dreamt about it last night as i’ve been itching to get there all week. I spoke to the homeowner after all the major work had been completed last week; new stove, mantel piece, door blocked up and plastered, walls wallpapered and then painted. So we’re onto the final straight peeps. The fun stuff! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karen Knox – Making Spaces (@makingspacesnet) This is what it looked like on my last visit, which you can read all about here. So many of you loved that distressed plastered wall, but alas there was a door to board up and skim over, so it wasn’t meant to be. This time. (Let me quickly add that 3 minutes into taking photos, my camera died so most of these have been taken on my rubbish camera phone which goes little way towards doing this room justice. But! I will be back v soon for the final reveal …

Upper Brook Street Project – Final Reveal of the Guest Bedroom

Published by Karen Knox

Typing typing as fast as I can…. It’s final reveal time everyone! Oh how I love a final reveal. Especially when it’s as awesomesauce as this one. Eeeee!! (If you’d like to catch up on this project, pop back a few posts to this one.) First, it’s time for before pics. A large master bedroom which was to become a guest bedroom. But not just any old guest bedroom, oh no siree. The weird recessed/built in wardrobes were going and an ensuite was coming. This is how the room looked when I started working with the homeowners: The entire house had been chopped up over time, converted into flats at some point, and then back again into a house. The walls and doors were in the strangest of places and it was time to breathe life back into this beautiful Edwardian home, and put those walls back where they were originally built over 100 years ago. This was back in January. Want to see what it looks like now? After Before It’s completely unrecognisable isn’t it? In …

Living Room Update – Pt 2 #styleitdark

Published by Karen Knox

Ok, if you didn’t read Part I, then this post might not make that much sense. So you might want to pop back a couple of posts and catch up so you know what the heck i’m going on about today. Or just keep reading… you’re in charge. I think it’s fair to say I wasted spent a week painting various sections of this room. This bit that colour, that bit this colour. There are some sections of wall that have been painted four times over the space of a fortnight, I swear the room is smaller. https://www.instagram.com/p/BTRQx3RA0GD/?taken-by=makingspacesnet As much as I loved the tone of Dulux’s Rich Praline 3, it just did not work with our oak furniture or pine door. It was also a perfect match for the carpet (which I don’t like) making the room feel a bit “blah”. Not exactly the look I was going for when I started this room update. So after, repeatedly telling my hubster how the room would’t work unless I painted the door in with the …

A living room update – Pt 1 #styleitdark

Published by Karen Knox

Ok. First off. Massive thanks for the ace feedback from my last post. It seems like I have unleashed some design demons, which makes me smile very much indeed. So pleased to hear some of you guys have been trying out my online tutorial on how to create your own mood boards, had a few PM’s and DM’s since last week letting me know how helpful it’s been, including this message: “Just thought i’d let you know, i spent the afternoon at work doing your step by step mood board! For work purposes obvs, but found it really useful!! Im defo guna become a bit addicted. Just need to get myself a Mac book for home now. Cheers!! X” And that’s what I like to hear. People sacking off work to design room sets on a work computer. My work here is done ladies and gentlemen. (**disclaimer – Making Spaces does not condone idle mood board-ery at a place of work or during work hours. Proceed with caution**) Ok, onto today’s topic. Our living room. I’m not going …

What’s going on with paint? Water based? Solvent based?

Published by Karen Knox

I’ve been planning to write this post for months, but wanted to collate as much info and evidence as possible before shooting my mouth. I haven’t seen anyone else tackle this issue yet and it’s about time someone did. **Serious face** Over the past few years, there’s been a huge shift in the paint industry. Read this: “Since the latest Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Regulations came into force in the UK back in 2010, many paint products containing high levels of VOCs – the solvents that determine a paint’s viscosity, flow and drying time – were no longer be able to be manufactured.” Dulux Ok, that’s very interesting, Karen, but what does this actually mean? I’ll tell you. It meant the paints we’re used to painting our wood/metal work with have had to change in order to comply with the new VOC regs. Oil or solvent based paints as we knew them could no longer be sold because of environmental reasons. You know how old school gloss paint stinks and takes ages to dry? It’s also …