'I stayed at a chic boutique hotel – then gave my bedroom the same look'

When Beverley and Pete Graham moved into their three-bedroom, Edwardian semi-detached home in Essex, it was seriously in need of renovation.

As their first priority was updating the kitchen, bathroom and a bedroom for their daughter, Holly, they had no option but to sleep surrounded by dated décor and a grubby carpet. ‘The room was also dominated by a large and very ugly fire. As soon as the first phase of works was complete, I was keen to get started on creating our very own relaxing haven,’ recalls Beverley.

The couple’s bedroom, with its sophisticated colour scheme, period-inspired panelling and clever mix of vintage and high street pieces, is now a peaceful haven of comfort and style

While Beverley wanted the new-look bedroom to reflect its historical roots, with period-inspired touches, she was also adamant that it should embrace her love of eclectic style and colour. ‘I’m a huge fan of wallpaper, but before I could even consider getting Pete to agree to a possible pattern, we had to address the issue of the fire,’ says Beverley.

In the end, the couple wisely brought in the professionals, and with the fire gone and chimney breast made good, they were finally able to strip the walls, remove the old carpet and install two new efficient radiators sourced online.

Add a headboard to instantly turn a basic bed base into a feature. Beverley re-upholstered an existing headboard, but you’ll find plenty of similar designs online at Wayfair or Very

As the bedroom already benefitted from a built-in wardrobe, Beverley opted to work with some of her existing vintage furniture pieces.

‘The dressing table and drawer sets were originally bought in Deptford Market, for our very first home – and while they had been destined for the spare room, I think they add real character to this scheme,’ she smiles. Although, she agrees it’s the gorgeous teal headboard, inherited from a friend who was downsizing and re-upholstered in lush velvet, that’s the real wow-factor piece in the room.

A vintage deco-style dressing table teamed with a modern upholstered stool provides Beverley with a charming pampering station

A console and stool were again borrowed from other rooms, but it was a trip to the high street that resulted in the glamorous velvet bench and vibrant chair.

‘I couldn’t believe my luck when I spotted a bench with the same detailing as my headboard and, while the chair was a bit of a gamble, I love the resulting, informal mix,’ says Beverley.

Good idea! On a tight budget? You can still have pricey wallpaper – use it in panels rather than over a full wall.

When it came to those all-important finishing touches, Beverley readily admits her top finds have to be the chandelier and wall lamps, bought online for under £195.

‘Not bad for four cut-glass lights!’ she says. The addition of made-to-measure Roman blinds layered with homemade silver curtains adds grown-up glamour at the windows.

The addition of a comfy chair is a bedroom must, and whilst Beverley’s choice of a patterned chair may be a brave one, it ties in perfectly with the colours in the room

Yet more high-street finds, including bed linen, cushions, and a large pink lampshade for a green glass base left by the previous owner, complete the look.

Beverley is pleased to report that her redecorated bedroom is everything she envisaged: ‘a sophisticated retreat that we both now can’t wait to retire to at the end of the day.’

This is a digital version of a feature that originally appeared in Your Home magazine. Feature Paula Woods, Styling Jo Rigg, Photos Sussie Bell. For more inspirational home ideas, why not subscribe today?