Sep 21, 2016

Creating a restful bedside

Exciting news in the Dannells world! We have some wonderful guest blog posts coming up from the incredibly talented Ella Johnston at Ella’s Place. Ella is an illustrator, crafter, journalist and stylist who over the coming months will show you several wonderfully creative and effective yet simple home styling projects. Tune in over the coming months to discover Ella’s fortnightly home craft projects.

Now, grab yourself a cuppa and let the fun with Ella begin!

How to upgrade your bedside Part 1

Your bedroom is a haven. A private space where you can find peace at the end of a long day or escape to when you just need some ‘you time’.

Here we show you how to inject your personal style into this sanctuary by combining your favourite designs with soft lighting to create a pleasing ambience in the bedroom for rest and contemplation.

I’ve opted for two easy projects using Dannells’ kits that will give your bedside cabinet top a fresh new look while hopefully encouraging you to think about how to make your space super restful…

Read on for the first project and tune in in a fortnight for part 2!

Give your bedside a golden glow

Bring out the soft natural tones of a wooden bedside table while also giving yourself a soft light to read with, creating a calm space that you can retreat to anytime of day or night.

Warm colours in shades inspired by nature will give your room a friendly, cosy feel, so I’ve stuck to a simple scheme here only using tones that complement the soft shades of the wood. I used a 30cm Drum Lampshade Making Kit with gold lining to produce a warm glow rather than harsh, bright, white light. This soft light will illuminate your bedside gently.

Following the kit’s instructions I covered the external shade with a fabric featuring a delicate pattern in neutral shades. I’ve chosen a design featuring light greens and subtle greys for a decorative statement that doesn’t dominate or distract – remember this is a place to relax, a crazy, bold pattern in lots of different colours will not rest the mind.

I decided to paint the Ruth Table Lamp base a gentle green that suited the cabinet’s natural wooden hue. However a solid, block of green may have been too much, so before I got going with the fern-coloured chalk paint, I sprayed the base a bronze colour (in a well ventilated area, with my mouth and nose covered). I then painted the base with chalk paint and roughly buffed the base with sand paper to reveal the bronze underneath and give it a shabby chic look with a more tactile finish. We’re aiming for softness and subtlety in this room.