‘We swapped plain walls for boutique luxury''

With a mix of bold prints and luxe fabrics, Sameera Stern-Gillet transformed her uninspiring bedroom into a plush paradise inspired by high-end hotels

- Abbi Henderson

‘The bedroom is quite big, so one of the challenges we faced was filling the space without exceeding our budget,’ says Sameera. She wisely chose a few investment pieces to elevate the look of purse friendly, high-street buys

When Sameera and her family moved into their semi-detached Victorian property in Manchester three years ago, they knew they had their work cut out for them. They had to transform it from an unloved shell (with many of its period features removed or hidden behind layers of old paint) into a welcoming family home to suit their needs. The main bedroom, in particular, was in need of modernisation, and Sameera wasn’t settling for anything less than her own idea of luxury. Luckily, no renovation work was needed, so she could start pulling together opulent details for a hotel-inspired look.

THE PROJECT

‘The bedroom wasn’t short on character (it had a beautiful original fireplace), but it was seriously lacking on the aesthetics front. Everything was magnolia – even the fireplace had layers of dreary paint – and, interestingly, there was a sink in the corner of the room. Sameera’s vision for her bedroom couldn’t have been further from its low-key reality. ‘I wanted to inject colour and style into the space, and I wanted it to feel luxurious,’ she says. ‘It was important to me to design the room to fit both a super-king bed and a sofa – I’ve always loved the idea of having a sofa in the bedroom.’ The makeover seemed to be fairly straightforward, since no structural works were to take place, but that didn’t mean it was free from challenges.

STEP INSIDE...