Bedroom Makeover

Your Home and Garden August Bedroom makeover feature

A little Q and A on what inspires my design process.

Tell us about yourself! (Name, age, occupation, where you live, a few sentences of what you’re into etc) Gina Fabish, 39, Photographer, Designer and Vintage shop owner, I live in Central New Plymouth with my Husband Rick and four Daughters. Im super passionate about all things vintage and maximising the spaces we have while being resourceful. 

Your bedroom before was very much a white blank canvas. What inspired the change to moody, luxurious dark tones? we’d originally painted the bedroom all white around 8 years ago, as it’s a small space which gets very little natural light, it seemed the logical thing to do, it was perfectly fine and nice however it always felt a little flat and like it lacked dimension, im super inspired by how spaces make you feel so decided to embrace how the room naturally is and go darker. The darker tone enhances the quality of the window light and it now feels so calming.

What was your intention for the space? our intention was to make the room feel like we were somewhere else, somewhere a little luxurious and full of history like a parisian apartment or something….We are a busy family of 6 so I think where you start and finish each day is important.

Talk us through the makeover process, what did you change? How long did it take? (If you could clarify here if you did the work yourself, or else list who was involved, that would be amazing) the process. I’d had this space drawn up for a good few months so had all of the light fittings, wallpaper, bedsides, furniture… Rick completed the painting and the Paneling over a couple of weekends and all up the process took a month to pull together.  Sam Adams from Projct Maintenance Solutions hung the wallpaper which instantly transformed the space.

How would you describe your design style? bold graphic, but timeless. I Love using iconic design pieces mixed with antique and classic motifs, I like the contrast of mixing different styles and era’s. I always love the time worn appeal and texture of vintage furnishings and finishes. 

The wallpaper is a show-stopping choice, how did that materialize? I’ve always loved wallpaper, how it can add a graphic element and texture.  I’ve always admired traditional wall coverings and murals as well so when I came across this option it was the perfect blend between classic mural and a graphic design. It was also a good price point compared with other options.

How did you go about picking out pieces for the space? I love classic shapes and iconic design, I think they work to create a space with timeless appeal. I hunted high and low for just the right shaped mirror, other pieces were things I’d picked for my vintage shop and were just too perfect to part with. 

Which finished result are you most pleased with? I think the Wallpaper, especially against the glossy black detail.

What’s your best advice to anyone interested in transforming their boudoir? be brave and make choices based on how you want to feel in the space, don’t take notice of do’s and dont’s of design.

Caption list: If you could list where some of your décor choices are from, even if they’re vintage, that will massively help our captions! You don’t have to list everything, but anything you can remember would be incredible. I’ve listed some items below- 

• Mirror next to bed  – Bozahli https://bohzali.co.nz
• Leather chair  – Vintage Le Corbusier Chaise – purchased at auction 
• Bed linen + cushions  – A mixture of Domani, Bianca Lorenne, Haven, Home Love Mette K and designers choice (graphic black and white purchased years ago and no longer available) – a timeless collected mix.
• Bedside shelves – Made of Tomorrow https://madeoftomorrow.com
• Hanging light and light above bed  – Wall arm light from Mr Ralphhttps://mrralph.co.nz and 1960’s Czech glass pendant is from Vintage Industrieshttps://www.vintageindustries.co.nz
• Wall prints  – 19th Century original portraits bought at auction for my shop but I decided that they were just too perfect to let go of.
• Wallpaper – Arcadia etched mural is from York wallcoverings purchased via Anthropologie
• Paint colour/any finishes  – Wall color is Resene Raven, with all paneling, wardrobes and architraves in Black enamacryl ( high gloss) Linen Roman is in Warwick Panay in Gunmetal