I have been talking about decorating our sitting room since we moved in (Yes, I know that was over two years ago!), but I hadn’t quite got around to it yet. We decorated (I say “we”, I definitely mean my husband) our bedroom before Christmas and used Farrow & Ball’s “Wevet”. It instantly changed the light and feel in the room, so I knew it was the right shade for the sitting room too. I can never quite get over how dark some parts of this house are; it’s facing the wrong way and I just think some Victorian houses have a tendency to feel a bit dingy sometimes. With that in mind, I was sold on Wevet.
I thought that as we were decorating that there was something else I wanted to get sorted while we were at it (I know, typical me!). The shelving unit in the alcove has bothered me since we had moved in. In my mind it always looked messy, like there were one too many shelves and I really wanted to create a more functional space that looked beautiful too. I asked my husband if he would consider trying to remove one of the shelves before we decorated; of course,he said no. So I booked a handyman to do it, along with some other jobs we were having done in the house. On the day the handyman came, he then proclaimed it was too difficult to remove without ruining the entire unit. So naturally within an hour of him leaving I had my husband removing the shelf he didn’t think should/ could be removed. He did a brilliant job; added some ready-primed tongue and groove panelling to the back of the units; and voila, it looks like it has always been that way! I am so pleased with it, it looks just how I had pictured in my mind; and it’s the perfect place for the lamp (It also conveniently already had plug sockets in there to house said lamp!).
We painted all of the woodwork (including the new panelling) in the room in Farrow & Ball’s “All White”. It was one of those moments where something that you thought was already white suddenly looked brand new and you wondered why you hadn’t just painted it before? It has brightened up the room unrecognisably and made such a difference. With the Wevet on the walls, the two really complement each other and create a much brighter, calmer look.
As we had painted the entire room I chose to re-paint the fire surround in a slightly lighter shade for Spring. I used Annie Sloan chalk paint in “Paris Grey“; it’s a colour I have used many times elsewhere in the house and it looked great against the wall colour. I also re-painted the TV unit (which must have been painted by me at least 4 times now?!); for this I used a tin of Farrow & Ball “Cornforth White” which was conveniently residing in our shed collection. That TV cabinet has turned out pretty well for a £30 eBay purchase 6 years ago I can tell you! Changing the colour of it has really changed the look of the room. If I am honest I hate even ruining a lovely sitting room with a hideous TV, but until we have a house that is big enough for us to have a snug/ TV room (That will happen by the way!) and then a lovely “grown-up” sitting room, then I will just have to try and think of ways to make the glaringly obvious presence of the television more bearable.
Note- I genuinely don’t even watch that much TV. I mean; I am always too busy painting stuff?!
Lastly; the redecorating gave me a (long overdue) chance to de-clutter. It is amazing how quickly you accumulate “stuff”. I have found as my style has changed that I tend to cling to the things I had before and start adding new bits; eventually there comes a time when you just have to get rid of all of the pieces that don’t fit anymore and go with a cleaner look. Of course I only ever get rid of things with no meaning. I also love changing photos around into different frames, or changing the photos I have in frames; it makes me feel like I have new things to look at, and I think that’s good for the soul.
After we had a bloody good clean up and had put everything back, I felt immediately like the room was lighter, brighter and more welcoming. As one of the only rooms in the house that I felt we hadn’t fully made our mark on, it now feels like ours; and I have to tell you, that is a very good feeling indeed…..
Elle x
Elle Wright is a wife, mother, author and blogger. After the death of her son, Teddy, at three days old, Elle started writing to navigate her new life and as a way to feel purpose again. Her Feathering The Empty Nest blog is a way of finding light in darkness, positivity in times of desperation and, hopefully, making a few people laugh along the way.
You have a lovely home Elle! You have an eye for beautiful furniture and decoration. As always I’ve enjoyed your post.
😘 xx
Thank you Laura. xx
Looks so lovely. You’ve completely sold me on Wevet! Painted our lounge duck egg a couple of years ago but never been quite right. Desperate to repaint but husband not so impressed… Also completely know what you mean about changing tastes, nothing like a good declutter!xx
Agreed, de-cluttering is the way forward! I would recommend “Wevet”, it has done wonders for this room! xx
Stunning Elle, really fresh and bright looking. I really like the art you have on the walls too, perhaps a Cornish purchase?! 🐚🌊💕
The art on the walls is actually a painting for my best friends VERY talented mother. We have lots of her pictures around the house. She lives on the Dorset coast and has a beach hut at Mudeford, so lots of lovely coastal scenes. xx
Looks absolutely stunning. Well done x
So glad to have come across this! (I came from RMS, by the way). Two months ago my boyfriend and I bought our first house, and it is also a victorian build (i think, that’s what we’ve been told anyhow. We think it was built in the 1920s or earlier?). It is North West facing and there is a big tree across the road that means that the front of the house (sitting room, our bedroom) are quite dark. in fact, the entire downstairs can be a bit gloomy.
I used the Rock My Style white paint guide to narrow down choices and after soooo many tester pots (what do you do with them afterwards?) settled on Dulux Timeless for the whole house except our bedroom (Polished Pebble by Dulux). The bedroom is being painted today – first room to be painted so I am very excited indeed!
We have shelving alcoves in two rooms and I’m finding the same thing- the shelves are just slightly too close together to put anything substantial in. They really do feel crowded but I am having to use them as a bit of a pantry for the kitchen. As everything still needs to be painted I haven’t put much time and love into the shelves yet. The bedroom ones will come first since the room will be all sparkly and new.
Anyhow, I’m glad to have found your blog and am now off to find the SUBSCRIBE button. see ya!
Thank you, I hope you enjoy the blog. I also hope your renovations are going well! Big love xx
I just love this room!
So beautiful! Did you use just Paris grey on the fireplace or did you mix any old white in? My fireplace is currently pine and I want to paint it! This colour is lovely! x
Yes it’s Paris Grey, no white mixed in. Xx