We’re back again with the next DIY update, and this is one I was really looking forward to doing.

Before, my bedroom was very stark with scuffed white walls, big black square furniture and red curtains that didn’t do a great job at blocking out all the light. Since moving back in, I also had a lot of my art and decorative bits sitting around waiting for me to have the time to reno, so it felt like a really temporary space. I really wanted to bring in more warmth to make the room feel cosier. But first, I had to handle the big tasks of replacing the window, radiator and (after painting) the carpet. It took me quite some time and many paint samples to decide which colours I wanted to go with, and I also found choosing a carpet such a difficult choice. How do you know from wee samples that the colours will all work together at full scale? With varying types of light? If only if choosing a caroet was as easy as ripping up the old one (new skill acquired!).

With limited space in the flat, I had to sell all my old furniture on Facebook Marketplace and move into my crowded spare room, sleeping on double-decker mattresses, to make space for painting. These walls needed a lot of prepping, and I spent a lot of time painting at the top of my height range, but slowly and surely over weekends, the room turned peachy keen. The only piece of furniture I held onto was my giant IKEA wardrobe, but I primed and painted it to match the painted wood in the rest of the room. I then went to IKEA and got new wardrobe doors to put on, and I think the finished result looks great.

The extra wee DIY projects we did this time were adding in a wee window seat with storage – which my dad built the frame for, I decorated, and my mum upholstered. It has a great amount of space to keep my jumpers in, and I love being able to sit there now and look out at the trees in the garden. My talented mum also made me floor-length blackout curtains. They are one layer of blackout and a thin layer of muslin on the front to add a softer texture. My mum stitched the edges with a little leaf pattern in the thread, which is so cute. Most importantly, they block out the light so I’m able to sleep better.

After painting and getting the new carpet in, it was so exciting to start moving my stuff back in from the hallway and spare room, and pulling together the final bits I needed to pick up. The mirror and bed frame were Facebook Marketplace purchases, which involved lovely people helping me to pick them up. With the new IKEA pieces, I tried to level them up with new knobs, and I think they look good.

So here’s the full reveal! I’m so happy with how cosy it turned out.

In the final stages of decorating, I found it tricky to decide where to put my art and to decide whether what I had up was enough. But in the end, it all came together, and I’m really happy with how it all turned out, and I’ll probably end up accumulating more stuff over time anyway.

The large Monet print was a kismet discovery at a charity shop – I walked past it sitting in the window, the perfect thing for what I was looking for and only cost me £10 including the frame. I especially love my wee trinket shelf that I’m keeping all my special shells in and the little glass frame I made with a few sentimental items.

It took quite a few months to pull this all together, and I’m so in love with it. My bedroom now feels so spacious, warm and intentional, and I get a little flutter every time I take a moment to notice it all. I’m relieved to have finished another room and to take a wee DIY pause in the flat for now. All that remains is my hallway and the spare room, so we’ll pick those back up later, but all my most frequented rooms are now gorgeous! As ever, I’m so thankful for the dedicated, talented and skilled family and friends who helped me through it all.