Styling a room? Leave it to the professionals right? Wrong. We sat down with our northern chum Dan Lovatt, who has recently transformed his spare room into a contemporary, cosy and colour-focused guest bedroom. He spills the interior tea on how to nail a space that’s perfect for you or your guests. 

So Dan, what vibe were you trying to achieve? How do you want people to feel when they’re in this space? 

I wanted the room to feel cosy, warm and inviting. I want the room to be like a hotel room, like you’re escaping into cosy luxury and avoiding the normal every day. Hence the elaborate bed, hotel vibes for sure. 

Can you tell us about the scheme you’ve put together? 

Absolutely. I started with the bed and I designed the room around it, so that’s the main focal point.” Sometimes, it’s easier to find something you love and can’t live without and use that as a catalyst for the rest of the room.

Give moodboarding a go? Here's how.

I wanted it to feel like a guest room, a space without any clutter in it. Create a space that’s clean and luxurious. I knew I wanted to use Cold Brew, one of my favourite COAT shades. It’s a beautiful brown shade with subtle hints of pink throughout and I knew I wanted to use pinks in the space so it compliments it really well. 

You also used Sunday Soul too, right?

I’ve painted the majority of my house with Sunday Soul so far, it’s such a beautiful, versatile colour that I find incredibly relaxin and clean and works perfectly in every environment. I definitely wanted to incorporate it in the spare room somehow...

Dan opted for 'Good Intentions'. Fancy the same? Grab a sample! 

Where do I start when finding the right colour for my space?

So the first question you need to ask yourself is what vibe do you want the room to be? Are you in need of some energy? Are you missing some passion? Or do you want this space to be a relaxing one where wellness is at the centre? Once you’ve nailed that, start working backwards. I wanted to create a calm and rejuvenating space so I opted for neutral shades that evoke warmth and being comfortable.

Tell me about the other colours you’ve introduced into the room? 

Once you’ve nailed the vibe, slotting in other elements of the room becomes a lot easier. I opted for a lot of natural materials and colours to compliment the colours I decided on for the walls. Because it’s a north-facing room, I didn’t want to restrict the natural light by adding heavy dark curtains. Instead, I used these really lightweight white linen curtains. I’ve added cushions to soften the space and used an off-white/beige throw to offset the crisp white bedding. I also created a statement piece of furniture which I up-cycled. I used ‘Mrs Bouquet’ on this to tie in those pinker tones...

Not sure about what colour to go for? Chat with our Colour Consultant and get that vibe nailed 🙌

What if you’ve got something you really love but it doesn’t fit into the new scheme you’ve designed? 

We all have things that we don’t want to let go off because they’re not fitting in with the current trend. This is no reason to get rid! A key piece of advice I can give is don’t follow trend. They come and go so quickly, go for something you really love and something that will age well. BUT, if you really can’t find a space for it and you think someone will love it, pass it on! Whatever you do, don’t just bin it. Put it on marketplace, give it a lick of paint or donate it to a charity. It will become someone's new fave possession.

Do room facings affect the colour I choose?

Yes. As this is a north-facing room, the colours will look completely different in the 4 corners of the room. That’s where COAT's paint samples come in handy. I played around with a few different options over a couple of weeks and saw if I loved the colour in the 4 variations. Cold Brew came up trumps!

Feeling inspired? Grab a sample of your fave shade and see how you can transform your space ✌️

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Take your time when designing a space so you’re really comfortable and confident with the scheme you want to pull off. Shop around too. Don’t buy the first thing you see, unless you fall head over heels in love and can’t possibly leave the store without it…it’s okay, we’ve been there too. Finally, get creative! Shop second hand and transform furniture to suit your space. It only takes a little bit of imagination and you’re onto a winner.