Modernising a Classic: How to Refresh a 2014 Design with Today's Trends

This photo is from an interior design project I worked on in 2014. It was back when I was a design assistant on BBC’s DIY SOS, and new to working in the interior design world. The interiors were designed by Laurence Llewelyn Bowen and this was one of my favourite rooms in the house.

This photo is now 10 years old and you can’t buy any of the items in the photo any more. It got me thinking about how to revamp this design to fit with today’s trends whilst also keeping the original style. So let me walk you through my process:

1.     What are the main features in the room that need to stay?

The most striking things in the design are the deco-style wallpaper, the bird shelving, the painted ceiling, and the metal frame bed. If I wanted to recreate anything close to this room, these items needed to stay as close to the same as possible.

2. How to find new items that are a good replacement to these main features?

For this, I analysed each of the main items in the room, looking at their colour, shape and style. I tried to match at least two out of these three things when finding a more modern replacement, for example the wallpaper I found has the same style and colour, however, the shape of the pattern is different.

The Wallpaper:

Original wallpaper

new wallpaper

The Bed:

The metal bedframe in the original interior scheme was in bronze. I’ve found an alternative in a similar shape and style, but struggled to find a bronze finish. This makes me think that really this bronze colour is no longer on trend and I went with a black finish which is much more widely available.

The Colour:

The main colour in the room was mint green and it was on the ceiling and the bedside tables. The base of the tables had a curved edge, which is quite late 90s/ 00s in style. Needless to say, I can’t find a very good match. When looking for mint green side tables I came across these beauties from Dunelm with a scallop edge at the base. This feels like style upgrade for both the shape and the colour or the tables. This sage green colour has been popular in the last few years with Benjamin Moore choosing sage green as their colour of the year in 2022.

The Bird Shelves:

I’m pretty sure that the bird shelf in the photo was from Homesense. If you haven’t discovered Homesense yet, you are in for a treat. It is the home décor branch of TK Maxx, think discount prices on branded items and one of a kind items. I think the shelves were unfortunately a one of a kind item. Anyway, I also think that the original shelves in the photo are probably a bit outdated with the industrial sides etc and a revamp is a good idea. The ones I have selected have much cleaner lines and are more like a piece of line art. It’s contemporary and still has the bird shape, so ties in with the previous scheme.

The other items, like the accent colour, the artwork and the cushions don’t really affect the style of the room, so long as the main items are well selected. I chose to change up these items to make the room feel a bit fresher. 

This is the final updated design:

Shopping List:

Bed - Selkirk Solo in Black - Original Bed Company - Link

Carpet - Oatflake Fair Isle Wool Carpet - Knotistry - Link

Chest of Drawers - Remi 5 Drawer Chest in Lilypad - Dunelm - Link

Bedside Table - Remi 1 Drawers Bedside Table in Lilypad - Dunelm - Link

Wallpaper - Deco Arches - Wallpaper Direct - Link

Bird Shelves - Rustic Chic: Pair of Bird Outline Wall Shelves - Stone the Crows - Link

Art - Sage Green Wall Art - Etsy - Link

Neutral Cushions - Large Plain Velvet Cushion Cover in Porridge - Oka - Link

Green Cushions - Ladwell Sage Green Cushion Cover - Dunelm - Link

Throw - Malini Serena Blanket Jade - Olivia’s - Link

Lamp - Copita Metal Table Lamp - La Redoute - Link

Boxes - Faux Ivory Shagreen Leather Boxes - Etsy - Link

Candle - Ritual of Jing Scented Candle - Rituals - Link

Stephanie Williams Designs provides online interior design services creating mood boards and shopping lists for any of your interior design projects. If you have a photo from Instagram or Pinterest of an interior design style that you love but you don’t know how to recreate it in your own house contact Stephanie here.

Timeless Interiors: Timber Panelling

Timber panelling has gone in and out of style many times throughout the centuries and today it is back. Not only is it popular in the home, it is also popular in commercial settings, such as restaurants, offices and schools. Panelling has an amazing ability to add character and texture to a space and it can also visually change the proportion of a room.

Image From: Rock My Style

Panelling wasn’t always used to create an atmosphere or an aesthetic of a space. For example, initially, timber panels were installed to provide insulation to cold stone walls. The Tudors lined their walls with timber from the floor to the ceiling to show their wealth. They made their wooden panelled walls decorative and so the aesthetic became more important.

Image From: Shevy Vision

There are many different ways that you could include panelling in your home and here are a few ideas for inspiration:

1. Traditional

If your home is an older property, for example Elizabethan, and you wanted to add some character to it, you could reinstate some of the old panels that may have been in the original design of the house. It is worth researching what was around during the time period to make sure you aren’t installing something that was designed 200 years later. For an Elizabethan property, from the 16th century, the decorative Tudor style was replaced with a rectangular style with mitre moulding. This plainer style panelling would have been made of exposed oak which you could install if you wanted to replicate the traditional style. However, if you wanted a more modern look you could install painted rectangular panelling like the one shown below.

Image From: Rock My Style

2. Create Pattern

Tongue and groove boards are really good for creating patterns. Traditionally they are used horizontally or vertically but if you want something a bit different you could install them diagonally or in a basket weave arrangement.

Image From: Pinterest

MDF boards are a great material to use to create panelling as you can cut it to any size you require and arrange it as you would like. You could put the panels only millimetres apart to create beautiful shadow gaps.

Image From: Pinterest

3. Protect Walls

In the Georgian period it was popular to place all your dining chairs against the walls instead of around the dining table. It, therefore, became popular to panel from floor level to dado height (which was originally 600mm from the floor) so that the Georgians could protect their walls from any wear and tear from the chairs. Today it is common to see half panelled walls in areas that might have a lot of traffic, for example the hallway in a home is often panelled and in a commercial space you might also see half height panelling such as in parts of a shopping centre or a hospital.

Image From: Real Homes

4. Proportions 

You can play with the proportions of a room with panelling and trick the eye to make it feel bigger than it actually is. If you want a room to feel wider, install vertical panelling from the floor to the ceiling. If you have a high ceiling and want to make the room feel a bit more enclosed and cosy, panel up to picture rail height (approximately 300-500mm below the ceiling) and paint the area above the same colour as the ceiling. This will help to make the ceiling feel that 300-500mm lower than it actually is.

Image From: A Beautiful Mess

5. Exposed Timber

It has been proven that having plants, flowers and timber inside a commercial or residential space make a room feel calmer. It is also better for our mental health. Reclaimed timber can be used to create exposed panelling which gives a room more character because of the different shades of recycled wood. Examples of reclaimed timber are old floorboards, scaffolding boards and timber pallets. These, as well as being cheaper, are better for your carbon footprint.

Image From: Stephanie Williams Designs

There are so many benefits to panelling - why wouldn’t you want to include it in your home? It’s even perfect for that small box room or in your hallway to protect the walls. Panelling will make any home look unique and add character and style.