A modern rustic makeover for a loft bedroom

Interiors Blogger and VELUX Ambassador Rebecca Lawson shares how she transformed a "blank canvas" loft bedroom into an oasis of calm and Scandi-influenced style.

I live in an Edwardian semi-detached house in North London with my husband and three young sons age 8, 6 and 3. We fell in love with our house when we came to view it nine years ago because it has four double bedrooms, lots of period features and a 90ft garden that is a must have when you have three energetic boys! We have been slowly renovating and decorating it ever since as our family has expanded.

My interiors style is influenced by Scandinavian lifestyle and design. I love the neutral colour schemes that Nordic countries favour and their simple, crisp, clean interiors. However, I mix up the minimalism of Scandinavian style a little bit with vintage pieces as I am just not tidy enough to be a full time minimalist! I like to add texture, warmth and a rustic feel to our home by using reclaimed materials and displaying vintage finds I have collected over the years. My best ever vintage find was a blue enamel post office sign from France from an antiques market in Newark which now has pride of place in our kitchen.

The previous owners of our house had already carried out a loft conversion before we moved in so part of the appeal of the property when we came to view it was that it had all the bedroom space we needed for our growing family. Some of the houses we had been to view previously had loft conversions that had been really badly designed so the spaces felt cramped and dark and only really fit for a hamster. In contrast, we loved the fact that the owners of our house had installed 6 large VELUX windows in the sloping roof at the front of the house which flood the room with natural daylight and make it a lovely light airy space. 

Rebecca's modern rustic loft bedroom
In the Summer months we open the windows up wide and let lots of fresh air into the room and I love the fact that in the Spring they frame the view of the blossom trees that grow along our street creating a beautiful tranquil feel in this room.

I have decorated the loft in the Scandi/Rustic style that I love. I have kept the walls mainly white to make the most of the natural light coming in through the VELUX windows and then added character and warmth by cladding the wall behind our bed in reclaimed scaffold boards which I sourced from a local recycling centre. I have also added in vintage pieces like the old drawers by the bed which I bought at auction and the old shutters and Brooklyn ceiling tiles that I display beside the bed to add more colour, texture and interest. 

Because the floorplan of the loft is quite big I have tried to create mini zones within the room for different purposes to break up the space. I have an overall colour scheme but have used subtly different paint colours to mark out the separate sleeping and seating spaces for example. And then in the seating area I have created a gallery wall with monochrome prints so that there is something to draw the eye to that area.

To make things cosier in the winter I add in sheepskin rugs, soft woollen throws on the bed and soft bedside lighting. I love retreating up here at the end of the day as it is the most peaceful, calm and light place in our house.

My top tip when decorating a loft would be to think about how you can add texture, interest and character as they often have a slightly bland/new build feel. Using reclaimed materials is a great way of adding extra character and personality to you space.

Rebecca's modern rustic loft bedroom

Check out more of Rebecca's modern rustic style on her blog Malmo & Moss.

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