Sleep Made Simple with Otty

In Partnership with Otty Mattresses

I have been after a new mattress for years. It’s embarrassing how long I waited to upgrade actually but you know how it is. It’s an investment, it’s a big deal and there are so many to choose from.

I put out a call on my Instagram stories asking for recommendations and Otty came up as one of the top ones so I reached out to the Otty gang for a collaboration.

I was drawn to Otty because of their hybrid approach - I’d heard horror stories about some memory foam only mattresses and I need a bit of support. The Original Hybrid is award winning, with a combination of springs and foam to create both support and comfort. The top layer is memory foam which help regulates your temperature and the pocket springs have a medium-firm rating which is perfect for us.

The first night was honestly like sinking into a cloud, it was so comfy but it also felt really supportive. We’ve been sleeping on it for just over two weeks now and there are zero complaints from any of us - including the cat.

The big pluses from me are:

1. The washable cover which can be unzipped anytime and washed at 40 degrees (when you have a cat who loves to throw up on anything nice, this is a big deal!)

2. The pocket springs minimalize motion transfer which is great for when one is tossing and turning.

3. Otty will remove your old mattress saving you the hassle of the tip run.

So if you’re thinking of upgrading, I would highly recommend trying Otty and the great thing is they offer 100 day trial so you don’t have to worry about making such a big decision and being stuck with it if you find this isn’t offering the right needs for you.

Bedroom Reveal

In Partnership with Lick Paint

There are also some other partnerships in this blog post which will be clearly marked.

Bedroom Transformation

BEFORE

This was the room when we viewed the house. It was the room I fell in love with and ultimately nudged us into putting in an offer. The huge bay windows allow so much light in here and the ceilings are super high so the room feels so spacious and luxurious. I always knew this would be the room we would start with when decorating because it didn’t require lots of work and could be something that would be easy to tackle.

The Bedroom When We Bought The House

The Moodboard

I started this moodboard before we’d even moved in. The two things I knew I wanted were a statement ceiling and a four poster bed. Whenever I told anyone about the four poster bed, everyone immediately imagined Bridgeton but I had something way more contemporary in mind.

The moodboard is a collection of items we already had and new items we wanted to purchase. It’s a great way to visualise your ideas and I offer this service in my Virtual Styling which you can find more about here.

As you will see, not all items were used or purchased and we found a different way or upcycled something else so don’t feel pressure on yourself to follow the moodboard to the letter. Things change, you change and things also go out of stock - A LOT.

The Initial Moodboard

As much as I went into this house thinking I’d change up my style completely, at the end of the day my style is my style and I can’t help but be drawn to certain colours. Greys worked in the old house and I knew they would work here. The new colour for me is the deep forest green - this is a lush combination with the greys and woods and as soon as I put it together I knew it was the scheme for me.

Lick's stick on/peel off samples

The Final Colours

I have been wanting to work with Lick Paint for a while now after hearing really good things about the quality and coverage of the paint. The stick on/peel off samples are a game changer, instead of directing painting on the wall which I never recommend doing as you can’t get a true vision of how the paint will look. You have to be able to move the paint around the room, see it in all the different lights so these little squares were perfect.

In the end I went for Grey 08 on the ceiling and woodwork, Grey 03 on the walls and Black 01 on the fireplace. All three feel lovely and warm for greys and don’t let the name Black scare you, it’s a very matt, light black which definitely doesn’t suck all the light out of the room.

The Reveal

Eeek! I am so pleased with how everything turned out, it’s my favourite place to be! The dark ceiling is a real statement and gives a lovely enveloping feel which is perfect for the bedroom. The greens are the perfect offset to the grey and I can forever fill the room with more plants to compliment the furniture. We still have our old wardrobe and bedsides, and I painted the old ikea mirror in the black to give it a facelift.

The Reveal

The bed was the biggest purchase for the room and I had been eyeing up contemporary four poster beds for a while. The price of these beds vary massively from super cheap to ridiculously expensive but we found Get Laid Beds to be the most reasonable price for a handmade bed.

Statement Four Poster Bed

After buying some linen bedding with wedding vouchers in 2019, I have been obsessed with it ever since. It is the most comfy bedding to sleep in, keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I fell in love in with Loom & Last’s linen throw in Artichoke which I knew would go perfectly in the room and they very kindly sent me a full duvet set. I have the Grey French Linen Bundle here but there are lots of lovely colours to choose from.

Grey French Linen

Artichoke Throw

The Fireplace

Originally I was thinking of replacing the tiles in the fireplace with some deep mottled green tiles but price, supply and finding a tiler was proving to be too many obstacles and I am too impatient to wait. Despite the tiles being almost a leopard print effect which I would normally be all over, they didn’t fit with the scheme and had to go.

I was so nervous about painting over the tiles but honestly it was the easiest job in the world. I bought some Dulux Difficult Surface Primer, gave that a coat to dry overnight and then applied two coats of Lick Black 01 with a mixture of a roller and a paintbrush, and voila! All done and the finish looks really good even when you get REALLY close up.

Tiles Before

Primer On

First Coat of Black 01

Finished!

The Details

Accessorising is my favourite thing to do when transforming a room. Again we used a mixture of new and old items. Shopping your own house is a fab way to freshen things up and this was no exception. A few items were birthday gifts and a few items were just must have purchases.

Get The Look

1. Paint (in partnership with Lick paints) : Grey 03, Grey 08, Black 01 from Lick

2. Bed : Four Poster Classic from Get Laid Beds in black.

3. Chest of Drawers : Show Wood Four Chest in Jade Green from John Lewis.

4. Bedside Tables and Wardrobe : Our old furniture from Next (no longer available).

5. Floor Lamp (in partnership with Iconic Lights) : The Morpho

6. Table Lamps : Penn Green Marble by Lights and Lamps.

7. Chair: Frame Accent Chair fromMade.com (Affiliate Link)

8. Bedding: Loom & Last (partnership)

9. Metal Trunks : Made.com (affiliate)

10. Cat sold separately

So what do you think? Let me know in the comments!

Getting Cosy for Autumn

In collaboration with Catherine Lansfield Bedding

Autumn is my favourite time of year - so much so we’re going to get married in Autumn next year! Aaargh! As I write this though, there has been an unusual warm weather front so everyone has been baking today! Typical! Nevertheless I’m hoping it’s just a fluke and it will go back to crisp mornings and chilly evenings where it’s perfectly acceptable not to go out on an evening and instead hunker down under a blanket. Here are my tips for “cosying” up a space.

Wedding Date Announcement

The Bedroom

My bed is one of my favourite places to be when the weather turns colder, I would go to bed as soon as it got dark if it was socially acceptable! When Catherine Lansfield got in touch and asked me to try their Stag bedding, I jumped at the chance to cosy up the bedroom with this gorgeous duvet set. It’s also a great piece for Christmas if you like to update your decor at this time.

Cosy bedroom decor

I added a Catherine Lansfield charcoal chunky knit throw and a sheepskin rug to add extra texture to the room and make it look really warm and inviting. Of course fairylights also help! You can create your own little sanctuary where you can curl up with a good book and a massive mug of coffee, tea or hot chocolate - whatever floats your boat!

The Living Room

Candles and pumpkins

Candles, candles, candles are the key here. Light them all and have them everywhere (obviously be really careful and never leave them unattended) but there’s nothing better than turn the “big light” off, switching on the lamp and lighting the candles. It creates a gorgeous cosy space with a lovely ambiance. Perfect for nights on the sofa under a blanket watching a film.

The Dining Room

Autumn pumpkins

Pumpkins. They are everywhere at this time of year. I’m not talking about the ones carved with triangles for eyes, although don’t get me wrong I love a good carving session - it brings back so many good childhood memories. But there are so many more amazing varieties out there these days that you can use them as a styling staple all through October. Create a gorgeous display in a fruit bowl or use them as props on shelves. The possibilities are endless. Shoutout to my favourite florist - The Flower Lounge for supplying me with the most beautiful mini white pumpkins.

Autumnal Dining Room Decor

The Kitchen

I’m just going to say one thing - Cake! Get baking, cooking, hosting dinner parties; whatever you can to spend time here all toasty whilst the weather rages outside. If cookings not your thing - there’s always deliveroo!

Kitchen And Cake

And lastly - Leopard Print

Leopard Print

You can’t escape it this year. It’s everywhere. I’ve always been a leopard print fan, Ben calls me the crazy leopard print lady. I once turned up to the airport wearing a leopard jumpsuit, leopard shoes and pulling a leopard suitcase. That’s what happens when I have to get up at the crack of dawn for an early flight!!!

Anyways I digress - but I just wanted to share this gorgeous scarf from Accessorize and think it’s the perfect Autumn accessory.

Cosy Cat

Have a lovely Autumn from me and Bojangles!