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Room Tour: A Teen’s Loft Bedroom That Doubles as a Guest Space
Work, rest and play zones ensure this attic room scheme will last through the teenage years, and serve for visitors, too
Plenty was demanded of this 13-year-old’s room in West Yorkshire. It needed to suit him now, but also be future-proof. Packing in stash space was also essential in a Victorian terraced house with limited storage. Being guest-ready was on the wish list as well, with the occupant giving up his bedroom to overnighters from time to time.
Clever space planning, made-to-measure cabinetry, and a neutral scheme with accents of vibrant colour allowed interior designer Caroline Wood-Robertson to deliver on all counts.
Clever space planning, made-to-measure cabinetry, and a neutral scheme with accents of vibrant colour allowed interior designer Caroline Wood-Robertson to deliver on all counts.
Locating the necessary storage in the best position determined the room’s layout. Cabinetry was designed for the whole length of the wall beneath the new Velux windows and behind the bed head, as well as for one of the walls alongside the bed.
“A room that needs loads of storage can look heavy, but here it’s quite subtle,” Caroline says.
The cabinets behind the bed have sliding doors on either side, so they can be accessed from both ends.
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“A room that needs loads of storage can look heavy, but here it’s quite subtle,” Caroline says.
The cabinets behind the bed have sliding doors on either side, so they can be accessed from both ends.
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The cupboards are made from plywood with simple cutout handles to keep the style streamlined and swerve a traditional fitted furniture look.
Although the finish is clean, to avoid an overly plain result, they’ve been stained black.
The interior space of the wardrobe was carefully arranged to fit items such as wetsuits, as well as offering standard hanging space.
The bedside table is a crate the homeowners already owned, set on its side.
Discover 8 essential items for a teenage bedroom.
Although the finish is clean, to avoid an overly plain result, they’ve been stained black.
The interior space of the wardrobe was carefully arranged to fit items such as wetsuits, as well as offering standard hanging space.
The bedside table is a crate the homeowners already owned, set on its side.
Discover 8 essential items for a teenage bedroom.
Caroline zoned the room, and a futon the homeowners already had gives their son a seating area to share with friends, or to play his guitar. Covering it with throws brought it into the room’s colour scheme and was a low-cost solution. Alongside, a trunk passed down through the family makes a handy side table.
The layout is practical: when guests come to stay, the futon can be rolled out as an extra sleeping space without the need to move any furniture around.
A zebra-print rug on the floor brings another patterned element to the scheme, and adds to the outdoors-in atmosphere of the room.
The walls are painted white to keep the space light and airy. “You need to choose the right tone of white and this is soft,” Caroline says.
Rug, Ikea. Wall painted in Wimborne White, Farrow & Ball.
The layout is practical: when guests come to stay, the futon can be rolled out as an extra sleeping space without the need to move any furniture around.
A zebra-print rug on the floor brings another patterned element to the scheme, and adds to the outdoors-in atmosphere of the room.
The walls are painted white to keep the space light and airy. “You need to choose the right tone of white and this is soft,” Caroline says.
Rug, Ikea. Wall painted in Wimborne White, Farrow & Ball.
Homework space was essential, so Caroline’s joiner created a desktop using extra-thick plywood. She sourced legs that continue the room’s yellow accent colour. The wooden chair is vintage.
The carpet has a tight, contemporary-style pile, which is soft and warm underfoot.
Desk legs, The Hairpin Leg Co. Lamp, Dowsing & Reynolds. Pampas Nordic carpet, Kersaint Cobb.
Tell us…
What do you like about this fun and future-proof teenager’s room? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
The carpet has a tight, contemporary-style pile, which is soft and warm underfoot.
Desk legs, The Hairpin Leg Co. Lamp, Dowsing & Reynolds. Pampas Nordic carpet, Kersaint Cobb.
Tell us…
What do you like about this fun and future-proof teenager’s room? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? A couple and their two sons; this is the 13-year-old’s room
Location Ilkley, West Yorkshire
Property A Victorian terraced house
Room dimensions 20 sq m
Designer Caroline Wood-Robertson of Storylines Interior Design
Photos by James York
The owners’ teenage son already occupied the loft room in this Victorian home when Caroline was called in. Boosting the light in the space was on the agenda, and the existing window was supplemented with two Velux designs to bring more daylight into the room.
The brighter space was then ready for an injection of personality. “It was a completely blank canvas with bare walls,” Caroline says.
The scheme she created needed to have flexibility factored in, lasting through and even beyond the teen years. Overnight visitors have to be accommodated in here from time to time, as well, so the room needed to be fuss-free.
Against the neutral backdrop, yellow accents make the scheme fun. Caroline sourced a wallpaper that looks like a stack of logs for the gable end. “In real life, it does look quite textural,” she says.
The radiator under the window is directly in the line of sight as you enter the room, so Caroline changed the old, plain design to a vintage-style one.
Rasch log pattern wallpaper, I Want Wallpaper. Curtain fabric, Villa Nova.