The Old Forge York – The Master Bedroom Suite

There are some projects that are just so all encompassing that one blog post isn’t quite enough to cover everything you want to say. And my involvement in Next Door at The Old Forge is definitely one of those projects.

My last blog post was all about my involvement in the implementation of Karen from Making Spaces’ designs for the 2-bed holiday let. However, the master bedroom suite designs hadn’t been agreed before work commenced on the build.

With the project in full flow, that needed to be rectified quickly so that we could agree the layout, decide on the electrical and plumbing points and start thinking about colours and furniture etc. So, Karen, The Old Forge’s owner, asked me to help design this space in collaboration with her. Her vision for the room was a little different from the rest of the spaces, she wanted it to feel glamorous, feminine and a place to retreat to. Families are a core target market for the business and she wanted parents to be able to have a place of calm and peace for themselves, but with a focus on femininity.

The interior design went through a number of iterations but we settled on layering different shades of nude in both the bedroom and bathroom spaces and adding hints of darkness in the furniture, mirror and bathroom ceiling for a little ‘edge’.

Rather than opting for a flat nude across the whole bedroom, I wanted to create different layers of the nude across the space and so decided on painting the top half of the walls and the ceiling using Paint & Paper Library Leather III while the lower half would be painted in Desert Rose, with the addition of an additional decorative line of the Desert Rose to add some interest and a hint of art deco vibes.

The nude then ran into the curtains and the bathroom tiles to really fulfil on that feminine feel. But we still needed a bit of edge in the bathroom, so the addition of a black shower tray and a dark ceiling colour created that same effect.

We originally opted for three dark cage effect pendants for the main lighting above the bed, but Karen then fell in love with the Three-Tier Fringe Chandelier from Rockett St George, which then meant that we changed some of the other elements of the design to work better with this more delicate piece.

So, we changed the bed to be one with a nude upholstered headboard, rather than the industrial one in the original design and the wall lights either side of the bed also changed to be the Faye from Made.com, which are curvier and black and worked better with the chandelier.

This process happens with many projects, where the design evolves over time. So, if you’re thinking about working with an interior designer but worry that you’ll just be presented with one design and that’s it, don’t, not every designer works like that. We are designing homes and spaces for our clients, not for us. And ultimately the client has to be happy, so designs will change and adapt as projects move forward. This is particularly true for the current climate where supply chains have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and we are having to find alternatives to some products for projects where we can’t get the product that we want at the time that we need it.

Given the size and dimensions of the room, the remaining pieces of furniture needed to be minimal in footprint. But that doesn’t mean they can’t pack a punch.

• The Orson Industrial bedside tables from Cult Furniture are the right combination of glamour and edginess

• The Novani console table from La Redoute is perfectly slimline for the space and the two drawers offers a bit of additional storage space. The brass effect handles and steel feet just give it that added bit of sophistication.

And then we finished that corner off with some cosier and softer elements in the:

• Dioscuri wall lights bought from Holloways of Ludlow

• Afaw Berber style rug from La Redoute

In order to keep costs down and avoid complexities with the project, the en-suite has the same sink and toilet fitted. It also helps to keep some consistency and coherence between the different spaces, something that can be important when things have been designed at different times by different people.

We had hoped to install the Bosom Nude wallpaper above the tiles in the en-suite for a bit of additional sensuality as well as fun. This was one element that Karen at Making Spaces had suggested when the first designs were being discussed. But budget didn’t allow for this in the end. For now, we’ve just got the Beautiful Booby Lady Stoneware Vase from Rockett St George (currently not on the website) to add that element of fun!

It’s been such a pleasure to share this space with you as I feel proud of what Karen and I achieved working collaboratively on this project. It’s the type of space I would love to retreat to at the moment and definitely think it delivers on the brief of glamorous, feminine but also calm and peaceful. What do you think?

We hear that customers have already had fantastic stays and with Next Door at The Old Forge booked until the autumn, it sounds like word is getting round! We can’t wait to book a few nights away and hope you might book your own stay in this idyllic property. Karen would be happy to host you, and I can vouch that the hospitality will be second to none.

Thanks again to Polly Baldwin for the images.

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Fresh Start Living is based in Leeds, West Yorkshire and covers surrounding areas as well as offering a remote interior design service.