The designer's room: 'I wanted to create a sense of calm'

Interior designer Rosie Bossom has created a bedroom that's a peaceful sanctuary in Notting Hill, as Amelia Thorpe discovers.

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It may be in west London, but interior designer Rosie Bossom wanted her apartment bedroom to feel as if it was in the country. With this in mind, she decided to make the most of the large windows, natural light and garden view: ‘I wanted to create a sense of calm.’

The quiet backdrop is composed of plain, painted walls and white bedlinen, with neutral linen curtains framing the windows. The curtain track is concealed by a dropped ceiling, with acoustic insulation installed to prevent sound travelling from the flat above.

Simple blackout blinds have been trimmed in green grosgrain ribbon from V. V. Rouleaux to echo the colour of the leaves seen through the windows.

Against this tranquil background, Rosie added a layered scheme. ‘I like to create a sense that a room has been pieced together over time,’ she explains. An overscale headboard is covered in deep-olive-green mohair from Claremont. ‘I drew different possible shapes and sizes on the wall, so that I could be sure that the headboard would look in proportion to the height of the ceiling.’

The bed is dressed with a large cushion made from an antique suzani panel. The dressing table, which was once a child’s desk, was spray-painted in a burgundy that complements the intricate embroidery of the cushion.

A mix of printed linens and cottons has been used to make the valance for the bed, to cover the stool and for the lampshades. ‘They make a light contrast to the strong colour of the headboard. In a bedroom, which needs to be calm, it makes sense to add the pattern with cushions, rugs and lampshades, then they can be swapped out if you find them too much.’

Rosanna Bossom – www.rosannabossom.co.uk


Pick out a feature as a subtle accent: cupboards painted in Teresa’s Green Estate eggshell, £43.50 for 2.5 litres, Farrow & Ball (01202 876141; www.farrow-ball.com)

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Amelia Thorpe

Amelia Thorpe is a design and interiors journalist and regular contributor to Country Life. She spent the first half of her career book publishing, before jumping the fence to become a writer — a role that she adores. Amelia lives in London with her husband and two roguish dogs.