A bold design trick turned this dated room into a stunning master bedroom and dressing room for £300

We often talk about the issues of a room being too small, but sometimes large spaces can be just as tricky to work with. What happens when you're lucky enough to have a really large space – where you're spoilt for choice as to where to site the bed and what to do with the rest of the room?

This was the case for Laura Crombie and her husband Rian, who took on a dated property in Worcester a few years ago. Undaunted by the spacious bedroom, they set about transforming the bedroom layout splitting it in two and creating a bespoke dressing room too – and all for just £300!  

Master bedroom makeover

Having been renovating their four-bedroom detached 1960s house for the last three years, the couple, who live there with their two daughters, recently turned their attention to the master bedroom. Although it was a good size (approximately 7 x 4m), the scheme was dated and needed bringing up to date.

'We felt the room was big enough to divide up if we did it carefully,' says Laura. 'And it would mean we could take advantage of the view and create space for a dressing room.'

Before

The flouncy curtains, bland carpet and old-fashioned furniture wasn't to Laura's taste and she was keen to put her stamp on the space – but the views out across the garden was something the couple wanted to still be able to enjoy when waking up in the morning.

After

The smartest design decision that made all the difference to this master bedroom idea was building a stud wall to double up as a headboard and divide the space up. 

On the one side is the couple's bed, which they bought from Dusk on the other is hiding the dressing table, zoning the two areas. 'The wall was built from timber and we had it plastered, which cost less than £300 and allowed us to position the bed facing the fields,' explains Laura.

'As the size of the bedroom area was reduced, we opted for wall-mounted bedside lights and floating bedside tables from Urbansize, which allow you to see more of the floor underneath,' Laura continues. 

Dressing room

The dressing area has a more glamorous feel to the main bedroom space, and provides a handy spot for the couple to get ready in the morning. 'The reverse of the stud wall is where we have our dressing table and statement armchair from Julian Joseph,' says Laura. 'There's also an oversized mirror from William Wood on the wall.' 

The room's divide wasn't the only addition to the room, an old corridor was knocked through to create room for fitted wardrobes. 'They were built from MDF and then painted by us to cut down on costs,' says Laura. 'We did all of the construction and decorating, so the only real cost was the plastering.'

To zone the two different areas, walnut-look flooring from Karndean has been used in the dressing area, while carpet from Cormar keeps the bedroom feeling cosy.

'We went for a hazy green-grey on the walls – Yard Party from Coat,' says Laura, 'and teamed with the cream carpet it really brightens the bedroom end of the room.'

If you're stuck with an oversized room, then take this as food for thought to think whether splitting it in half or sectioning off part of it could help it feel even more luxurious.