Bedroom and Living Room Interior Design - Wanstead, East London.

Studio Milne was commissioned to design a bedroom and living room for a family home in Wanstead, East London. Set within a handsome Edwardian property, the rooms offered beautiful proportions and natural light but were in need of a warmer, more personal touch. The brief was to create interiors that felt layered and considered, combining a sense of comfort with quiet character.

In the bedroom, the client wanted something calming and inviting with a subtle, nostalgic feel. Drawing on the home’s leafy setting, Studio Milne designed a space with a rustic cottage influence, using colour and pattern to create a soft and serene atmosphere. The starting point was the wallpaper – a delicate floral design called Flora by Boråstapeter, a Swedish brand known for its nature-inspired prints and over a century of design heritage. The pattern is detailed but not overpowering, with gentle pops of colour that keep the room feeling fresh and uplifting.

The wallpaper became a central feature, and the rest of the scheme was built around its palette. The lower walls and ceiling were painted in Green Smoke by Farrow & Ball, a soft yet rich green that echoes the natural elements of the wallpaper. Carrying the same colour across the skirting, picture rail and ceiling helped simplify the visual plane and avoid abrupt breaks, creating a more harmonious and immersive space. Because of the room’s tall ceilings, bringing the darker colour down to the picture rail also helped to cosy up the scale and enhance the intimate, cottage-like feel.

The design balances vintage charm with thoughtful contemporary touches. A vintage Art Deco dressing table adds warmth and character, and held personal significance for the client, whose mother owned a similar piece. Soft furnishings were chosen for comfort and tone: pink linen cushions, a striped blue throw and a yellow wool blanket that picks up the daisy tones in the wallpaper. Long yellow curtains with a coordinating floral motif bring a bold yet balanced pattern clash, unified by shared tones and a botanical theme. These layers of texture and colour are key to the room’s inviting atmosphere.

In the living room, the approach shifted slightly to celebrate the room’s larger proportions and architectural detail. The ceiling and upper wall were painted a light, airy tone to highlight the height of the space, while the lower portion was painted in a rich khaki green. This added depth and grounding to the scheme, allowing the eye to rest and enhancing the room’s natural grandeur.

The window treatment played a central role in the transformation. Previously dressed with five separate roller blinds, the windows are now framed with full-length gold velvet curtains that fall just shy of the floor. The length and pleat give a tailored, elegant feel, with a warm texture that elevates the room while keeping it cosy. In contrast to the bedroom’s relaxed spill, these curtains reflect the more structured aesthetic of the living space.

One of the key inspirations was the original stained glass window, which features jewel-like colours in red, blue and green. Painting the surrounding walls and trim in khaki green helped enhance these tones and brought greater cohesion to the space. Previously, white-painted trim and taupe alcove cupboards disrupted the visual flow, so these were removed or refinished to allow the stained glass to become a natural focal point.

Studio Milne also incorporated a picture ledge in place of traditional hanging artwork, offering the family flexibility to evolve the room’s styling over time. This subtle but smart addition allows for changing displays of art, plants or decorative objects, helping the room grow with the family and remain adaptable.

Both rooms reflect Studio Milne’s design philosophy – creating human-centred interiors that are both beautiful and practical. These are spaces that support wellbeing, tell a story and invite relaxation, brought together through thoughtful design, natural materials and an intuitive sense of flow.