The Ground Floor Studio at Château Destinée

We found an old photograph of this room among some pictures left behind at the château. It showed a light, airy space with neutral colours and a beautiful timber floor. Somewhere along the way, however, it had changed dramatically. Red carpet tiles had been laid over the floor, a mural had appeared on the wall, and the bathroom had been painted in a dark faux-marble effect that made the whole space feel much smaller and heavier than it should have.

A half wall and a touch of Laura Ashley

We set about bringing it back to life. Rather than leaving the bed in the corner of one open room, we added a half wall so that light could still flood through while gently separating the sleeping area from the kitchen, lounge, and dining space.

We added Laura Ashley wallpaper to one side as a feature and then reused the same wallpaper inside an upcycled window frame to create a piece of art, which gave the room personality without introducing too many competing patterns or colours.

A kitchenette with a hint of Versailles

As we were converting the former bedroom into a studio, we needed to install a kitchen, which meant creating new plumbing connections. We were careful not to introduce too many colours, as that would have made the room feel smaller. Instead, we colour-matched the walls to the kitchen cupboards and added a gold trim to bring a little glamour. The wardrobe then became part of the kitchen. Using old apple crates, we created shelves, a tea and coffee station, and space for a fridge underneath. It is now a beautiful kitchenette, and guests absolutely love it.

The entire back wall was made up of cupboard doors, with panelling above the mantelpiece, and Linda took a little inspiration from Versailles in the decorative painting of the panelling. By using two shades of green on the walls and skirting boards, the cupboards were lifted beautifully and the room gained a sense of grandeur without feeling closed in. Even the wall lights above the kitchen were painted to match, and together the finished look has real impact.

A bathroom behind the cupboard doors

We also loved the fact that the bathroom is entered through the cupboard doors. Guests always enjoy that surprise, especially when they discover how spacious the bathroom actually is. When it was painted in dark colours, it felt closed in and damp. We removed the bathtub to create a large walk-in shower, added new lighting, and used light-coloured walls to make the room feel fresh and airy. An LED mirror above the basin brought in soft, flattering light without the harshness of a spotlight, and it is now a lovely, comfortable space to get ready in.

Brave enough to do it again

Of course, not every renovation goes smoothly. The first shower we installed had a hand-built cement base that never drained properly. Although the coating we used on the plaster walls was waterproof, a tiny gap between the floor and wall allowed moisture to creep up into the plaster. The result was mould in the walls and a real renovation disaster.

In the end, we had no choice but to jackhammer out the concrete base and rebuild the shower completely. This time, we used travertine on a prefabricated shower base to ensure the drainage was right. We are very pleased with the result. Renovating constantly teaches you new lessons, and sometimes you simply have to be brave enough to admit something is not right and do it again. In the end, the result is worth the courage.

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