Interiors-obsessed Becky Pink talks about how she’s kept busy at home by transforming an old storage cupboard into a cosy cushion filled den.
I’ve got a lovely little project to share with you and it didn’t cost a penny!
We have a large walk in cupboard that leads off from the girls’ room and goes back over the stairs. It’s been used for storage since we moved in, but now I’ve transformed it into a kids reading den.
I used things we already had, including using up half-finished tins of paint, and moving things from elsewhere in the house.
This den used to be a dingy wardrobe with peeling wallpaper, a hanging rail and some tatty, bowed shelving.
Now, it’s a cosy cushion filled reading den, the perfect size for a couple of kids to play in.
We started off knocking a ‘window’ through the plasterboard wall, which let in some much-needed light. We checked for rogue wires and were very careful – I wouldn’t recommend this if you don’t know what’s inside the walls!
The space has two levels: one at floor level, and then behind the ‘window’ there is a large platform. We removed the tatty old shelves, and this gave some extra room.
I stripped the wallpaper, filled lots of holes, and painted everything white. Next, I added a velvet curtain in front of the hanging rail, which was left over from another project. I made wall stickers from gold adhesive paper.
Finally I added an old cot mattress, loads of cushions and pillows, and hung some fairy lights. We moved the girls’ book case in, and painted an old set of IKEA steps so they can climb up.
I framed some postcards, and stuck up the cloud shelves which I bought a few years ago and couldn’t find the right space for. I couldn’t be happier with the results, and neither can our daughters, and it was all free!
Becky Pink is a freelance copywriter and journalist who blogs about her family, life and home at pinkscharming.com. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @pinkscharming.
