Lamp Black Bedroom Transformation
A dramatic bedroom redecoration combining deep Lamp Black walls with crisp detailing, carefully prepared woodwork and a durable matt finish.
Overview
This bedroom formed part of a larger interior redecoration covering three bedrooms together with the hall, stairs and landing.
Recently plastered walls and ceilings required full preparation and decoration, alongside new coving, skirting boards, existing woodwork and doors. Particular care was taken throughout to protect the fitted wardrobes and existing finishes while creating the deep, dramatic Lamp Black colour scheme.
The Brief
The aim for this room was to create a bold, contemporary interior built around Little Greene Lamp Black, while maintaining the crisp detailing and quality of finish needed to make such a deep colour work successfully.
The recently plastered surfaces needed to be properly sealed and refined before decorating, while the woodwork required considerably more preparation, particularly around the window sill.
The bedroom door was also incorporated into the scheme, with the Lamp Black finish carried onto the door to create a more cohesive result.
Before We Started
Before preparation began, the fitted wardrobes were fully covered and carefully masked to protect them from sanding dust, debris and paint throughout the work.
The new plaster walls and ceiling were initially sanded and prepared, while the woodwork was assessed for defects. The window sill in particular required significant attention before it was ready for decorating.
The existing door furniture was removed so the bedroom door could be properly prepared and decorated on both sides, rather than simply working around the existing hardware.
Preparation & Repairs
The new plaster walls and ceiling were sanded and prepared before being sealed with Tikkurila Optiva Primer. Once primed, the surfaces were checked again and any imperfections highlighted by the primer were filled and sanded before the finishing coats were applied.
The woodwork was thoroughly sanded and filled where necessary before priming. A second stage of filling and sanding followed the primer to correct further imperfections that became visible as the surface was refined.
Fixing holes in the new coving and skirting boards were filled and sanded, with the woodwork and coving caulked where required. Surfaces were also de-nibbed between stages to progressively build a smoother finished surface.
The bedroom door was thoroughly sanded and prepared on both sides before receiving two coats of primer, with preparation between coats as required.
The Work
The ceiling was finished in Tikkurila Anti-Reflex 2, while the walls received Tikkurila Optiva Ceramic 3 colour matched to Little Greene Lamp Black. This provided the depth of colour required for the scheme while giving the walls a durable matt finish.
Particular attention was paid to maintaining clean, straight cutting-in lines between the deep Lamp Black walls and contrasting white ceiling and coving.
The prepared woodwork was finished in Benjamin Moore Scuff-X to provide a smooth, hard-wearing finish.
The bedroom door received two finishing coats of Benjamin Moore Scuff-X following its two primer coats, with de-nibbing between stages. The door was finished in Lamp Black to tie it into the overall bedroom scheme.
Once decorating was complete, the old door furniture was replaced with new hardware and handles. The protection around the fitted wardrobes was carefully removed, leaving the existing cabinetry clean and undamaged with crisp junctions against the newly decorated surfaces.
The Finished Result
The Lamp Black scheme completely changes the character of the bedroom, creating a deep and contemporary finish while the contrasting white ceiling and coving retain definition around the room.
Carrying the colour through to the bedroom door helps bring the scheme together, while the carefully prepared woodwork and crisp cutting-in become particularly important against such a strong wall colour.
As with the wider project, much of the quality of the finished room comes from the preparation underneath it. Refining the new plaster after priming, carrying out multiple preparation stages on the woodwork and carefully protecting the existing fitted wardrobes allowed the bold finished scheme to remain clean and precise.
Products Used
Ceiling: Tikkurila Anti-Reflex 2
Walls: Tikkurila Optiva Ceramic 3, colour matched to Little Greene Lamp Black
Bare plaster primer: Tikkurila Optiva Primer
Woodwork: Benjamin Moore Scuff-X
Bedroom door: Benjamin Moore Scuff-X, finished in Lamp Black
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