Whinnie Williams’ trick to ‘immediately look like an interior designer’

Interior designer and presenter Whinnie Williams is a master at bold bedroom design schemes. Using her trademark vintage-inspired designer style she has transformed a number of bedrooms for shoots and TV shows. She is currently in the process of renovating her own bedroom and let us in on her secret for making a bedroom look like it was decorated by a designer.

The creative director of interior brand Poodle & Blonde and guest designer on Channel 4 Changing Rooms has recently joined Dreams as their interior design expert, sharing the latest trends, expert tips, and innovative ideas to help you create the perfect sanctuary for a restful night’s sleep. In conversation with Ideal Home, she revealed that one of her favourite small bedroom ideas is to wallpaper a ceiling.

Whinnie Williams in brown suit sat on bed with white headboard — Whinnie Williams on her Chloe Upholstered Ottoman Bed Frame, from Dreams

‘I love wallpapered ceiling. It’s such an easy win,’ says Whinnie. ‘I think you immediately look like an interior designer if you wallpaper a ceiling.’

If the idea of trying out wallpaper ideas on your bedroom ceiling feels far from the easy win that Whinnie says it is, the trick to making it work is all in the design you choose.

‘When you’re picking a wallpaper, you want it to work from any angle. I think there’s nothing worse than when you pick a wallpaper that only works in one direction,’ she explains. ‘Like the leaves are going the wrong way. I think picking an abstract print is the key, whether that is marble or geometric.’

Grey wallpaper on bedroom wall with wooden furniture

(Image credit: Future PLC)

However, Whinnie does warn that this might be one DIY project you don’t want to tackle solo. ‘I love people getting stuck in and doing the wallpaper themselves, but ceilings are the hardest. So if you’re going to do it yourself, get lots of hands.’

Alternatively, this might be a good occasion to use a peel-and-stick wallpaper, or at the very least a paste-the-paper wallpaper. The last thing you want is to be dealing with messy wallpaper paste drips landing in your hair.

Pink room with patterned wallpaper

(Image credit: Future PLC)

Before you’re tempted to play things safe by dipping your toe in with a subtle colour, Whinnie says the trick is to just go for it.

‘You can go bold with colour,I wouldn’t be shy. You don’t have to do a light colour. The wallpaper is such an easy hack: you pick your favourite wallpaper, something that really speaks to you, and then you can use all the colours in that to form the rest of the space,’ she points out.

‘Be bold, just go for it.’

If ever there was a strong case for wallpapering your ceiling this would be it.

On the Dreams website you can find more bedroom insights and advice in the Inspire section.

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