Reaching New Heights in Decorating

We were blown away when we saw the latest project from Katy Morton of Rowan Tree Decor who has used her artistic flair to create a fantastic room fit for a four-year-old.

It’s lovely to meet you Katy! How long have you been a painter and decorator for?

I’ve been self employed as a painter and decorator for over 20 years now. I took a year or so off when I had my two children. 

It looks as though you have quite the creative eye! Do you undertake any other artistic work?

Having completed a Fine Art degree, I’ve always had a passion for painting and Art. My current creative interests include helping my husband build and renovate houses, currently we are working on our own family home. I also love renovating furniture and creating unique one-off pieces. 

It sounds like you’re an extremely busy decorator! Where did the inspiration behind your latest project come from?

My customer wanted something special for his son’s 4th birthday, they suggested to me they’d like a mountain style theme to go with the bedding they already had. They asked for a design that would grow with their son over the next few years. I designed the mural to work within the room and around the large ‘house style’ bed on stilts that they had. 

So now you have a design concept in mind, what products did you decide to use for the project?

I chose to use Isomat Premium paints because I needed a durable, wipeable paint with it being for a child’s room. The premium paint I knew would leave a beautiful even matt finish with excellent opacity. I used Benjamin Moore Scuff X on the woodwork, again this is an excellent hardwearing paint, flows really well and is a joy to work with. 

It’s always important to think practically about the space you’re decorating as you will want to make sure such an incredible design will stand the test of time. What was the biggest challenge of the project?

The trickiest part was drawing out the mountain design. I wanted it to work within the space, around the bed and I chose to incorporate the door into the design, so it became part of the mural. I also wanted it to work from a child’s height viewpoint. Once the design was drawn out the process was fairly straightforward to complete, working from the background forwards.

Did you develop any of your skills during the project?

I was able to spray finish the walls to create an ombré effect as the sky. This is only the second time I have used this technique/method so was pleased to develop this skill further, each time gaining confidence in creating this effect. 

Such a complicated design must have taken quite some time! How long did the mural take to finish?

The whole room decoration including the sprayed ombré effect walls, mural, woodwork and ceilings took a total of 5 days.

Excellent results, amazing attention to detail, and a beautifully put together design - you must be happy with the final piece!

I am really proud of the overall result of the room and most of all so was little Charlie who will get to enjoy his new mountain themed bedroom.

I’m sure it’s a bedroom that will be loved for many years to come and we cannot wait to see more of your incredible work Katy! Be sure to follow @RowanTreeDecor to see all the latest projects from Katy.