10 minute read
‘I’VE EXPRESSED MY STYLE VOICE’
from Hjjhj
by elloco2019
NAMESAKE
‘I got the letters from The Wooden Letters Company to add a modern edge’
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‘I’ve expressed my
COME ON IN!
T ME I’m Sarah Haigh, 37, an eBay manager for the RSPCA. I live here with my husband Darryl, 34, a design engineer, and our children Elsie, 12, and Woody, six. MY HOME A 1920s four-bed semi in Meltham, Huddersfield, bought in 2016 (@haighyshomeinyorkshire). WHEN WE MOVED IN The kitchen felt disjointed with not enough storage and the bathroom carpet had to go! Most of the walls were beige, which just isn’t me. AND NOW We’ve added a downstairs loo, replaced the family bathroom and updated the existing kitchen. Every room’s been redecorated in dark, cosy tones with pops of colour. STYLE TIP Use paint samples on every wall to see how the light hits. The colour will change through the day and look different on each wall.
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Shop Sarah’s style PAGE 44
IDEA TO STEAL
GOING BOLD
‘With such a big window, I knew the living room could take a darker colour, so I chose a colour match of Farrow & Ball’s Off Black’
Faced with beige walls and floors, Sarah has gradually given each room of her 1920s semi a moody, eclectic palette with pastel pops throughout
After having our son Woody, we soon outgrew our two-bedroom terraced home in Linthwaite near Huddersfield,’ says Sarah. ‘It was on a main road but we wanted a semi or detached house on a quieter street with parking and a garden.
While searching for other properties online, I’d scrolled past this house a few times but it was too expensive at £245,000. Our initial budget was £200,000, but it soon crept up to £220,000. We took a chance and decided to view it, even though it was over budget.
The couple had seven children and when I saw their daughters baking together in the kitchen, their son playing violin in the living room and another upstairs reading a book, I knew it would be a lovely family home. Although the decor was very beige, the big kitchen and garden clinched it. Having overpaid on our mortgage, we could stretch ourselves to £239,000 and our offer was accepted.
Tackling the bathroom
My least favourite room was the dated 1980s bathroom which got ripped out a year after moving in. It had a carpet, bath panel and separate shower cubicle so felt a bit cramped and grotty. I hated spending any time in there.
It’s not a massive space so needed careful planning before proceeding with a refit. We did consider a bath under the window, but it would have been costly to move all the pipes. In the end we kept the loo in the same spot and installed a freestanding bath with a shower and curtain, which meant we could fit some storage at the end. Getting rid of the separate shower made the
BUILD IT UP
‘The gallery wall started with a picture of hydrangeas and a stag’s head. It set the tone for different shapes and sizes’
BUDGET REVAMP
‘The existing Ikea units were painted in Zinsser All Coat, which was colour-matched to Zoffany’s Como Blue. We teamed them with mustard tiles from Porcelain Superstore’
space feel bigger and means I don’t have to clean a shower screen either!
Kitchen revamp
There wasn’t much storage in the kitchen when we first moved in. It’s a big room but there was one pine wall cupboard, which looked more like a bathroom cabinet, and a peg rail all around the room. With no blinds, it felt very bare and we wanted to make it more of an entertaining space.
Lockdown was the perfect opportunity to rethink the space. Rather than rip out the kitchen and start again, we bought an island unit, repainted the existing base units in blue, swapped the handles and added new shelves. To make it feel like new, we also sanded down the worktops and revarnished them. Mustard splashback tiles and some blinds made by my grandma make it feel cosy and warm. It was time-consuming but so worth it.
Style wars
I’ve definitely got a bigger voice than Darryl when it comes to decorating ideas. He struggles to see a finished product, whereas I can. As a result, every room has been a battle and I have to ease him into my way of thinking slowly and gently! I think certain rooms should be kept
BLENDING IN
‘I painted this charity shop dresser the same as the kitchen units and new Ikea island’
IN THE FRAME
’Quirky prints bring personality to the kitchen’
IDEA TO STEAL
3 of the best... BAR STOOLS
Stylish island seating for under £100
GREEN SHEEN
Robyn bar stool in Moss Green velvet, £99, Cult
PRETTY PERCH
Larkyn bar stool in Blush, £39, Dunelm
SMOOTH SEAT
Devlin bar stool in natural ash, £89, Made
TRIO OF PENDANTS
‘I struggle with lighting so chose three clear lights from Wayfair that weren’t too in your face’
IDEA TO STEAL
MINI BAR
‘I upcycled a £13 charity shop unit to create a drinks cabinet and added shelves above for glasses’
SPLASHING OUT
‘When I spotted the Folium wallpaper by Osborne & Little, it was love at first sight. I clashed it with a stripy carpet’
RUSTIC FEEL
‘I love scaffold board shelves and found these ones at Reclaimed Scaffs on Etsy for just £14.50 each’
‘I CAN JUSTIFY THE ODD SPLURGE,LIKE THE KITCHEN TILES OR HALLWAY WALLPAPE AS
EVERYTHING ELSE IS DONE ON A BUDGET’
light and airy, but you can experiment with dark colours to make others rooms more cosy, like I have done with my living room and master bedroom.
The living room has a really big window so I knew it could take darker colours. I initially painted it pale grey, which wasn’t different enough from the original colour. Next I chose navy blue, which was too dark for Daz but not dark enough for me. Eventually I told Darryl I’d ordered some paint but didn’t say what colour and sent him out for the day while I got decorating with an off-black colour. Luckily he liked it when I’d put all the furniture back. I’d love to wallpaper the ceiling too, but I’d probably be crossing a line there!
Adding colour
Even though there are lots of dark walls in my house, I love a pop of colour too. For instance when I started painting Woody’s bedroom dark green, he was scared it was a bit too dark. But when we added the wall mural and adhesive vinyl on the wardrobes, it really broke things up.
The hallway was a naturally dark space so I didn’t want to go totally black in there. Instead I painted it dark green and the bannister black with some
IDEA TO STEAL
PARED BACK
‘Elsie chose Blue Gravel by Crown for the walls, floral bedding from Next, then printed off her own artwork’
DIY PROJECT
‘I bought a staple gun and reupholstered the headboard myself. I do love a pattern clash so nearly went for a bold floral design but in the end chose a simple stripe’
COSY SPACE
‘The existing cream Ikea wardrobes were painted to blend into the walls and make the space feel bigger’
gorgeous wallpaper up the stairs. Since I work as an eBay manager for the RSPCA, I’ve saved money by upcycling charity shop furniture. I can then justify the odd splurge, like the mustard kitchen tiles or botanical wallpaper in the hall.
Bedroom blitz
The one room that never really got that loving touch was the master bedroom. Initially I just painted a chest of drawers and left it at that. However, lockdown changed all that.
We’ve both always liked panelling so decided to create a feature wall behind the bed. I’d been told you’ve got to get your maths right first and since Daz is a design engineer, we have the software to make it easier. The pieces of wood were cut to size at B&Q, fixed to the wall and painted in a colour match of Farrow & Ball’s Blue Black.
The starting point for the colour scheme was a gorgeous pink velvet bedspread with an Art Deco feel, which led to me choosing pastel accessories
Make it!
UPHOLSTER A HEADBOARD
You’ll need: MDF frame cut to your bed width (or existing headboard to recover), spray adhesive, pencil, tape measure, scissors, staple gun, fabric, batting, 5cm thick foam. 1 Use scissors or an electric knife to cut foam to the same size as the MDF or headboard, then attach with spray-on upholstery adhesive. 2Add a larger layer of batting on top with enough to bend around and staple to the back of the MDF. 3Start stapling from the centre, alternating between opposite sides so the fabric tension is even. 4Do the same with your chosen fabric, taking care to cut out a small piece when folding over the corners to create a clean pleat that’s not too bulky. 5Use heavy-duty flush mount interlocking brackets (try Amazon) to attach your finished headboard securely to the wall.
Doit!ADHESIVE VINYL
Adhesive vinyl, also known as contact paper or sticky back plastic, is a self-adhesive covering that comes in rolls or sheets with a peel-off backing. It’s an easy way to transform furniture, worktops, shelves and walls.
When it comes to furniture makeover projects the possibilities are endless. Try a geometric coffee table top, use on drawer fronts, transform the inside of a glazed cabinet, create a kitchen splashback, hide an ugly dishwasher or cover stair risers. There are a dizzying array of designs out there from terrazzo, leopard print and spots to Moroccan tiles, palm leaves and clouds. Try Jes Rose, RestoWrap, Vinyl Warehouse, Dunelm or B&Q for ideas.
IDEA TO STEAL
COHESIVE THEME
‘Adhesive vinyl in a jungle design from Ninth Vinyl has transformed Woody’s neon green wardrobe. I added a rhino head from local shop The Lion’s Den’
MONO MAGIC
‘The colour scheme is very simple with white tiles and dark walls, with a blind in Designers Guild fabric from Pattern Principle’
JUNGLE BOOGIE
‘In Woody’s bedroom we went with the jungle theme and added a mural from Untouchables which breaks up the dark green walls’
Where to buy Sarah’sstyle
NEXT Great for affordable bedding, cushions and curtains.
FY! Best known for art prints, but is well worth a look for furniture, lighting and rugs too.
FURNITURE 123 Pieces for every room, regular sales and vast choice make this a favourite online store.
HOMESENSE An ever-changing treasure trove of homeware. Their planters and vases are always great value.
PUNK HAUS A go-to store for irreverent and provocative prints.
that work well against the dark walls. I also upholstered the old grey headboard in a lovely striped fabric.
Future plans
Next we’re saving up for an amazing utility room. When the house was extended in the 1980s, the old kitchen became a makeshift utility but it’s a narrow room with a boiler and exposed pipes. I’d also love to add a summerhouse, which could be an office for Darryl or a kids’ TV room.
I’m pleased that doing up the house has taught me several new skills like tiling, wallpapering and reupholstery. I now can’t wait to get onto the next project.’
Find more clever ideas to style up your home by going to pinterest.com/
