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NEW

FROM THE MAKERS OF

TRANSFORM YOUR

HOME

Budget ON A

100s OF IDEAS

TO IMPROVE YOUR HOUSE Drab to fab!

WALLPAPER THAT MAKES A STATEMENT

132

PAGES OF DECORATIN G INSPO

Heidi says

‘I WANTED A BOHO CHIC VIBE’

Upcycle it!

BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO OLD FURNITURE

FIRST EDITION

Digital Edition

PRETTY PALETTES

Inspire yourself!

REMARKABLE ROOM TRANSFORMATIONS 3 DIY TIPS 3 CRAFTY UPDATES 3 BUDGET BUYS 3 GARDEN IDEAS

TRANSFORM YOUR

HOME

Budget ON A

F

ancy a home upgrade that won’t break the bank? In this brand-new book from the makers of Style at Home magazine, we share some of our best tips to update your house that won’t cost a fortune. From do-it-yourself projects and upcycling how-tos to must-have high street finds, your home will feel uniquely you!

Over the following pages, explore the most inspirational home renovations from the most recent issues of the magazine, including the stunning California-inspired flat on page 32, as well as the country chic barn conversion on page 40. We’ve also revealed our favourite garden revamps to inspire you in time for summer!

Elsewhere, discover the best budget kitchen and bathroom transformations. From on-trend paints and wallpapers to seasonal furniture and decorations to bring your home up to date, we’ve also shared our top buys that don’t cost the earth.

CONTENTS

Inside…

GARDEN GOODIES Page 48

6

‘HOME IS A FULL-ON COLOUR BOMB’ Naomi’s 1960s terrace house

16

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECEDENT’ Lu’s bright and airy London converted flat

24

‘OUR HOUSE IS 50 SHADES OF PALE’ Hayley’s textured and timeless townhouse

32

‘SUNSHINE VIBES SET THE TONE’ Kate’s three-bedroom tenement apartment in Glasgow

40

‘THE HOUSE HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL’ Rachel’s two-bed converted barn

48

GO AL FRESCO! High-street buys to bring your garden up to date

50

‘THIS REVAMP COST UNDER £900!’ Heidi’s boho-chic garden transformation

54

‘OUR GARDEN IS MIAMI INSPIRED’ Kel’s modern garden update

58

TRY A SPEEDY STYLE UPDATE Have fun with these creative ideas to update your outdoor spaces

66

MAKE IT, LOVE IT! GARDEN PARTY Bring a personal touch to BBQs with these easy garden crafts

68

DREAM KITCHEN High-street buys to bring your kitchen up to date

70

‘I WANTED DARK HUES IN MY KITCHEN!’ Katie’s low cost, high style transformation

74

‘I THREW OUT THE RULE BOOK!’ Natasha’s vibrant and practical kitchen redesign

88

MAKE IT, LOVE IT! FLOWER CRAFT Beautiful dried arrangements that’ll look spectacular for weeks

78

KITCHEN LOOKBOOK Affordable updates to bring in the latest looks

92

THE BATHROOM EDIT Budget buys to bring your bathroom up to date

94

‘IT’S BOUTIQUE ON A BUDGET’ Lucy and David’s vintage-inspired bathroom on a budget

98

‘IT WAS SO CLAUSTROPHOBIC’ Katrina’s dream nautical-inspired attic bathroom

70 88

32 34 Rhiannon’s renovated house has the personal touch

120

102 REVAMP YOUR LIVING SPACE KITCHEN LOOKBOOK Page 78

High-street buys to bring your living room up to date

104 ‘MY NEW LIVING ROOM IS MY HAVEN’ The experts created Vanessa’s welcoming sanctuary

108 LIVING ROOM WALLPAPER IDEAS Colourful and creative ideas

118 BEDROOM BEAUTIES Budget buys to bring your bedroom up to date

120 ESSENTIAL BEDROOM EDIT Bring your bedroom up to date

4 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

CONTENTS

16 66 54 98

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 5

‘Home is a fullIDEA TO STEAL ‘Get creative by applying wall stickers to the ceiling too’ PRETTY IN PINK ‘I enjoy bringing colour into our home’

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Naomi Weetman, 31, a stay-at-home mum. I live here with my husband Luke, 32, a plumber, our son Otis, three, and baby daughter Nevaeh. We also have a cat Salem and dog Brynn.

MY HOME A semi-detached 1960s three-bedroom house in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, which we bought in 2010.

WHEN I MOVED IN I immediately started putting paint and colour on the walls, because everywhere was standard rental magnolia or white.

AND NOW It’s an eclectic, expressive and colourful home that’s totally unique – people often describe it as ‘a lot of fun’.

STYLE TIP There is more than one way to do something, so do your research and don’t rush into upcycling projects.

6 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

FRESH COAT ‘The kitchen area was painted grey which is my least favourite colour and I initially painted the walls emerald green, but over lockdown decided to paint the tiles, door and cabinets as well’

‘HOME IS A FULL-ON COLOUR BOMB!’

on COLOUR BOMB!’ Naomi brushed up her crafting skills and embraced her love of bright colours to drag a dated 1960s terraced home bang into the 21st century

M

y husband Luke already owned the house when I moved in,’ says Naomi.

‘He bought it in 2010 as he was keen to get on the property ladder, and then rented it out for a couple of years. As he is a plumber he’d already updated the bathroom and replaced the carpet and lino in the kitchen and bathroom.

We moved in two years later in 2012, after I had finished university. We had no spare money, but fortunately some mid-century pieces of furniture had been left behind by the previous owners that I was able to upcycle.

Tidying up The house was built in the 1960s and was very dated. Despite some nice original features, such as skirting boards and architraves, I don’t think the decor had been changed for at least 40 years. There was a lot of blown vinyl wallpaper going on! In order to sell the house the previous owners had replaced the kitchen with Ikea units, but they didn’t tile it. There was also a loft extension which hadn’t been finished. In fact a flue ran up through the middle of the loft room because the boiler had been installed in the centre of the house, which was impractical and inconvenient. There was – and still is – a lot that needs to be done.

Exterior issues The house is an end-of-row property, next to a country lane, with lots of farm traffic trundling by. There was no fencing outside, just a hedge.

And no space to park our cars. The first thing we did was to remedy this by removing the many conifer trees to

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 7

Make it!

SPICE RACK YOU WILL NEED Pallet wood Jigsaw Sander Paint or clear varnish Drill Twine Wall hook or large nail

1 2

Cut the wood into five equal lengths using the jigsaw.

Using the sander, give the wood a light sanding to remove any rough edges. Apply a couple of coats of paint if you want to change the colour, or clear varnish if you prefer the wood look.

When the paint is dry, drill holes either end, 5cm from the edge of each piece. Ensure that the holes in the planks line up.

Thread the twine through the holes, tying big knots to evenly space out the shelves.

Join the two loose pieces of twine at the top and hang on the wall using a hook or large nail.

3

4 5

‘I LOVE GREEN AND PINK SO I’VE USED THAT COLOUR COMBO TO LINK ROOM SCHEMES’ create some space. The house is only 500m away from Luke’s parents’ farm, and we were lucky to be able to use their equipment, including a JCB, to make it happen.

Creating our haven SPICE IT UP ‘I made the spice rack out of old pallets I found on Luke’s parent’s farm’

8 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

We’ve been able to cut down on costs by doing trade-offs on jobs, so Luke can offer his plumbing skills in exchange for replastering and decorating various parts of our house.

Each year we’ve done something new in terms of improving and upgrading our home. One of the first things was tackling the boiler. We moved it to a small box room located at the front of the property, which meant we could knock down the horrendous pillar in the middle of the loft room and were then able to finish off our bedroom, which was in the existing extension. We had the roof replaced, redesigned the whole space and then Luke put in an en suite.

‘HOME IS A FULL-ON COLOUR BOMB!’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Paint a mirror frame the same colour as the walls for a cohesive look’

MY SPACE ‘I spend so much of my time in the living area, it’s definitely my favourite spot’

CHILL ZONE ‘It’s a calming space that feels different as the seasons change.

In the winter it’s cosy, but bright and airy in the summer’

WALL MONTAGE ‘I enjoy creating fun areas of interest’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 9

‘HOME IS A FULL-ON COLOUR BOMB!’

BLUE BURST ‘I used bolder colours in the dining room to make an impact’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Use a colourful wall hanging to brighten an unused corner’

10 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘HOME IS A FULL-ON COLOUR BOMB!’

CORNER PIECE ‘I used green paint to colour block this space and added paper vines’

LIVING DISPLAY ‘Plants always brighten a space’

There was a horizontal steel support running along the side of the loft space, which has now been covered up and transformed into useful extra storage by installing a window seat. We couldn’t have used the space in any other way and we think it’s worked out great.

New scheme We started updating our living room next and that’s what really got me back into colour. We weren’t sure whether we would be staying in the house long-term, so at that point it still hadn’t been

‘BY DOING AS MUCH OF THE WORK AS YOU CAN YOURSELF, IT FEELS LIKE YOU’VE PUT YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO YOUR HOME’

3 of the best MURALS Bring a blank canvas to life with a well-chosen wall covering

Pots And Flowers

by Gabriela Larios, £35sq m, Wallsauce

Jungle Escape 350x240cm, £100, I Love Wallpaper

Savanna Sunset Mural (made-to-measure), from £295, Avalana Design

SUN RISE ‘The colourful theme continues onto the landing’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 11

‘HOME IS A FULL-ON COLOUR BOMB!’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Keep high-traffic areas clear with shelving, hooks and storage seating’

COLOURFUL WORLD ‘There are lots of murals throughout the house. I discovered them through Instagram and thought I’d give it a go myself’

12 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘HOME IS A FULL-ON COLOUR BOMB!’

JUNGLE VIBES ‘I’ve revived the box room by creating another mural wall’

Do it!

HANG 3D PRISM GARLANDS YOU WILL NEED Prism template Coloured card Glue gun Scissors Needle Twine String

1 2 3 4

Print your template onto coloured card and cut out.

Score along the dotted lines of the template. Fold the card to form the prism and glue to secure.

Repeat to make more prisms until you reach your desired length.

Thread a needle with twine.

Pull the needle through the top of one prism, thread through a second prism from the inside.

Make a loop in the twine at each end and hang the prism garland.

5

‘NEVER LET BUDGET BLOCK CREATIVITY! MAKE AN AMAZING MONTAGE WITH POSTCARDS, KIDS’ ARTWORK OR WALLPAPER SCRAPS’ personalised, but we decided it would be our long-term home once Otis was born. I was inspired by a living area I’d seen where three of the walls were painted in different colours. I found that really interesting. I chose two neutral shades and a bold one for our space. As it’s a small multifunctional room, serving as a living room, playroom and dining room, using different colours allowed me to zone it, which works really well, even in such a small space. The olive green is the main shade; it’s a gentle, earthy colour that makes the artwork pop.

Mural magic There’s also a lot of influence from my mum here. I grew up in a colourful house, where she even painted an under-the-sea world in our downstairs loo, so it’s not surprising I followed suit! The first mural

I did was the one on the stairs and landing. I sketched an idea of what I wanted onto the wall using a pencil, and then bought some Valspar tester paint pots and used those to paint it. I did it in my son’s nap time, so it took a while. I wanted a solid block colour, which takes more coats of paint, especially when you’re using yellows and oranges.

Kitchen update The kitchen is about 10 years old and it’s on its last legs, but it has to last until we add a side extension. I never liked it though, because it was painted grey and had grey tiles and dreary neutral cabinets.

I found the cane that I’ve used on the cabinets in Luke’s grandpa’s garage. He used to make cane chairs and Luke’s grandma kept all his tools and materials when he passed away. I cut the cane

GET CRAFTY ‘This is a handy spot to store pencils’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 13

‘HOME IS A FULL-ON COLOUR BOMB!’

IDEA TO STEAL HOME VIEWS ‘Otis loves to sit in the window seat as he can see his grandparents’ farm from there’

‘Instead of a headboard, paint the alcove in a contrasting shade’

down and used hot glue to stick it onto the cabinet and then edged it with thick twine. I put new copper handles on the doors. I’m happy with the vibe I’ve created here. I wanted a street-food Caribbean-style relaxed influence in the kitchen and I think I’ve achieved that.

Future plans IN LINE ‘The hanging tassels are homemade’

14 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

We are not going to replace the bathroom, but I’d eventually like to paint the tiles and add vinyl to some of the doors. I’ve always been drawn to colour and pattern, and our home brings a lot of joy’.

‘HOME IS A FULL-ON COLOUR BOMB!’

CHILD’S PLAY ‘I created a fun and playful scene in Otis’s bedroom by painting the walls’

TO-DO LIST ‘Next, I’d like to get creative in the bathroom’

Where to buy Naomi’s style B&Q Handy one-stop shop for all the tools and resources you need to tackle any DIY project.

DUNELM Natalie’s go-to for decent-priced soft furnishings and storage solutions.

HAYSTORE INTERIORS Offers unique vintage finds.

CHARITY SHOPS Always worth checking out for pieces that can be used for upcycling projects.

BERYLUNE An independent homeware store that also sells cards, candles and condiments.

FEATURE IFEOLUWA ADEDEJI PHOTOGRAPHS JEREMY PHILIPS

‘MY MUM IS A SEAMSTRESS SO I’VE GROWN UP WITH THE IDEA OF FIXING THINGS YOURSELF AND/OR MAKING IT YOURSELF’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 15

HAPPY AT HOME ‘Rejigging the layout has made the most of our fabulous home’

‘We’ve dared to SMART SCHEME ‘I’ve used colour to zone different spaces in our open-plan living area – plush pinks for lounging, deep teal for dining’

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Lu Fitoussi-Findlay, 38, and I run interior design company LUFF Studio. I live here with my husband Raphael, 35, a property advisor, and our two-year-old daughter Sylvie.

MY HOME A three-bedroom, split-level flat in a Victorian conversion in Blackheath, south-east London. We moved here in 2017.

WHEN WE MOVED IN It had been rented out, so it was in a state and the basement smelt of damp.

AND NOW We moved windows and doors to create a layout that flows and a home that is full of light. I’ve decorated with gorgeous colours and glam pieces – it now feels fabulous!

STYLE TIP Don’t plan to get everything done at once; it’s best to live in your home first and work out what’s really missing.

16 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

BE DECADENT’ IDEA TO STEAL ‘Add glamour with a large statement chandelier’

Lu ’s bright, airy flat is the epitome of modern opulence, decorated with a palette of dainty pinks, indigo blues and flashes of Art Deco gold

O

n paper, we didn’t think this flat had much going for it,’ says Lu. ‘It had been neglected by tenants, the layout made no sense, and the hall was dark and gloomy. But as soon as I walked into the sitting room and saw the high ceilings and period features, I wanted to take down the For Sale sign immediately!

We’d been living across the river in a modern, one-bedroom flat in north London. It was our first move as a couple and we were looking forward to getting a bigger place that we could work on together. We knew that this was the project we’d been after.

Bedroom hideaway We moved in while work was being carried out, so kitting out the main bedroom and creating an en-suite bathroom were our priorities. We needed somewhere to camp out while the rest of the renovation was going on around us.

When we bought the flat, there was only one bathroom, so we made another by taking a slice out of our bedroom. This created enough space for a small ‘hidden’ shower room. We’ve put cupboards against the connecting wall and turned the whole en-suite door into a full-length mirror. When it’s closed you wouldn’t even know the room is there.

Changing the layout The layout throughout didn’t suit us at all and there was a lot of wasted space.

There were walkways in odd places and the kitchen was tiny. Both of us love to cook, so moving the kitchen into the dining room, which was a bigger space, made total sense. Then we added a

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 17

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

GLAMOUR FIND

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Keep elegant wicker baskets on hand to banish unwanted clutter’

‘I love to throw in unexpected pieces, like this grand Rococo mirror that I found in a vintage shop’

LUXE TOUCH ‘Natural wood doesn’t suit an opulent look.

I’ve gone for darker tones with glossy, polished finishes that feel luxurious’

18 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

BALANCE OUT ‘The soothing grey walls and floor stop my dramatic pieces and colour choices from overpowering the room’

‘GET INSPIRATION FOR COLOUR SCHEMES FROM PINTEREST AND INSTAGRAM, AS WELL AS GORGEOUS SPREADS IN INTERIORS AND FASHION MAGS’ back door leading onto the garden and widened the doorway into the living room to make it feel more open-plan.

Rejigging the basement was a bigger job.

It had been used as a laundry room, and the smell of damp was horrible. We opened the bricked-up windows and moved an internal wall to screen off the washing machine, but made sure to leave enough room for a double bedroom. We needed the extra space and were about to start IVF, so we were hoping that another bedroom would come in handy soon.

Kitchen must-haves There were a few non-negotiables when it came to designing the kitchen, although we came to regret one or two later!

Gorgeous marble worktops were an absolute must, until we discovered that

they’re completely impractical, after several stains from wine and curries!

On the other hand, we knew we wanted to avoid low wall cabinets while still creating enough storage. So we took our tall cabinets as high as we could and installed open shelving either side of the chimney breast. It isn’t the largest kitchen, but this way we’ve managed to keep a feeling of space and not sacrificed practicality. I spent ages looking for the perfect blue units but couldn’t find any that were just right. In the end, we plumped for Ikea doors and got them professionally sprayed. Then we fitted gold bar handles for a hint of glamour.

Trick of the light Adding light throughout the flat was really important to me, as it was so

TREASURE CHEST ‘I needed storage but didn’t want dull, white cabinets. I love this intricate design, and the polished wood hints at an Art Deco vibe’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 19

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Choose backless bar stools as their low profile won’t crowd a small space’

METALLIC FINISH ‘Copper stools and gold bar handles bring a hint of luxurious sparkle’

20 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

dark when we moved in. We moved windows about and added larger ones in some places, like in the main bathroom.

It’s opened up the flat and, with help from the open-plan layout, light now flows through. The office has a large window that looks out onto the garden.

We deliberately chose a transparent glass desk and clear acrylic chair, so as not to block out the view and the light from the window. Downstairs in the basement I painstakingly glossed the ceiling to reflect as much light as possible.

CLEAR CHOICES ‘We saved the original dining room window and put it in as a full-length one in the study’

Finding my look I didn’t realise I had a particular style before decorating this flat. Now, I’d describe it as Art Deco meets modern with some luxe finishes thrown in. It’s fairly eclectic – anything goes as long as there’s flow. The main thing I do is choose a key palette of colours and use those throughout to create continuity. Pinks, blues and greys are my go-to hues,

‘TRANSPARENT FURNITURE MEANS NOTHING STOPS THE LIGHT POURING IN’

KEEP IT SIMPLE ‘Painting the floors pale grey contrasts beautifully with the navy beams’

ON REPEAT ‘The bath and basin are clad in the same marble we used in the kitchen and we’ve added the same colours to bring the look together’

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

Do it!

UPCYCLE A CHEST OF DRAWERS

FLASH OF BRILLIANCE ‘The chest of drawers is an Ikea hack. I painted the strips gold to make it feel more special’

SOOTHING SPACE ‘I glossed the basement ceiling to reflect more light, then decorated with soft pinks and textured greys to create warmth’

Buy a basic chest of drawers from Ikea. Lu has gone for the Malm design.

Paint the strips in between the drawers. Metallic golds and coppers add a luxe quality; bright primary colours bring a sense of fun to a kid’s bedroom; and pastel tones will suit a serene guest suite.

Paint a set of hairpin legs in the same colour, then securely attach them to the chest of drawers to elevate the look. Lu’s set are from The Hairpin Leg Co.

1 2 3

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Frame a lovely window with dark curtains’

Make it!

BUTTON-BACK HEADBOARD

TACTILE FINISH ‘In our bedroom, I’ve injected comfort with soft textures – natural linens and sheepskin are mixed in with shiny sateen cushions’

22 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

Buy a piece of MDF, cut to the measurements of your bed.

Use a spray adhesive to attach a layer of mattress padding to the wood. Flip it over and trim to size.

Cover the board and padding with a layer of batting fabric and secure in place.

Decide where you want your buttons to go and drill holes according to your design.

Cover with a final layer of fabric using an electric stapler.

Attach pretty fabric-covered buttons to the headboard holes using a long upholstery needle and thread.

1 2 3 4 5 6

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

Where to buy Lu’s style B&Q The one-stop shop for any keen DIYer – this store became Lu’s second home during the renovation. As well as all the essentials, they have some great cheap houseplants too to add the finishing touches.

H&M HOME Plenty of bedding, kitchenware, vases and trinkets to choose from – all in lovely prints and colours, and all super affordable.

MAISONS DU MONDE After a lot of hunting, Lu found her fabulous blue dining room chairs here. A go-to places for interesting furniture and accessories.

LITTLE GREENE Almost all the paint in the house is from Little Greene. With a wide selection to choose from, Lu found the perfect blue, Basalt, for her bathroom.

BRIGHT BEDROOM

FEATURE STEPHANIE SMITH/GEORGIE RODGERS PHOTOGRAPHS DAVID GILES

‘Half-painted walls and an oversized white pendant light make this room feel fresh and clean’

‘GIVE EVERYTHING A ‘PLACE’– ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS PUT EACH THING BACK EVERY TIME AND THINGS SHOULD STAY TIDY… IN THEORY!’ then I’ve added opulent gold accents. I love the indigo blue in the kitchen. It’s definitely possible to use dark, rich colours in a small home, as long as the room is bright enough.

I’ve dared to be decadent and I love the way it all flows.

Tidy home Finding creative ways to banish clutter and keep the flat tidy were crucial, especially as it’s a smaller space. We’re lucky that we can use the basement to hide things away but, even so, the storage in the flat wasn’t great. We put in tall cupboards in the office and kitchen, and have smart under-bed storage. I veer away from collections and curating overly populated shelfscapes. It helps the flat look less packed with stuff – plus, I can’t be dealing with

all the dusting! Then, we’ve gone for fewer, larger pieces, like our supersized sofa, which looks less cluttered than lots of smaller things to bump into.

Unexpected surprises We wanted a project we could take on together and that’s certainly what we got with this flat. Everything seemed to cost more than we initially budgeted for and there were inevitable hiccups along the way that we needed extra cash for.

A rotten timber under the fireplace that needed replacing, a bit of woodworm that needed treating… being an older property we didn’t know what we’d find! The hard work hasn’t put us off at all and we love how it’s turned out.

Now we’ve got the bit between our teeth, we’ll probably go for something completely untouched next time!’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 23

PRETTY NICHE ‘I enjoy creating little styled corners around the house.

These hooks are from Homesense and the bench from The Rustic Shack’

‘Our house is IDEA TO STEAL ‘Use large architectural plants to create a feature in an empty corner’

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Hayley Blythe, 34, and I’m a dentist. I live with my husband, Luke, 33, also a dentist, and our two children, Alfie, five, and Siena, three. I share our renovation story at @townhousediaries OUR HOME A three-bed townhouse in Ely, Cambridgeshire, built in 2001. We moved here in June 2015.

WHEN WE MOVED IN Every room was painted magnolia and as it had been rented for years the whole house felt battered, old and tired, and in need of some love.

AND NOW I worked my way round the house, picking a soft colour palette with warm tones and bold accessories to make it welcoming.

STYLE TIP Use throws, cushions and textures such as rattan, combined with splashes of black, to add interest to a neutral palette.

24 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

LASTING LOOKS ‘I’m happy to splurge on timeless pieces that won’t go out of fashion, like the wall lamps by the fire, which are from The White Company’

‘OUR HOUSE IS FIFTY SHADES OF PALE!’

fifty shades of PALE!’ Hayley has used warm whites, soft greys and plenty of textured accessories to create a home that’s full of style

W

hen Luke and I decided to relocate to Cambridgeshire from Bristol we initially moved in with my in-laws,’ says Hayley, ‘as we wanted to build up a deposit to buy our own home.

When we finally started house-hunting I imagined living in a period property, but what attracted me to this place was that, although it was a modern house, it had been designed with high ceilings and sash windows, so it didn’t feel like a standard box-like new build. Also, there was no building work to do which also appealed, as by now we’d just got married and wanted to start a family, so didn’t want to embark on a massive renovation.

Accidents will happen Every room needed an update, especially the kitchen, which was made out of orange pine and had a stained lino floor that always looked dirty. But after a major clean, we replaced the carpets, gave the place a fresh lick of paint and then decided to live with it for a while, as I was now pregnant. But unfortunately one day I left a tap running and flooded the en suite. It had to be completely redone but with a baby on the way we had no spare money, so we decided to do the work ourselves. Luckily, Luke has builders in his family, so he got advice from them, did lots of online research, and then installed a new shower and loo himself. Having got the DIY bug, he then retiled and painted everything, so although the flood was annoying, I got a lovely new en suite far sooner than I expected.

We then put the decorating on hold while the children were babies.

Work begins After a few years we started the renovation again, doing the work ourselves. But we still didn’t have much

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 25

‘OUR HOUSE IS FIFTY SHADES OF PALE!’

PAINT WORKS ‘I would have replaced the fireplace, but we were quoted £2,000 – money we didn’t have – so I upcycled it with stone-effect paint’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Lean artwork against the wall for a modern look that’s easy to change’

‘WE DON’T SHY AWAY FROM DIY AND TO BE HONEST, I’D MUCH RATHER USE THE MONEY WE SAVE ON LABOUR COSTS ELSEWHERE’ spare time or money, so we worked our way around the house, doing one room at a time. We would save up, buy what we needed, then get the work done in a weekend if possible, as we were living here with small children and both working during the week. Also, we don’t have any spare space to store furniture, so everything had to be put back into the finished room before we began the next. We decided to start with the study as it was a quick and easy project, just needing a refresh of the paint and a styling update, whereas the other rooms needed a lot more work, but it was nice to get a room done.

CALM TONES ‘It is a neutral space, but I’ve used lots of warm colours and textures to make it cosy and there’s actually not much white at all!’

26 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

FRAME REVAMP ‘I found this solid wood mirror in a charity shop for £35 and painted it with some leftover black paint to give it an industrial look’

Clever revamp The original fireplace in the living room was really ugly, with a beige and gold fake-marble insert, so when we were

‘OUR HOUSE IS FIFTY SHADES OF PALE!’

Do it!

CONCRETEEFFECT MANTEL

1

Mask off the area around the edges of your wooden surround; protect the hearth with plastic sheeting, and cover the floor or carpet with dust sheets.

Ensure the wood is clean and fill any holes or cracks with wood filler, then give the surround a light sand to get rid of any paint or varnish, and wipe down with a soft, damp cloth.

Apply two coats of primer to the wood, allowing each coat to dry.

Stir your stone-effect paint then apply a thin layer; leave to dry.

Add another two coats to build up the layers, leaving to dry in between, and finally stipple your final layer with the paintbrush to get rid of any brush marks.

2

3 4 5

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Pick a sofa with a chaise end to fit into a corner’

PERIOD STYLE ‘I painted the walls in Dove Tale by Farrow & Ball and updated the radiators for a more traditional look to suit the style of the room’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 27

‘OUR HOUSE IS FIFTY SHADES OF PALE!’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Use the top of cabinets for extra storage’

PALE REDO ‘We painted the doors in Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath, and the inside of the glass cupboards white, as the horrible orange-coloured wood showed through’

‘TACKLING ONE ROOM AT A TIME MAKES IT EASIER TO LIVE IN A PROPERTY THAT NEEDS RENOVATING AND KEEPS CHAOS MANAGEABLE!’ ready to tackle renovating this room, I wanted to replace the whole thing.

My vision was to have a Victorian-style alternative, but unfortunately there wasn’t enough space to install one. So I did some research and discovered some paint effects that I thought could improve the look. I sprayed the gold adornments black, painted the back and hearth to look like slate, and then covered the wooden surround in stone-effect paint, and to be honest, for literally just the cost of some paint, the transformation is amazing!

Decision time When we finally moved onto the kitchen, we toyed with the idea of knocking down the wall to the office to create a big open-plan space, but we knew that would be a huge project, and these things aren’t always worth the money for the extra space created, so I decided to think about what we could do with what we had.

I didn’t want the room too cramped by adding an island, and the cabinets were actually in good condition, so ultimately we decided to keep the original units and leave the design as it was. We bought

28 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

ON DISPLAY ‘I knew open shelves would look great on this wall; we used wood offcuts and stained them black’

‘OUR HOUSE IS FIFTY SHADES OF PALE!’

SMART PANTRY ‘We always struggled with kitchen storage so I thought I’d put a few good-looking jars and pots in this old bookcase’

HOME OFFICE ‘This is a good space to catch up on family admin, though it faces the road so we installed the wooden blinds, from Blinds2go, for a bit of privacy’

TABLE CHOICE ‘It’s not a big kitchen, but the round table allows us to entertain more people than our previous rectangular one, and it’s one of our favourite spaces to chat’

FRESHEN UP ‘The bathroom was dark and dated, with bright blue tiles up to the ceiling, so we retiled the floors and walls with a pared-back scheme’

WOOD LOOK ‘For a relaxing bathroom, pick out details in pale wood like birch or bamboo’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 29

‘OUR HOUSE IS FIFTY SHADES OF PALE!’

IDEA TO STEAL

SPACE TRICK

‘Use the designers’ rule of three to hang your prints’

‘This room is just a square box, but adding sumptuous furniture, like this oversized bed from Time4Sleep, and the bedside cabinets from Oka, have given the room a luxurious hotel-style vibe’

‘ACCESSORISE WITH FRESH FLOWERS AND SCENTED CANDLES TO ADD AN AIR OF LUXURY TO THE BEDROOM’

Make it!

PENDANT WALL LAMP

1 2

Select a wooden bracket with pre-drilled holes and find a small shade in proportion to your bracket.

Choose some cable with a plug, switch and bulb fitting, and check the flex is long enough to reach your socket and bracket.

Decide on the height and, using the bracket as a guide, drill the holes into the wall. Insert rawl plugs and screw the brackets to the wall.

Plug in the light fitting and wrap the spare flex around and through the top of the bracket two or three times. Attach the lampshade and bulb. Adjust the flex if necessary.

3

4

a new oven and replaced the boiler with a smaller, more efficient version, which we hid behind a fake door, and we replaced the cheap veneer worktops with real wood. The old tiles were white but the grout was all dirty and discoloured so we decided to replace them with new ones, though we chose a vertical design to create a more contemporary look. Then we took off all the doors and repainted them over the course of a few sunny days, and finally added new chrome handles.

Final push We literally continued from room to room until the house felt finished. I have a huge folder of pages from magazines that I’ve collected and used as inspiration,

30 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

though I do of course get inspired by social media too. And even though the house is now fifty shades of pale, because of the clever paint choices we used there’s no area that the kids aren’t allowed to go, as even sticky hands can be easily wiped away. Finances did affect our decisions, as I know this isn’t our forever home so I’m conscious of making smart choices, and whereas we could have been a bit more extravagant, there were some compromises that we chose to make to save money. But I love attention to detail and enjoy thinking about how to style my home, and although I do follow and borrow from some of the latest trends, I have hopefully created a unique house with decor that will stand the test of time.’

‘OUR HOUSE IS FIFTY SHADES OF PALE!’

CHILL OUT ‘We work hard and lead busy lives so I really wanted to create a calming vibe in here’

Where to buy Hayley’s style ZARA HOME Stocks a huge selection of textured accessories and homeware perfect for the neutral home lover.

HOMESENSE Full of one-off, unique pieces that you won’t find everywhere else.

FARROW & BALL It’s not the cheapest paint, but it goes on beautifully and the chalky effect gives a beautiful finish.

FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE If you’re big on reusing and recycling, you can find secondhand pieces to upcycle, often with just a simple lick of paint.

IDEA TO STEAL ’Keep a bedroom calm by adding just one accent colour’

GROWING STYLE ‘Alfie’s room is slowly transitioning from a nursery to a big boy’s room and I’m gradually adding colour’

FEATURE AND STYLING LISA MOSES PHOTOGRAPHS KATIE JANE WATSON

QUICK UPCYCLE ‘I picked up this cabinet for £25 from Facebook Marketplace, cut out the middle with a jigsaw, stapled on the rattan, then added new handles’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 31

BREAKFAST NOOK ‘A pretty rug zones this sunny spot for a cup of coffee in the morning’

‘Sunshine vibes

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Kate Spiers, 30, TV presenter and blogger (@katespiers; katelavie.com) and I live here with my husband Jordan and our two cats, Mouse and Babyman.

OUR HOME A three-bedroom Victorian tenement flat in Glasgow’s Southside. We moved here in 2020.

WHEN WE MOVED IN The flat had been rented out and was a shell, but it had some gorgeous original features as well as central heating and double-glazed windows, so I knew that it had potential.

AND NOW We’ve pulled up carpets and installed a new kitchen and bathroom – all during a pandemic!

STYLE TIP I freshen up the decor by moving furniture between rooms, updating shelf displays and soft furnishings. It feels like you’ve got a whole new room as a result.

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IDEA TO STEAL ‘Add your own handles to a basic kitchen range to add extra character’

‘SUNSHINE VIBES SET THE TONE’

SET THE TONE’ After a stop-start year, Kate Spiers transformed her flat from an empty shell into an airy home inspired by the building itself

I

wasn’t looking to move at all at first,’ says Kate. ‘We’d been in our old flat for six years and I loved the process of slowly doing it up together. But I wanted a new project as I had some downtime with work, and I noticed this property flicking through Rightmove one day.

The flat, a three-bedroom shell, was just down the road from us. I saw it and thought, “I can do something with this”.

I went to view it and put an offer in, which got accepted straight away.

Change of plan Our initial idea was to renovate the flat and then put it on the market or rent it out. I was on a work trip in New York when the sale concluded, so my husband went to pick up the keys. He’d never seen it before, as there’s a clause in Scottish law where you’re not allowed back into the property once you’ve put in an offer.

He called me in America saying he couldn’t get the key to work – it turned out that he was trying to get into the flat next door! When he finally got in, he absolutely loved it and came up with the idea of renovating it for us. I wasn’t sure, but once we started thinking about colour schemes and decor possibilities I jumped on board. The extra bedroom definitely helped seal the deal.

First steps SECOND CHANCE ‘We opted for Ikea units with a view to changing them later. However, after the stress of the last year, we’ve decided that they’re here to stay!’

The sale went through in April 2019 and we made an initial start to the project, ripping out carpets and plastering the walls over the summer. I went away to film in the autumn, so it wasn’t until late 2019 that we got started properly on the renovation. When the pandemic hit, there was still so much to do, but the builders had to put down their tools and we all sat it out for a few months. I probably

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 33

‘SUNSHINE VIBES SET THE TONE’

RELAXED VIBE BITS AND PIECES ‘The living room is made up of so many elements – ornate cornicing, brass and marble accents and a mustard sofa – but they all work together’

‘I LOVE A FIXER-UPPER BECAUSE I CAN LOOK AT A FLAT AND SEE WHAT IT COULD BECOME. AS LONG AS THERE’S CENTRAL HEATING, I’M HAPPY’ wouldn’t recommend doing up a flat in the middle of a global pandemic! The project stretched out for so long that I definitely got renovation fatigue at various points. With all the upheaval, I had to make lots of fast decisions, which was stressful. When we were doing up our old flat, there were times when we were living out of one room while work was going on around us. We said never again, but this renovation turned out to be just as challenging in its own way! However, we managed to finish all the major works in the summer of 2020.

Kitchen challenges My idea for the kitchen was to install Ikea units with custom-made fronts, for a bespoke look on a budget. Unfortunately, the company I’d found which specialised

34 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘I describe my style, with light wood, wicker and greenery, as southern Californian with a 1970s feel’

‘SUNSHINE VIBES SET THE TONE’

Do it!

PARISIAN PANELLING

1 2

Start with a smooth wall. For bumpy or textured walls, consider skim-coating them first.

Mark where the back of a chair would rest against the wall and use this as a guide for your dado rail. Then, mark out the panels from this point, measuring them and using a spirit level.

Cut polymer strips or plywood to a quarter-inch thickness.

Glue the strips to the wall with an instant-grab adhesive to create panels. Double-check the positions using an aluminium ruler and spirit level as you go.

Caulk and fill the joins where the corners meet. Leave to dry, then lightly sand and paint.

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Contrast ornate period features with a contemporary ceiling light to make a statement’

3 4 5

ON DISPLAY ‘I love how the prints and frames contrast, while their placement on the panelled wall brings the whole look together’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 35

‘SUNSHINE VIBES SET THE TONE’

FRESH START ‘The welcoming hallway, with its fantastic high ceiling, is a great space for displaying artwork’

‘WE DESIGNED OUR SPARE ROOM FOR GUESTS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO STAY IN IT YET’ in this kind of work closed down during the pandemic. We didn’t have a properly thought-through back-up plan, however, so we went with the cheapest Ikea kitchen we could find, with a mind to redo it later. But, having lived with it for a few months, we’ve grown to like it and are happy to stick with it.

Decor ideas Our old place had a light, white kitchen, but I wanted something with a bit more colour in the new flat. The beautiful blue tiles from Mandarin Stone for the splashback really make the space and add a dash of fun. I planned the design first using Photoshop, then our tiler made it a reality. When it comes to styling and decor, I like interiors to complement the era of a building. Our flat has airy, high

ceilings and gorgeous period details, such as cornicing and ceiling roses, so we’ve built on this. We gave everything a fresh coat of paint and added faux original features and column radiators to make it feel even more characterful.

Bathroom rethink I’d describe my style as having a southern Californian feel, with lots of light woods, rattan and lush greenery. It might not be what you expect in a Glasgow tenement, but the look works brilliantly with the high ceilings and light rooms. Renovating the bathroom, I think, is my greatest accomplishment by far. I’d been dreaming of a wet room-style shower separate to the bath, but I didn’t want to give up having a tub as well. However, I’d never seen this layout done in a tenement

36 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘SUNSHINE VIBES SET THE TONE’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Set off an original 1970s piece, like this dressing table, with more contemporary finds’

SERENE ROOM ELEGANT STORAGE

RESTFUL SPOT ‘My pieces of rattan furniture work brilliantly with the light interiors’

‘This cabinet from Ikea is a good size but the light rattan doesn’t overpower the room’

‘We’ve spent a lot of time working from home so we created a peaceful vibe in the office’

Where to buy Kate’s style H&M HOME My go-to place for affordable home pieces. I adore its soft furnishings and decorative accessories.

MAISONS DU MONDE A favourite of mine for furniture.

Lots of affordable retro-inspired pieces that are a little bit different.

MADAM STOLTZ Danish brand that sells everything from furniture to vases and cushions and everything in between! I love its casual ’70s vibe, with lots of rattan and fun pieces that you don’t see anywhere else.

TROUVA One-stop destination for finding independent boutiques selling unique homewares. It’s great to shop small and support indie businesses.

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 37

‘SUNSHINE VIBES SET THE TONE’ FOCAL POINT

IDEA TO STEAL

‘This print by Jennifer Ament is such an inspiring piece and the gold frame draws the eye’

‘Rattan panelling on a wardrobe brings in texture but keeps the look light and airy’

‘WE’RE SO LUCKY TO LIVE IN A BUILDING LIKE THIS BECAUSE IT’S GOT BAGS OF CHARACTER AND I LOVE THE TRADITIONAL FEATURES’

‘I’ve kept to earthy tones and natural fabrics, so our bedroom has a soothing feel’

apartment before. Flats like these usually have galley-style bathrooms that are long and narrow with a shower over the tub – and ours seemed especially tiny!

WORDS GEORGIE RODGERS PHOTOGRAPHS NEALE SMITH

Attention to detail So, I spent hours measuring every inch of space, determined to make it work. We rejigged the layout and moved the loo to the other side of the room to make better use of the space. Then, we installed the shower next to the window and there’s a tiled bench seat where my houseplants live. It feels like an indoor jungle in that corner! To complete the room, I found a smaller-sized tub that perfectly fits the space. It took a lot of work, but now everything fits and I’m so proud of the outcome. Even though we completed the renovation last year, it’s only in the last few months that I really feel at home here.

We were so in love with our old flat and the effort involved in doing up this one didn’t seem worth it at times. Now, we’ve put our stamp on it and it’s given us the opportunity to be bolder with our choices. I think it fits us down to the ground. We won’t be here forever, but it’s ours for now and we couldn’t be happier.’

38 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

BEDTIME BLISS

SWITCH ON ‘I fixed brass lights from Maisons du Monde to the wall to save space on the bedside tables’

‘SUNSHINE VIBES SET THE TONE’

PINK PALETTE ‘The long, narrow tenement bathrooms can feel poky, so I’ve kept the scheme here pale and uplifting’

Make it!

TILE A SPLASHBACK

1 2

Ensure that the wall is clean, dry and smooth. Give uneven spots a rough sand.

Apply an even layer of tile mastic to the prepared surface, using a notch trowel to create horizontal lines.

Affix each tile using moderate pressure, working across the row from one side to another.

Check that the tiles are horizontal with a spirit level.

Repeat the process for the next row, and continue.

Wipe off excess adhesive, then apply grout generously to gaps between the tiles.

Before the grout dries, use a damp cloth to wipe away smears from the tiles.

3

4 5 6

IDEA TO STEAL ’Add depth to a bright room scheme by using a strong colour below the dado rail’ SUNNY SPOT ‘The mustard and burnt orange palette completes the relaxed look’

HOME STAY ‘The spare bedroom is ready for guests but because of Covid, we’ve not had anyone to stay yet!’

‘THE GUEST ROOM, WITH ITS FUNKY HEADBOARD, REALLY SHOWCASES MY CALIFORNIAN 1970s VIBE’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 39

‘The house had BOOT ROOM ‘This used to be the kitchen, so you’d walk straight in and it just didn’t work’

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Rachel Black, 31, a nurse (@thegirlwiththepantryladder) and seller on Etsy (Vinnyandflo).

I live here with my husband Gareth, 33, a crisis consultant, and our daughter Beitidh, 22 months.

OUR HOME Built in the 1700s, it’s a two-bed detached barn in Hexham.

We bought it in December 2016.

WHEN WE MOVED IN Parts of the house were not habitable. We had no heating, so the challenge was to get the house water and wind-tight and warm as soon as possible.

AND NOW We’ve made the space much more efficient by having the bedrooms and bathroom in one area and the living space in another.

It’s perfect for entertaining now.

STYLE TIP Don’t rush in. Live in the place and get a feel for it, especially in an old house, with original features.

40 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Add a classic pantry ladder to reach taller cupboards with ease’

‘THE HOUSE HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL’

so much POTENTIAL’ SPACE SWAP ‘This used to be our bedroom. We knocked down the wall to make an open kitchen-living area – it’s the best decision we’ve made’

Rachel’s home was a poorly configured, dilapidated shell.

Fortunately she had the creativity and courage to give it a glorious overhaul

W

e’d been living in Newcastle before deciding to move to Hexham in search of a renovation project, as Gareth had just got a job in Carlisle and wanted a faster commute,’ says Rachel.

‘We initially searched online for threebedroom properties and had no luck. But when we changed our criteria to one-bed, that’s when we found this place. We knew there was potential to create more bedrooms because of the various lean-to extensions that looked exploitable.

The house was a blank canvas which hadn’t been lived in for more than 10 years.

The main living room was very dark and I knew that knocking through to bring in more light was key to our renovation.

Cautious planning We moved just two days before Christmas 2016. We decided to live in the house for six months before making any changes, and I’m glad we did, because I had a totally different vision initially than what we ended up with. However, it was a very cold Christmas! The fireplace was condemned and we slept on an airbed in the living room thinking, what have we done? Thank God it’s a distant memory now. Living in the existing space made us realise that the lean-to would definitely work as bedrooms, leaving the main house to be an open-plan space. The back of the house had the best views so it made more sense putting the kitchen there and it would cost us less money in structural works. I wanted to retain as much character as possible by keeping the stone walls and wooden beams.

Starting point The first big project was to knock down the old lean-to extension and rebuild it

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 41

‘THE HOUSE HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL’

GOOD LOOKS ‘The kitchen is my take on a more pricey design that I fell in love with’

‘CONSIDER SWAPPING ROOMS AROUND – WE DID AND

BY MAKING THIS SPACE THE KITCHEN IT’S BROUGHT IN MORE LIGHT AND OPENED UP THE VIEWS’ to create the bedrooms. It was originally one big room with windows all round and a leaking, droopy plastic roof. It had been very poorly built, and we had all sorts of birds and frogs coming into the house all the time.

Eventually it would be a place that we could escape to while the rest of the house was getting done. We were quite fortunate not to have any problems with planning because the lean-to had been there for more than 10 years. The original builder built it smaller than what was actually permitted, so we were able to go bigger, which was a nice bonus.

A good team Building work started in January 2018 and there was no access to our house for a couple of months because of bad weather, so it was open to the snow and rain for a while which was worrying.

But once we got started our builder was full of good advice. He explained what size windows and doors we should get, what style would work best, and where to have the doors opening. We were going to install more windows, but he reminded us to consider what the

42 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

house would look like externally and to think about its symmetry. It was difficult to get workmen in, as we’re located in a rural area, so we count ourselves lucky to have found him!

Change of plan We were expecting our daughter Beitidh in October 2019 so that really made us focus and get as much of the rest of the house sorted as possible. Before going for an open-plan design we thought about incorporating roof lights to make the

‘THE HOUSE HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL’

DIY JOB ‘We made this pegboard shelf – it’s really handy for hanging trinkets and displaying items’

Make it!

PEG SHELF YOU WILL NEED Two pieces of timber the same length, one 18mm depth for the shelf and the other 38mm depth to attach to the wall; drill; 18mm dowels; adhesive; hammer; screws; paint.

1 2 3 4 5

Mark out regular spaces on the 38mm timber for the pegs.

Next, using the 16mm drill head drill holes in the marked places.

Insert the dowels by adding No More Nails adhesive and hammering them into the holes.

Join the two pieces by screwing the 18mm timber onto the piece with the dowels to form a ledge.

Paint the shelf in your chosen colour and attach to the wall.

AIM HIGH ‘We bought the ladder off eBay, then colour-matched it to the units’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 43

‘THE HOUSE HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL’

RURAL CHARM ‘The high ceilings help make the space feel bright and the original beams make it feel cosy’

IDEA TO STEAL

‘PAINTING THE STAIRS IS A GREAT WAY TO ACHIEVE A CLASSIC STYLE ON A BUDGET – ANY SCUFFS CAN BE EASILY TOUCHED IN TOO’ STEP TO IT ‘It took a long time to paint the stairs, but I am pleased with the results’

‘Paint railings white to offer a chic contrast to the rustic beams’

Do it!

PAINTED STAIR RUNNER YOU WILL NEED Masking tape; pencil; primer; paint; paintbrush.

1 2

Sand and prime timber stairs and allow to dry.

Paint the entirety of the stairs in your first chosen colour and leave to dry as recommended by the paint manufacturer.

Using a pencil, mark out the width of your runner.

Then apply masking tape to prepare for painting.

Using your second colour, apply the paint to the inner part. Apply a second coat if necessary; when dry, carefully remove masking tape.

3 4 5

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TV VIEWING ‘Initially, we wanted to make the mezzanine into a bedroom, but it’s nice having it as a TV room’

‘THE HOUSE HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘The zig-zag tile edge next to the dark walladds pattern and interest’

SEW GOOD I’m really pleased with the vanity unit – we upcycled an old Singer table’

living room brighter. In the end that would have taken away a lot of the character, which is why we decided to knock the wall down between the living area, so what had been a bedroom is now the kitchen, and has created a brighter space.

Light time Before we had the rewiring done, there were only three lights in total in the whole of the main house. We hadn’t been expecting that rewiring would cause quite so much mess, even though we had been warned. One day I came home from work and found the kitchen on the grass outside because the electrician needed access to the walls! We had to eat in our bedroom and we couldn’t go anywhere else in the house for five months.

Fortunately, once the plastering was completed we could install the new kitchen in the open-plan space.

A remodel The old kitchen was at the front of the house, which is now the boot room.

Changing the use was essential given our rural location. This rejig allowed us to

ONLINE INSPO ‘I like mixing old and new and to get inspiration for the bathroom I looked on Pinterest’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 45

‘THE HOUSE HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL’

RESTFUL SPOT ‘Our room was one of the first spaces to be completed and it became our sanctuary’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Hang a wreath above the bed for year-round colour and texture’

‘WHEN RENOVATING GET ONE ROOM COMPLETED SO THAT YOU HAVE SOMEWHERE TO ESCAPE TO WHILE THE REST OF THE HOUSE IS IN CHAOS’

PAPER FIX ‘I almost ran out of wallpaper in this room, but managed to make it work so that you can’t tell’

46 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

create the open-plan space by knocking down a wall in the main part of the house and as part of this we installed two new doors where windows used to be, and a brand new window, which really makes the most of our views out towards Hadrian’s Wall. The kitchen is a result of me trying to do a cheaper version of a deVOL kitchen. We didn’t have much storage space so I wanted the cupboards to go right up to the ceiling and use as much available room as possible.

DIY Kitchens were recommended to us, and they were really good. Once we put our order in they came back to us and checked our plans over.

We’re really impressed with the quality and so was our joiner. We’ve practically changed every room in this house from its original function to suit our needs, and it’s really worked out for the best.’

‘THE HOUSE HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL’

LABOUR OF LOVE

‘WE WERE KEEN TO GET EVERYTHING DONE AT ONCE, BUT I HAVE NOW LEARNED TO SLOW DOWN’

Where to buy Rachel’s style ORIGINAL FEATURE ‘We repointed the stone wall – it looks stunning’

HOMESENSE The place to go for bargain-price furniture and quirky one-off pieces.

has an eclectic mix of recycled, rescued and restored furniture and home accessories.

H&M HOME The home of affordable accessories with a big selection of plain and print cushions; it’s a good source for modern pieces too.

ZARA HOME Beautiful modern accessories but with a rustic touch – perfect for that relaxed look.

RE Offering a mix of old and new, this small local shop near Hexham

CAMPERDOWN LANE Unique interior accessories with neutral style that complements most schemes.

WORDS IFEOLUWA ADEDEJI PHOTOGRAPHS JEREMY PHILLIPS

‘We used reclaimed parquet in Beitidh’s room.

We had to clean all the bitumen off and reshape them’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 47

GO AL FRESCO!

Go AL FRESCO! These stylish accessories will have your garden looking gorgeous in no time…

Tumbler with netting £2.50, B&M

Ibiza macrame basket, £14, Matalan

12-piece Amberley dinner set £75, Marks and Spencer

Carafe £5, B&M

Oil and vinegar bottles £8, large square jute cushion £14, cushion with tassels £14, macrame basket £14, textured planter £15, storage basket £16 for 2, coral resin object £22, all Matalan

Vase with handles £14.99, Homesense

Pampas grass £15, George Home

Hessian outdoor floor cushion £20, B&M

IBIZA VIBES Embrace the spirit of summer, with this laid-back, Mediterranean-inspired look

48 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

Green INGRUN throw £9, IKEA

Ibiza dinner plate £12 for 4, Matalan

GO AL FRESCO! Aliza windlights £4.99, Dobbies

Ceramic solar lantern £12, B&M

Wooden salad servers £5, B&M

Hanging mirror £12, string chair £35, solar string lights £15, picnic blanket £10, tufted cushion £12, green palm print cushion £10, lumbar cushion £8, seat pads £8 each, white palm print cushion £10, metal cane-effect plant stand £10, ceramic footed planters £10 for 3, all B&M

Sundae cones £2 each, tumblers £1 each, cotton bunting £10, melamine chip and dip tray £7, all Wilko

Gold solar lantern £10, B&M

Iridescent wine glass £2.50, B&M

EASTERN PROMISE

FEATURE SOPHIE BARTON

Add a touch of opulence to your al fresco affair, with striking jewel tones

MONOCHROME MAGIC Combine a chic monochrome palette with verdant greens, for a sophisticated entertaining space Rug £29.99, Homesense Serving board £6, B&M SENAPSKÅL decorative greenhouse £15, IKEA

Cushion £9, Wilko

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 49

STYLISH UPDATE ‘I’m so happy we can now sit and enjoy our lovely garden’

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Heidi Stone, 42, a teacher. I live with my husband, Matt, 44, an electrician, and sons Max, 10, and Jackson, five, plus cats Flash and Ozzy, in a four-bedroom Victorian semi in Chertsey, Surrey, which we moved into in 2014.

THE CHALLENGE Giving ourselves a garden we want to spend time in, with plenty of seating options, a decent lawn and beds full of lovely flowers – and all under lockdown!

MY WISHLIST Some new garden furniture, a deck with a boho vibe we can actually use and enjoy, and a place to grow the flowers we want to see filling the new beds.

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‘This revamp

‘THIS REVAMP COST UNDER £900!’

cost UNDER £900!’

TOP DECK ‘The large rug really helps bring the scheme together and gives a cosy feeling to the space’

Heidi Stone followed a boho chic vibe in her stunning garden, filling it with relaxing seating areas and beautiful planting

W

e had so much to do when we moved to our new home over six years ago and the garden was definitely bottom of the list, says Heidi. ‘We’ve worked our way through most of the inside of the house, putting in a new bathroom and en suite, sorting the hall, living room and the bedrooms.

We’re both handy, so have done much of the painting and some major jobs ourselves. When lockdown began, we decided to do something with our garden.

First moves The boys love to play football out there, so we spent some time getting the grass up to scratch. We had some mature plants, but the flower beds were small and very sparse, so our first job was to make them a bit bigger. There are two areas at the back of the garden separated by the shed, and we gave each an individual look and purpose. We began with the decked space. It was old fashioned and boxed in with strange banister-type railings. We ripped them out and treated the deck itself, which was sound, oiling it and adding a special seal.

Moving and sorting

IDEA TO STEAL A large rug adds a visual impact, but is easy to roll up and store in case of rain

TOTAL

£897

TURN OVER FOR MY SHOPPING LIST

I wanted to create a boho chic vibe and a relaxing seating area, so we ordered three new fence panels to go along the back of the deck, replacing the rattan pieces that were there. The rattan was then recycled to hide the back of the garage. The garden furniture was next. I had wanted to buy a new set, but there were such problems with stock and deliveries that I dragged out my 12-year-old benches from Ikea to see what could be done.

Having washed all the covers and painted the metal arms black, I realised they still looked good. I love orange teamed with black and white, and chose a large

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 51

‘THIS REVAMP COST UNDER £900!’

PLANT IT UP ‘I saved money by making my own planters – I bought some basic crates and lined them’

Do it!

CRATE PLANTERS Shop around for cheap wooden crates or recycle used ones.

Make sure they are nice and deep and line the sides and bottom with thick, heavy-duty plastic sheeting. If sticking to the natural look, coat with a clear varnish so they last longer, or paint in a stain to suit your colour scheme elsewhere in the garden.

Plan out your planting, opting for varieties that you know will grow happily in a container.

The crates will be heavy so place in a sunny position before you start filling. Add crocks to the bottom for drainage then fill with compost and plant up. Water well.

new rug, which combined the colours, and added a leather pouffe we’d bought at a Brighton flea market.

‘I FOUND A LOVELY SET OF CANE FURNITURE ONLINE FOR £100, WHICH LOOKS A BIT RETRO’

Recycling win The other side of the shed was a nothing space, and I had the idea of making it a cottage-style eating area. I found a lovely set of cane furniture online for £100, which looks a bit retro. When the weather is nice, we eat out there and it’s also somewhere to do potting and planting.

Plant solutions Although the flower beds were looking good, I wanted more greenery on the deck and I’ve used a mix of real and artificial plants to make it feel lush.

Amazon, Clas Ohlson and Ikea have a great selection and it means you can leave them out there and not worry too much. We also found out that our local garden centre was offering pick-and-mix bundles of plants that would otherwise perish, and we got a huge amount for £100, which has filled up the beds.

Final touches Rather than use our existing cushions, I invested in a few special new ones for both areas to mix in with the theme: shapes for the boho side and insects and flowers for the country side. I also added a string of lights so we could sit out at night. It took us around five weeks in all.

I was teaching online throughout, but I’m so thrilled we took the time to do it.’

52 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

LUCKY FIND ‘There was an old stepladder in the shed, which is ideal for plants and lanterns’

IDEA TO STEAL DOUBLE DELIGHT

Strings of lights and lanterns will extend the time you can spend outside

‘We’ve transformed both sides of our garden by mixing recycled finds with canny online buys’

NATURAL BEAUTY ‘Wicker always evokes memories of summer. This chair cost £10 online and is so comfortable’

Rug, £100, Maisons du Monde. Fence panels, £200 for 3, Garden Oasis. Cane furniture,£100 for the set; wicker chair, £10; black and white cushion, £8, all eBay. Creedmoor potting bench, £84.99, Wayfair. Shed in Down Pipe exterior eggshell, £71 for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball. Fringed cushion, £20; diamond cushion, £20, both TK Maxx. Bee cushion, £15, M&S. Flower cushion, £15; mirror, £12, both Sainsbury’s Home.

Mandala stencils, £20 and £8; Roxil wood protection, £25; string of lights, £20.99, all Amazon. Blue coal scuttle, £12, Sunbury Antiques Market. Crates, £40 for 6, The Farm Shop Lyne. Plants, £100, Squires Garden Centre. Leather pouffe, £15, flea market in Brighton

FEATURE STEPHANIE SMITH PHOTOGRAPHS DAVID GILES

Where to buy Heidi’s style

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 53

ALL-YEAR COLOUR ‘The planters add interest, and I can switch them up with the seasons’

‘Our garden is

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Kel Harmer, 40, and I live here with my husband Dan, 40, children Isla, nine, and Emmie, five, and Cosmo the goldendoodle in a four-bedroom, three-storey modern detached house in Portishead, Bristol. We moved here in September 2014 and set about stamping our own personality on the place, which included giving the garden a makeover in June 2020.

MY CHALLENGE The garden was so unattractive, with lots of red brick walls and a large brick outhouse encroaching on the space. There were also no plants – it was bare.

MY WISH LIST We wanted our garden to be an extension of our indoor space, with new decking, plants and a summerhouse.

54 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘OUR GARDEN IS MIAMI-INSPIRED’

MIAMI-INSPIRED’ Kel has given her washed-out space a new vibrancy with pops of colour and clever upcycling

W

hen we moved here in 2014 it’s safe to say that our garden was a bit of an eyesore,’ says Kel. ‘An overload of red brick walls stood out, with the side of our garage on show at the back and no plants – it was pretty unattractive, but I was determined to change that!

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Display accessories on a fire surround to create a focal point’

Lick of paint The first step was to get rid of all the red brick wall surrounding the garden, so we painted them white, which took two weeks. When it came to the back wall of the house, however, I wasn’t sure what to do as it’s a three-storey house, which would have taken a lot of work. Instead, we installed an awning and painted up to that. This is the spot where we get most sun, so it made sense to have a chill-out area here with an outdoor sofa, and after adding window boxes and decorative screens onto the wall it made a much nicer backdrop to sit the sofa against.

Adding structure Next, we had to work out how to section the garden and hide the ugly garage. We knew we wanted a playhouse for the kids, so we laid some decking to give it a bit of height and chose a summerhouse that blocks out the garage. I painted it in Fresh Rosemary by Cuprinol – a light green colour – and then planted a border of conifer trees down the side of it, along with a little pebble and seashell area.

Indoor-outdoor vibe CHILL-OUT ZONE

TOTAL

£6,100 TURN OVER FOR MY SHOPPING LIST

‘I turned part of our garden into an outdoor living room, with a fireplace surround, mirrors, colourful seating and rugs’

The rest of the garden is made up of the existing patio, which we’ll look to replace further down the line, and an area of faux lawn that we laid to give the children somewhere to play. l wanted the patio to have an indoor-outdoor feel so went for items that you might not necessarily think of putting in a garden. For example, I added a fireplace that I got from Gumtree – I painted it the same colour as the

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 55

COLOUR SPLASH ‘I gave our windows a facelift with pretty window boxes filled with blooms – they add colour and pattern’

IDEA TO STEAL String festoon lights around the edge of walls

summerhouse. I then added some mirrors – they were plastic designs that I painted – and laid outdoor rugs to keep it soft underfoot. My style is a bit of a mix and I wanted the garden to reflect that – with elements of the Hamptons and Miami – so the accessories and colour scheme were all bought with that in mind.

‘THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR GARDEN – WHY NOT HAVE A FIREPLACE AND MIRRORS? WHY NOT CREATE A LOUNGE AREA?’

Low maintenance I was realistic about how much time I’d want to spend tending to plants, so we chose grasses, lavender and geraniums as we’re not huge gardeners and these are easy to keep alive! We used sleepers to build a border, which we painted dark grey.

Family entertaining Some colourful seating, hanging plants and a few painted flamingos complete the look to create a light, bright space that feels so much bigger than it did originally.

Sitting outside on the sofa seating area with the festoon lights on and the firepit going is the perfect entertaining space – we often hang a sheet in front of the fireplace and watch movies out there.’

56 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

OUT OF SIGHT ‘The summerhouse hides the side of the garage’

Do it! GARDEN MIRRORS

You may not think of using mirrors in your garden, but placed cleverly they can make your space look twice the size.

Try hanging one in among plants at the back of a border so that it blends in with the background and creates the illusion of another part of the garden.

Keep in mind that where you hang it will result in how effective it is – if it reflects your house, for example, that may not work so well, but if you hang the mirror so it reflects lawn, trees or plants, it’s more likely to look like another entire garden beyond.

You can always pop something behind the mirror, like a batten, so that your mirror is angled to reflect your desired view.

LOUNGE AREA ‘By having numerous places to sit, we can enjoy all the space’

UPCYCLE PROJECT ‘We made a wooden trough from our old back gate and painted it grey to match the sleepers’

WORDS LAURIE DAVIDSON STYLING MAXINE BRADY PHOTOGRAPHS COLIN POOLE

Where to buy Kel’s style Angeles outdoor sofa set (inc side tables), £1,039.99, Wayfair. Sherwood gas firepit, £599.99, Outback. Vector decorative screen in Dove Grey, £170, Screen with Envy. Outdoor rugs, from a selection, Benuta and Maisons du Monde. For similar seating try Carvalho chairs, £176.99 each, Wayfair. For a similar hanging chair try Crenata swing seat with stand, £1,019, Wayfair. Fire surround, Gumtree, in Fresh Rosemary, £30 for 5ltr, Cuprinol. Cushion covers, from a selection from Kel’s website OhSoKel.com. Windsor summerhouse, £599.99, Shed Store. Fence in Coastal Stone, £14 for 5ltr; Kensington awning, £170, both Wilko. Mirrors, for similar try Poundland. Lights, £80 for 10m, Amazon.

Window boxes, £5, Ikea

LIVELY CORNER ‘I’ve painted an old barrel and plant pots to fit in with the colour scheme’

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 57

TRY A SPEEDY STYLE UPDATE

Try a speedy

STYLE UPDATE

Have fun with these simple yet creative ideas that’ll ring the changes in your home without turning into a full redo

1 Wall in Mid Azure Green 96 intelligent masonry paint, £75 for 5ltr, Little Greene

58 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

Paint walls a bolder shade

Experiment with vibrant colour combinations outdoors instead of keeping to standard white. Paint one wall a bold shade as a backdrop for furniture – blues and greens work well and will complement planting too.

TRY A SPEEDY STYLE UPDATE

2

3

Organise an outdoor potting station

HAVE FUN WITH A PHOTO BOOTH

Celebrate a special occasion with an impromptu outdoor photo booth. Suspend picture frames from ribbon and supply props for guests to use.

Moreton potting bench, £320, Garden Trading

Create a dedicated work area for gardening duties, so you can keep all your essentials in one place.

Include a potting bench to work at, plus easy-access wall storage for tools.

4

Make an easy paper table runner

Cover up a shabby outdoor table with a colourful paper runner made out of a leftover roll of wallpaper. There’ll be no worries about spills and stains, just cut a length off and once the meal is over, pop in the bin.

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 59

TRY A SPEEDY STYLE UPDATE

Dhatu outdoor rug, £51, Maisons du Monde

5

Create an outdoor living room

Make the garden an extension of your indoor space. Arrange seating in a relaxed layout, with a large rug or coffee table as the anchor point and extra side tables, stools or pouffes to sit on.

Drinks dispenser, £20, Next Home

6

SET UP A SOFT DRINKS STATION

Organise refreshments so guests can help themselves.

Set a drinks dispenser on a block – elevating it a little will make glasses easier to fill.

Bumble bee outdoor cushion, £6, Dunelm

7

Make a back garden cinema

Enjoy a family movie night in the garden. Connect a streaming device to a projector and set up a makeshift screen using a large white sheet. Arrange floor cushions and beanbags to sit on.

60 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

TRY A SPEEDY STYLE UPDATE

Shire wooden shed and bar, £739.99, Robert Dyas

Hang mini pots of herbs to use as a garnish in cocktails

8

Build a garden bar for summer entertaining

Make the party last by installing your own outdoor cocktail bar. Go for a sturdy design with an open-out serving hatch that can be used to store garden furniture over the winter.

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 61

TRY A SPEEDY STYLE UPDATE

9

Festoon a dining table with lights

Extend your time outdoors on summer evenings with a row or two of festoon lights strung above a seating area. If you don’t have any fixing points, use festoon poles to suspend lights from.

Decorate the table with tubs filled with flowers or foliage

Warm White carnival plug-in festoon lights, £39.99 for 20; 2.75m festoon pole, £44.99, both Lights4fun

62 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

TRY A SPEEDY STYLE UPDATE

10

11

USE A WALL TIDY TO GROW HERBS

Create a hanging herb garden by using a simple canvas shoe organiser. Buy potted herbs from a supermarket and pop one in each pocket, then hang on a wall.

Grillskär outdoor units, from £175 each, Ikea

Set up an outdoor kitchen area

Organise extra prep space alongside a barbecue by installing a run of units. Practical coated-steel cabinets are easy-clean, won’t rust outdoors and can be stored in a garage over winter when not in use.

Drop bulb solar festoon lights, £34.99; Hayle galvanised lanterns, £89.99 for two, all Lights4fun

12

Create your own ‘she shed’

Install a mini summer house in a quiet spot that you can escape to. Kit it out with comfy seating, outdoor lights and a nearby heat source, so you can enjoy it whatever the weather.

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 63

TRY A SPEEDY STYLE UPDATE

13

Set up a shade sail

Escape the blazing sun on warm days by installing a shade sail – less pricey than a fixed awning – above a seating area.

Anchor the corners to a tree, beam, wall or wooden post.

Alps compact dining modular set, £1,299, Dobbies

14

UPCYCLE EMPTY DRINKS BOTTLES

Make a fun garden hoop-la with empty plastic bottles. Swill paint inside, then once dry, fill with sand to weigh bottles down.

15

Make a mud kitchen for the kids

Let little ones get hands-on outdoors by setting up their own kitchen play area. Include mini containers and utensils to play with, plus a few plants that they can grow and nurture.

64 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

FEATURE LISA FAZZANI PHOTOGRAPHS FUTURECONTENTHUB.COM

Mud kitchen, £60, Dunelm.

Similar available from Argos

TRY A SPEEDY STYLE UPDATE

16

Create wow with patterned flooring

Make flooring the focal point of your patio by choosing slabs with a bold pattern.

Geometric designs are easy to arrange and look striking in a small space.

Add contrast with rendering in a bold colour

Hardblue Dark Grey decor porcelain outdoor slabs, £38.99sq m, Tile Mountain. Karu four-piece conversational set, £599, Dobbies

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 65

MAKE IT, LOVE IT! GARDEN PARTY

Make it, love it!

GARDEN PARTY Bring a personal touch to a spring celebration with handmade table decorations, place settings and games for the kids HAND-PRINTED TABLE RUNNER YOU WILL NEED Plain fabric table runner Paintbrush Green fabric paints Large leaf stamps Pink pom-pom trim Needle and thread

1

Protect your working surface with newspaper, then lay a plain fabric table runner flat on top. Use a paintbrush to apply green paint to a large leaf stamp, then press it down firmly onto the fabric. Continue stamping along the length of the runner, spacing the prints out evenly.

Repeat the process, making use of a second leaf stamp and different shades of green paint. Try mixing the paints to create more shades of green and continue to stamp, allowing the designs to overlap in places. Step back to look at your work then fill in gaps between the leaves with stamps until the surface of the runner is covered.

Once the fabric paint is dry, cut pom-pom trim to the same length as the short ends of the table runner. Using co-ordinating thread, hand or machine sew the trim on the right side (top) of the runner so the tape creates a pink stripe at each end. Alternatively, if you prefer, sew the tape on the underside so only the pom-poms are visible.

2

3

Go for colour-pop tableware

CREATE A COLOURFUL PRINTED TABLE RUNNER TO BRIGHTEN YOUR CELEBRATION Tulip fabric paint, £2.60 for 37ml, Hobbycraft. Similar birch leaf rubber stamp, £7.91, 100 Proof Press at Etsy

66 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

MAKE IT, LOVE IT! GARDEN PARTY

DECORATIVE FANS YOU WILL NEED

Large coloured wooden craft sticks, £1.66 for 25, Little Crafty Bugs

Patterned gift wrap Ruler Pencil Craft knife Thin wire Scissors Double-sided tape XL coloured craft sticks String

1

Measure and cut out a 20x48cm length of paper from a sheet of patterned gift wrap. Score the oblong piece of paper at 2cm intervals along the length, then fold in a concertina style to form pleats.

Bind the middle of the folded paper with a small piece of thin wire. Snip the ends of the paper into triangles or scallop shapes using scissors.

Allow the fan to open out, then add a piece of double-sided tape to each ‘end’. Stick a large craft stick to each of the ends to create handles, then tie these together with a piece of string.

2 3

FEATURE STEPHANIE DURRANT PHOTOGRAPHS FUTURECONTENTHUB.COM

Jazz up wooden cutlery by colouring with felt tip pens or washi tapes

Whip up in just 15 minutes

Spring pastel crepe paper, £4 for six pack; 24mm easy glue eyes, £1.50 for 25, Hobbycraft

OWL PIÑATA YOU WILL NEED Balloon Flour and water paste Newspaper White paint Crepe paper Coloured card Googly eyes String Craft knife Scissors Sweets

1

Blow up a balloon and place on a jug. Mix one part flour to two parts water; dip strips of newspaper in this paste. Stick to the balloon to make papier mâché, leaving an opening at the top. Leave to dry overnight, then repeat with two more layers.

Pop the balloon and remove it.

Paint the papier mâché white and

2

let dry. Cut an 8cm circle from the bottom of the owl, then stick three 10cm crepe paper circles to cover the hole. Cut 6cm circles from bright crepe paper and glue to the chest, overlapping like feathers. Glue white crepe paper over the rest of the owl.

For the eyes, cut two of each diameter: 7cm blue, 5cm white and 2.5cm pink paper circles. Stick on top of each other and top with googly eyes. Add a yellow triangle for the beak and two white paper tufts for ears. Punch holes each side of the head and thread string for hanging. Fill with sweets or little toys.

3

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 67

CREATE YOUR DREAM KITCHEN

Create your

DREAM KITCHEN Looking for some inspiration? These luxe-looking accessories will soon revamp the heart of the home Coaster £3, mugs from £3.50, bowl £5, egg holder £4, slogan plant pots £6 (small) and £14 (large), wire fruit bowl £6.50, plates £8 for 2, cushion £12, wall art £20, planter on stand £16, lantern £22, all Matalan

Double walled 8-cup cafetiere £24, Habitat Hello Sunshine mug £3.50, Wilko

Gold lamp with teal shade £49.99, Homesense

Pink wine glass £3.50, George Home

Spotty seat cushion £14, Matalan

Pink bowl £5.99, Homesense

Mini blue gluggle jug £10, Oliver Bonas

HELLO SUNSHINE Roaster £10, Habitat

Transform your space from drab to fab, with kitsch accessories and ice-cream colours

68 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

Abstract throw £25, George Home

CREATE YOUR DREAM KITCHEN

2 Grove dining chairs £220, Next

KALLNA glasses £4 for 6, IKEA

Chopping boards £10 each, Matalan

Spring flowers £15, Wilko

Cecil rug from £65, Next Biscuit tin £5, Matalan

Candlestick holder £14, Next

Tray £8, George Home

Twisted candle set £6, Habitat

Wine glass £5, Wymeswold large bowl £20, jute rug from £55, Loxwood bar stool £69, Churchgate Kitchen Island £549, larder cabinet £999, all Dunelm

COUNTRY ROMANCE For a rustic yet refined cooking space, blend natural materials, neutral shades and clean lines

Stoneware mixing bowl £19, Procook

FEATURE SOPHIE BARTON

Stacking wine glasses £15 each, Wilko

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 69

FINISHING TOUCHES ‘We did the staircase the same colour for continuity and then painted a runnereffect in a colour that matches the units’

‘I wanted dark LOW COST, HIGH STYLE ‘Calling in professional resprayers was a good investment – the units are transformed and they give the room a whole new lease of life’

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Katie Pullinger, 31. I work in finance and live in a two-bed cottage in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, with my partner Alex Jenner and our son Marley, who’s 12. We’ve lived here since January 2021.

THE CHALLENGE The kitchen was quite traditional and felt rather dated and boring. My initial plan was to replace the cupboard doors as the layout really worked, but it was going to cost as much as a new kitchen, so I had to rethink how I wanted to make the change.

MY WISHLIST Something different that would add colour to the bland magnolia room, but still have that classic cottage feel. I wanted dark units with accents of copper plus space for some of my upcycled buys.

70 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘I WANTED DARK HUES IN MY KITCHEN!’

hues in my KITCHEN!’ IDEA TO STEAL ‘Stripping back the existing door added instant character’

Having a tight budget, Katie updated her kitchen with a simple respray, some charity shop finds and a few rustic touches

T

his little cottage was a good buy for my partner Alex and I as we knew we could use it as a springboard to our next property,’ says Katie. ‘The kitchen ticked all the right boxes, except the magnolia colour scheme – I wanted to go dramatic, so I chose deep green.

I really liked the layout of the kitchen when we first viewed the cottage. We talked about replacing the units and not including a table or adding in some additional storage, but after having several quotes we realised that the cost was out of our price range. I just wanted to get rid of the bland cream kitchen.

Calling in the pros I considered replacing the doors, but nothing was available in the colours I wanted, so I even thought about painting them myself, but really didn’t have the time. Thankfully a friend suggested I get them professionally sprayed as you can pretty much choose the colours you want, and it wouldn’t take forever.

I started to research local companies, but they were either too busy or didn’t have the shade of green I wanted.

Eventually, we found a company called Onestop Refinishers, who were able to match to a moss green colour I loved and were also able to fit us in within four weeks. The owner explained that, with the process they used, it would only take a day and I would be able to get the rest of the kitchen done in the meantime.

Choosing flooring

TOTAL

£2,369 TURN OVER FOR MY SHOPPING LIST

I needed to choose and fit new flooring, retile and paint the walls and quickly scoured local shops and the internet to see what would work. I wanted flooring with a rustic feel and loved the idea of real wood, but our budget wouldn’t stretch to that, so I found a vinyl plankeffect that looked as good as the

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 71

‘I WANTED DARK HUES IN MY KITCHEN!’ WORKTOP REFRESH ‘We kept the original wooden worktop, as it was in great condition – we just gave it a quick rub down and a lick of varnish’

Do it!

CHOOSE YOUR FLOORING Search for a material that works with the overall look of your kitchen – this could mean mirroring the worktops or trying a dramatic contrast. Find samples that you can take home and view in different lights in the room.

Make sure you don’t overrun your budget.

Don’t go too trendy – it may not work in your scheme and may also date more quickly than you think.

Consider durability. Well-used areas need flooring that will last and is reasonably low maintenance – try ceramic, slate, vinyl, laminate.

Be clever with patterns – plain tiles can be laid in a herringbone style, or try hexagonal shapes for something fun.

‘THE NEW LOOK HAD A BEAUTIFUL MATT FINISH THAT WASN’T STREAKY OR PATCHY AND THE REST OF THE ROOM WAS PAINT FREE’

FEATURE AND STYLING ZOE BISHOP PHOTOGRAPHS LIZZIE ORME

real thing and, to be honest, it gives a lovely cushioned feel underfoot. I also found some great marble-effect tiles in a long hexagonal shape, which looked different to the usual metro style. We had to get in a professional to fit them as I’m not great with awkward shapes and wanted them done quickly.

Ready for the finish When the guys came to spray, everything was fitted, including a new cooker, and we painted the walls in a soft grey. We kept the original worktop, sink and tap, as they were in great condition. The guys taped off the areas not to be sprayed and within a few hours it was done.

The finished look was amazing – it had a beautiful matt finish that wasn’t streaky or patchy and the rest of the room was paint free. I’m still impressed by just how good it looks and how well it’s wearing.

To match the rustic flooring, I stripped back the door and found an old breakfast table in a local charity shop, then added extra shelving and some recycled lights.

I’m thrilled with the finished room and so pleased we managed to include the colours I wanted and on budget.

72 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

IDEA TO STEAL ‘If you have leftover wood use it to create simple organic shelving’

INSTANT UPDATE ‘I couldn’t afford to replace the old-style radiator so I decided to rub it down and painted it with a classic silver paint from Rust-oleum’

‘I WANTED DARK HUES IN MY KITCHEN!’

COOKING ON GAS ‘We decided we’d splash out on a new cooker to replace the old one that came with the house’

Where to buy Katie’s style

COLOUR INSPIRATION ‘Before deciding on our colour scheme we checked out Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration and ideas to see how others have used the colours’

Units resprayed in Moss Green, from £900, Onestop Refinishers. Alpha vinyl flooring in Sundown Pine, £39.95sq m, Quick-Step. Walls in Urbane Grey absolute matt emulsion, £48.50 for 2.5ltr; staircase in Obsidian Green interior eggshell, £73.50 for 2.5ltr; both Little Greene. Picket Carrara tiles, from £1.25 a tile, Tile Giant. Beko KDVF100K dual-fuel range cooker in Black, £697, Ao.com. Nordic digital microwave, £119; Nordic-style kettle £49.99; Nordic-style toaster, £64.99, all Swan. Cosmopolitan Seattle Grey wooden blind, £121, Blinds 2Go. Kilner jars, from £5.32, Amazon.

Titan copper 6-piece knife block, £90, Viners. Bamboo chopping board, £29.99; non-stick saucepan set, £94.97, Lakeland

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 73

‘I threw out the CLEARLY VERSATILE ‘Putting in this window was such a good idea. It allows views in and out and is perfect for plants’

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Natasha Landers (@untillemonsrsweet) and I’m a diversity consultant. I live with my daughter Maya, 21, in a three-bedroom Victorian terraced house in east London, which I bought in 2000.

MY CHALLENGE As well as being too small for me, the kitchen always felt quite dark and so extending the space would certainly provide more natural light. It was also a chance for me to introduce my own style to the kitchen, which meant injecting an abundance of colour.

MY WISH LIST By getting new built-to-order kitchen wall cabinets – made to my own design – I could finally get the storage space that this room was badly lacking.

74 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

TOTAL

£10,902 TURN OVER FOR MY SHOPPING LIST

‘I THREW OUT THE RULE BOOK!’

RULE BOOK!’ Natasha Landers followed her instinct, turning a 1970s throwback into a vibrant and practical kitchen

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Use copper piping for quirky lighting’

T

he house I moved into 20 years ago is a far cry from the one that I now feel proud of,’ says Natasha. ‘It was the type of property a builder would buy to do up, as it needed new electrics, windows, plumbing – in fact, everything.

It had been the long-time home of an elderly couple and they hadn’t renovated it since the 1970s. Everything was brown including the carpets, walls and paintwork. As was the trend at that time, they’d covered the internal doors with hardboard panels – painted brown, of course. When I began to remove them, I revealed the original Victorian doors.

Going for broke Despite all the work I knew would be involved, I could see the potential and had belief – unlike my parents who thought I was a bit mad for taking a project like this on, with very little money to spend. And money, or the lack of it, was the reason I only recently got around to creating my dream kitchen. Since moving in, as budget allowed, I’d worked my way through the rest of the house replacing sash windows and reinstalling original features including Victorian fireplaces.

I didn’t drastically alter the kitchen but was constantly thinking about how I wanted this space to look and knew I had to extend it and not just decorate.

Amazingly, there was virtually no kitchen storage when we moved in – the only unit was an upright 1950s kitchenette cabinet.

So many things about the old kitchen just didn’t work, which told me it had to be a complete overhaul. In 2016 I was finally able to remortgage to raise the money.

GATHER ROUND ‘More than ever, this is a sociable space, so it’s only right that the dining table is at the heart of it’

Planning it out After getting an architect in to draw up plans based on my own design, and choosing a builder, work on the extension began, while my daughter Maya and I

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 75

‘I THREW OUT THE RULE BOOK!’

OFF THE WALL

LIGHT RELIEF

‘I love how art can be created from a simple striking image. My cousin took this photo in New York’

Do it!

PAINTED CHAIRS

‘Sunshine through the skylights emphasises the colour and texture of this bare-brick wall’

Unscrew the backrest and sand down the wood to provide a key for the paint.

Mask off the back and front (using good-quality masking tape) to create the stripes.

Choose paint from your colour scheme (or buy sample pots).

Paint in-between the masked off sections. After a few hours, give it a second coat and remove the tape.

Wait for the paint to dry, screw the chair backs on to the frame.

Stand back and admire!

‘THE YELLOW FLOORING MAKES IT LOOK LIKE A BRIGHT ROOM, EVEN WHEN IT’S NOT A BRIGHT DAY’

POINT OF NOTE ‘I painted the blackboard myself and I fill it each day with inspirational quotes’

76 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

SHINE ON ‘I wanted a splashback that looked like metal so used floor tiles in a copper finish’

‘I THREW OUT THE RULE BOOK!’

IDEA TO STEAL

FEATURE SEAN O’CONNELL PHOTOGRAPHS VERONICA RODRIGUEZ

‘Turn a utility room door into a feature’

went to stay with my parents. But it soon became clear that I had to keep a tight rein on quality control. For example, with the floating base units, the builder only intended to use heavy-duty adhesive to fix them. The possible consequences didn’t bear thinking about, so I had to insist that he bolt them to the wall.

Whereas these base units were pre-made and bought for a song as ex-display models from the Ideal Home exhibition, the plywood wall cupboards were handmade to my own design.

Inspired design With this kitchen, I did a lot of things in an unorthodox way. For example, one day while the plumber was here, I asked him if he could construct a ceiling light system using a network of copper pipes inspired by the London Tube map. He duly obliged

and it’s now one of the features I’m proudest of and is certainly a talking point with visitors.

Choosing flooring The aspect I’m most pleased with is the floor; I was about to choose polished concrete when I discovered rubber surfacing. It meant I had to have the floor re-screeded to make it absolutely smooth – otherwise it would show even the slightest bump. Once down, the yellow lifted the kitchen to another level and gives it its wow factor. Other splashes of colour have proved quite effective, too.

My new dining chairs were a bit plain, so I customised them with stripes to add a fun element. I love my kitchen; it’s so multifunctional – it’s been a meeting room, a photographic studio and a party venue. Oh, and it’s where we eat, too!’

Where to buy Natasha’s style Base units, £4,451, Pronorm. Similar wall-mounted plywood units and laminated worktops, £800, Uncommon Projects. HJA5100 dual-fuel range cooker, £1,100, Leisure. Havsen sink, £155, Ikea.

Vola KV1 single-lever mixer tap, £1,328, Majorelle Interiors. Furnace Copper splashback tiles, £76.51sq m, Fired Earth.

Springfield Yellow rubber flooring, £58sq m, The Colour Flooring Company.

Custom-made copper-pipe lighting system, £300, Gastom. Walls in Clunch modern emulsion, £49.95 for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball. Yellow Tom Vac chair, £285, Vitra.

Bravur clock, £45, Ikea

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 77

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

The ultimate

KITCHEN LOOKBOOK Affordable updates to bring the latest looks to your kitchen

the STYLE RULES FIND YOUR FORMAT laid in a herringbone pattern For ultimate versatility and for add further interest. everything to have its own place, EMBRACE MINIMALIST STYLE combine full-height wall and floor Opt for frameless, slab-fronted cabinets with above-counter units cabinets for a seamless look and and open shelving. Integrated effortless functionality. Team with appliances also provide a clean look. simple door and drawer handles.

MIX MATERIALS PICK INVITING SHADES Introduce subtle pattern with Swap gloss for a contemporary white marble-effect worktops matt finish in a soft pastel blue or and a light wood-look laminate green colourway. Contrast with on floors. Long white wall tiles terracotta lighting and accessories.

78 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

Toughen up the look with black accents

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’ Nova kitchen in Seagrass, from £2,222, Magnet

Modern MATT Team clean lines with solid colours

THE FABRIC Mukula in Watermelon/ Tangerine/Slate, £40m, Scion

THE PAINT Sima flat matt, £42 for 2.5ltr, Coat Paints

THE TILES Elements Brick matt, £39.60sq m, Porcelain Superstore

THE FLOORING Love Aqua laminate in Splash, £28.99sq m, Lifestyle Floors

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 79

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’ The Classic English kitchen, from £25,000, DeVol

Country COTTAGE Create an authentic farmhouse feel

THE FABRIC Ticking 2 in Sage, £29.50m, Ian Mankin at Jane Clayton & Co

THE WALLPAPER GoodHome Mayet White wood effect, £12 a roll, B&Q

THE PAINT Antibes Green chalk paint, £21.95 for 1ltr, Annie Sloan

THE FLOORING Sisal Elite herringbone in Graphite, £45.90sq m, Kersaint Cobb

80 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

Light up worktops with a trio of wall lights

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’ Cabinets painted in Scullery Yellow furniture paint, £65 for 2.5ltr, DeVol

Why it works

STYLE AT HOME SAYS…

the STYLE RULES UPDATE CLASSIC CABINETS Achieve a cottage kitchen look with Shaker cupboards painted in a mellow vintage yellow. Team with a warm cherry wood worktop and finish with cup handles and door knobs in brushed brass.

DISPLAY VINTAGE FINDS Over-counter units with glass doors are perfect for displaying collections of crockery and glassware. Balance with shelving

‘This cottage kitchen retains a timeless appeal with its classic Shaker design and rich colour palette. Vintage features presented in a contemporary way keep this design on trend.’

painted in pea green to show off vintage kitchenalia.

CREATE A RUSTIC BACKDROP Swap tiles for horizontal wood panelling to make a space appear wider. Get the look for less by using a panel-effect wallpaper.

MIX OLD AND NEW Team a butler sink with a classic brass bridge mixer tap. Contrast traditional features by investing EDITOR, in a luxury 1950s-style fridge.

Heather Young TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 81

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

the STYLE RULES CREATE CLEAN LINES ADD PATTERN WITH TILES Instead of wall-mounted units, Use geometric porcelain tiles to install two continuous rows of create a lively splashback below open shelving. Display terracotta the shelves. Pick in-frame floor pots filled with cacti and herbs, units in a deep azure blue to plus pretty painted ceramics coordinate with the wall tiles. for a Mediterranean vibe.

UTILISE NATURAL MATERIALS PICK CONTEMPORARY HARDWARE Incorporate texture with light Complete the clutter-free look wood grain worktops, rattan stools with modern chrome mixer taps and woven pendant lights. Finish and under-counter sinks for a the look by laying light oak effect sleek, uncomplicated finish. flooring to match the counter.

82 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’ Atlas porcelain Blue tiles, £63.90sq m, Ca’Pietra

Azure BLUES Mix mosaic tiles and natural materials for a holiday vibe

THE FABRIC Zora in Denim/ Spice, £15m, Studio G at Jane Clayton & Co

THE TILES Atlas Porcelain Blue tiles, £63.90sq m, Ca’Pietra

THE PAINT Blue 111 eggshell, £38 for 2.5ltr, Lick

Extend a kitchen island to create a breakfast bar

THE FLOORING Soft oak light laminate, £24.99sq m, Quick-Step

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 83

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

Sleek BOTANICAL Take inspiration from nature and introduce bold greens

THE FABRIC Whisp Hunter, £54m, Prestigious Textiles

THE WALLPAPER Paradise Tropics in Teal, £40 a roll, Homebase

Swap brass or chrome taps for modern white

THE PAINT Adeline matt emulsion, £42sq m, Graham & Brown

THE FLOORING Floorgrip 583 Sintra vinyl, £19.99sq m, Carpetright

84 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

If using wallpaper directly behind a sink, it’s a good idea to install a clear splashback panel to protect the area from splashes

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’ Siena range in Forest Green, from £6,039.95, Schüller

Why it works

STYLE AT HOME SAYS…

the STYLE RULES CREATE AN URBAN JUNGLE Pick contemporary slab-fronted cabinets for a seamless look with an urban apartment feel.

Choose a deep green shade with a matt lacquer finish to connect the space with nature.

ADD WOW WITH WALLPAPER Juxtapose colour block units with a statement botanical wallpaper featuring painterly tropical leaves.

A white marble worktop and

‘Vibrant tropical wallpaper brings this slab kitchen to life by breaking up the clean lines with a hit of bold pattern.

A white marble worktop creates a neat border.’

butler sink create a striking contrast against the green.

INCREASE FUNCTIONALITY Floor-to-ceiling built-in cabinets around a recess will maximise space. Handleless doors produce a clean, uninterrupted look.

PARQUET ADDS PATTERN Introduce interest with wood-effect SENIOR FEATURES flooring in a herringbone design.

EDITOR, Vinyl is perfect for kitchens as it’s Stephanie easy to clean and repels water.

Durrant TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 85

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

the STYLE RULES NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE mismatch the counter of a kitchen A classic Shaker kitchen is a timeless island to the main work surfaces? choice thanks to its painted wood COMPLEMENT WITH COLOUR cabinets and elegant framed Bring sympathetic hints of colour doors. For a sophisticated look, to the scheme with soft pastel opt for a neutral colour such as dinnerware and accessories in light grey, with chrome handles. blush and sea green.

HAVE IT ALL! ENHANCE THE DETAILS Mixed materials are a big trend, so Natural oak-effect laminate brings save on the decision making and out the grains in wood worktops. combine a marble splashback with Be sure to pick a water resistant wood grain worktops. Why not floorcovering in high-traffic areas.

86 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’ Shaker in bevelled woodgrain in Light Grey, from £7,000, Trend Interiors

Chic SHAKER Go for a classic design in grown-up neutrals

THE FABRIC Escala Plains in Sky, £25m, Scion

THE TILES

FEATURE STEPHANIE DURRANT PHOTOGRAPHS FUTURECONTENTHUB.COM; (SCHULLER) INHOUSE INSPIRED ROOM DESIGN

Dark Grey gloss marble effect wall tiles, £13.95sq m, Walls and Floors

THE PAINT Dulux Easycare Mellow Mocha emulsion, £25 for 2.5ltr, Homebase

Include storage in a kitchen island THE FLOORING Quick-Step Aquanto Classic natural oak effect laminate, £19sq m, B&Q

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 87

MAKE IT, LOVE IT! FLOWER CRAFT

Make it, love it!

FLOWER CRAFT Adorn your home with beautiful arrangements that will look fabulous for far longer than fresh flowers TABLE GARLAND YOU WILL NEED Florist wire Wire cutters Grapevine garland Eucalyptus Rose buds Mimosa Flax Matricaria Daisies Helichrysum Broom Delphiniums Poppy heads Phalaris Bunny tails Gypsophila Oat stems Statice

Select flowers with different shapes and textures

1

First cut all the flowers to a length of 10cm and fix together groups of the same variety by wrapping florist wire around the stems.

Take a length of the grapevine garland and use the florist wire to attach some eucalyptus stems.

Starting at one end, push a group of flowers into the garland and secure it in place with florist wire.

Gradually build up the fullness of your garland by adding more groups of flowers, mixing up the different varieties as you go for the best effect.

Finish your table garland with three groups of flowers pushed in the opposite way so that the florist wire is no longer visible.

2 3 4 5

PICK FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE ON A DRY DAY AND TIE STEMS. HANG DOWNWARDS IN AN AIRY DARK CUPBOARD FOR UP TO THREE WEEKS TO DRY Grapevine garland, £10.49, Amazon.

Flowers and grasses from a selection at Atlas Flowers and Dowsing & Reynolds

88 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

MAKE IT, LOVE IT! FLOWER CRAFT

NAPKIN RINGS YOU WILL NEED

Natural raffia, £2.50 for 20m, Paperchase. Linen napkins, £18 for two, Rowen & Wren

Florist wire Wire cutters Raffia Mimosa Daisies Bunny tails Gypsophila

1

Take a length of covered florist wire and wind it in a circle a few times to make the ring base, then wind the wire over on itself around the ring to support the structure.

Pinch together a small group of the dried flowers, snipping off any long stems. Ensure you have a matching posy for each of the place settings you want to make. Place the stems along the edge of the wire circle, then wrap and secure them in place with more covered wire. Snip off the ends of the wire for a neat finish.

Hide the wire by wrapping it with a length of raffia. Fold coordinating linen napkins into a conical shape and thread them through the napkin rings for a delightfully rustic place setting.

2 3

Make pretty place settings

FEATURE SARA BIRD AND STEPHANIE DURRANT PHOTOGRAPHS FUTURECONTENTHUB.COM

Create a lasting gift idea by wrapping stems with ribbon and finish with a bow

Use raffia to make a hanging loop

Rattan grapevine wreath, from £4, Hobbycraft

HALF-AND-HALF WREATH YOU WILL NEED Ready-made grapevine wreath Florist wire Wire cutters Mimosa Eucalyptus Oats Bunny tails Delphinium Gypsophila Helichrysum

1

Arrange the stems and flowers in separate groups. Start laying the first bundle along the front of a

ready-made grapevine wreath, at the base with stems facing down.

Secure the flowers in place with florist wire. Repeat with the next group of blooms, making sure the heads cover the wire.

Continue until the centre is reached, then repeat the other way. Finish and cover the last stems with helichrysum flower heads.

2 3

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 89

MAKE IT, LOVE IT! FLOWER CRAFT

JAM JAR JAMBOREE YOU WILL NEED

Jam jars and produce pots make low-key but lovely holders for posies

Selection of glass jars Florist wire Wire cutters Daisies Bunny tails Eucalyptus Flax Gypsophila Oats Broom Phalaris

1

Gradually add stems of flowers to one hand, starting with longer varieties for the middle. Select two or three of the same stem at a time, twisting the posy to maintain equal flowers and create a rounded feel.

Tie off with a length of florist wire and snip the ends of the stems with wire cutters so the posy fits perfectly into the glass jars. Display in a group in the centre of the table or down the length as part of a runner scape. And if you have guests to dinner, why not gift a jar of flowers to them as they leave?

2

DISPLAYING DRIED FLOWERS IN A GLASS CLOCHE IS THE PERFECT WAY TO KEEP THEM LOOKING UNDAMAGED AND DUST FREE

Flowers and grasses from a selection at Atlas Flowers and Dowsing & Reynolds. Place mat, £22, Rowen & Wren

DECORATIVE DOME YOU WILL NEED Glass dome Dry Oasis Raffia Double-sided tape Poppy heads Bunny tails Daisies Mimosa

1

Measure your chosen flowers against the height of the glass dome, allowing a few centimetres space between the flower heads and the top of glass.

Shape a piece of dry Oasis floral foam brick to fit in the base. Cover

2

the sides by winding around raffia and stick to the dome base using double-sided tape.

Taking the tallest flowers first, push into the oasis starting at the centre. Add the flowers and grasses in a gradually shorter style around them.

Cover the remainder of the oasis block with shorter stems of mimosa flowers and foliage.

Display in the glass dome.

3

4

90 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

Begavning glass dome with base, £15, Ikea. Oasis floral foam brick, £1.75, Hobbycraft

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR A SERENE SPACE

Discover the essential tips and tricks you need to declutter your home and keep it tidy. From storage solutions to clever ideas for shared spaces, learn how to transform your home into a haven of clutter-free calm.

ON SALE

NOW

Ordering is easy. Go online at: Or get it from selected supermarkets & newsagents

THE BUDGET BATHROOM EDIT

The budget

BATHROOM EDIT Give your bathroom a boost, without breaking the bank balance

Potted fern £8.50, Wilko

Kimball wall art £12, Primark

Black shower caddy £15, Matalan

Black ceramic toilet brush £8, Matalan

Egyptian cotton towels from £3, ribbed glass lotion dispenser £5, glass storage jar £7, black hand towel £14, towel rail £15, Tela bathroom 2 light wall light £40, Arran bathroom flex fitting in black and gold £25 each, all Dunelm

Sea minerals scented candle £3, B&M Tribeca stoneware bowl £6, Marks and Spencer

HOTEL LUXE Add a touch of glamour, with contrasting monochrome, ribbed storage jars and sumptuous Egyptian cotton towels

92 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

Gold bathroom tap £129.99, dowsingandreynolds.com

Ribbed storage jar £5, B&M

THE BUDGET BATHROOM EDIT

Towels £5-15, Matalan Baskets, George Home £30

Dispenser and tumbler £6 and £4, George Home

Bamboo 3-tier caddy £18, George Home

Circular mirror £40, Matalan

Bamboo 3-tier caddy £18, bamboo ladder £22, George Home

Large buddha plant pot £8, B&M

Ladder shelves £119, Marks and Spencer

SPA SANCTUARY Create a soothing space, with muted colours, Scandi-inspired timber finishes and simple storage solutions

Tulip wood hurricane lamp £45, Next

FEATURE SOPHIE BARTON

Glass storage jar £5, B&M

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 93

SPLASH OF INTEREST ‘I’ve added colour and pattern with towels, ceramics and glassware.

I love the subtle character they bring’

‘It’s boutique

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Lucy Searle and I live here with my husband David and our children Lola, 19, and Edie, 14, in a three-bedroom terraced house in north London.

This is now the ninth bathroom I’ve renovated!

MY CHALLENGE Ripping up the carpet and rejigging the layout, all the while sourcing attractive, low-cost items as we were doing up the rest of the house at the same time.

MY WISH LIST I wanted to achieve a vintage-style boutique look on a budget. A stylish roll-top bath and plenty of storage that didn’t feel too fitted were also must-haves.

94 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

TOTAL

£3,931 TURN OVER FOR MY SHOPPING LIST

‘IT’S BOUTIQUE ON A BUDGET!’

ON A BUDGET!’ HANG ABOUT ‘I try to repurpose old fittings when we move house. These wooden hooks were used for hanging coats in the hallway of our old home’

Lucy and David shopped around to create a stylish vintage-inspired bathroom without breaking the bank

W IDEA TO STEAL ‘An elegant chair next to the tub adds an extra level of luxury’

e bought the house from a lovely couple who had lived here for 30 years,’ says Lucy.

‘Every room was packed with a lifetime of stuff and children’s toys, but we were charmed by its proportions, and especially those of the main bathroom.

First impression With numerous photos lining the walls, bath toys in one corner and a changing table hiding a gorgeous Victorian-style radiator, the bathroom needed work.

Despite the clutter, I could see the room’s potential. The window is huge, so the room is very bright. I knew that if we changed the layout, we’d give the room much more breathing space and turn it from a hectic family bathroom into a light, airy haven.

Getting to work We gutted the room and considered how to make the most of the space. Luckily, we were already installing a shower room in another part of the house, and there’s a separate loo next to this bathroom. It meant we could afford to pare the room right down to just a bath and basin.

Having so little feels totally luxurious and makes it such a relaxing place to unwind.

Smart shopping It’s lucky we only needed a few key pieces, because we certainly didn’t have an endless budget. We renovated the rest of the house at the same time, so keeping costs low was crucial. I spent a lot of time on the internet comparing prices of the roll-top bath I wanted to take centre stage. I always try to put the bath centrally against a wall. Doing so gives the room a grand look, even if it’s been achieved on a budget. Eventually, I settled on this slipper bath. The price was right at £300, and I thought its

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 95

COOL STORAGE ‘Towels and linens are hidden inside a 1930s fridge. It’s lead-lined so incredibly heavy – we had to cut off its feet to get it into the room’

shape would look great against the backdrop of metro tiles I’d spotted at B&Q. Everything else just followed easily.

Antique finds When it came to the design, I wanted to go for a vintage look and chose fixtures and fittings that felt in keeping with the era of the house. While the bathroom was being gutted, I shopped for a vanity table and cabinet. We needed storage but I didn’t want fitted units. Trawling the antiques markets in Hastings and Rye one day I struck gold, finding an old altar table for the basin to sit on and a 1930s fridge for our linen and towels. I love how they work in the space – no one else has a bathroom like it.

Lessons learned Despite this being the ninth bathroom I’ve renovated, it wasn’t all plain sailing this time around. Original, restored floorboards look wonderful and can cope with splashing if they’re well varnished, but the very occasional leak has found its way into the room below. Next time I’d put down a sub-floor first. Crucially, roll-top baths need to be screwed to the floor – especially if you have young children who like to climb and sit on them while they’re filling. Ours tipped a couple of times before we learned that lesson!’

96 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

IDEA TO STEAL MIRACLE WORKER ‘The basin stand used to be an altar table, rescued from a dilapidated church. We gave it three coats of yacht varnish to protect it from splashes’

‘Coat the floorboards with watered down white emulsion before varnishing them’

‘IT’S BOUTIQUE ON A BUDGET!’

Do it!

SPLASH-PROOF WOOD FLOORS To best protect beautiful bathroom wood flooring, avoid softwoods sensitive to humidity and opt for the safer choices of oak, teak or ash.

Make sure that the floor and sub-floor are perfectly levelled to avoid water pooling in lower areas.

Treat floors with water-resistant yacht varnish. Apply in the same direction as the grain.

Ensure regular ventilation of the bathroom, as mould and mildew love organic wood, so keep windows open after a steamy bath.

Lay a strategically-placed rug in high-splash areas, such as by the washbasin and bath tub.

TREND SETTER ‘The cast-iron radiator is the only fitting from the original bathroom to survive the renovation’

‘CHOOSE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL – IN OUR CASE IT WAS THE ORIGINAL CAST IRON RADIATOR – TO SET THE TONE FOR THE REST OF THE SCHEME’ ‘I positioned the bath centrally against the wall to give it a grand look’

Where to buy Lucy’s style Similar slipper freestanding bath, £329; Edward bath shower mixer, £99, Contour Designer countertop basin, £69, all Bathrooms.com. Edwards & Co taps and upstands, £218, Old Fashioned Bathrooms. For similar console table, try Etsy. Similar cast iron radiator, around £480, Holloways of Ludlow. Metro white tiles, £24.50sq m, Topps Tiles.

Cabinet, £250, Wishbarn Antiques.

Wirework tiered storage basket, £75, Cox & Cox. Chair, Rockett St George; for similar try their blonde rattan chair, £275. For similar wooden hooks, try Melcombe peg rail, £25, Duck Barn Interiors. Similar rug, £70, Habitat. Similar white mirror, £40, Nordic House.

Similar tear-shaped beaded pendant light, £115, Graham & Green. Window shutter, around £500, Hillarys.

Asunden laundry basket, £40; Dragan wooden boxes, £10 for four-piece bathroom set, all Ikea

FEATURE GEORGIE RODGERS STYLING LUCY SEARLE PHOTOGRAPHS COLIN POOLE

CENTRE-STAGE

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 97

COSY CORNER ‘Layering the black wrought-iron chair with cushions and a throw has created a relaxing and handy place to sit’

‘It was so CLA IDEA TO STEAL ‘Trawl antiques fairs, stores, Etsy and social media to track down beautiful antiques and vintage pieces’

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Katrina Thomas, 50, and I work in oil trading. I live with my fiancé Aris Baroutakis, 48, who works in the same industry, in a 500-year-old, Georgian-fronted, detached house in Surrey. We moved here in June 2015.

THE CHALLENGE This bathroom was dark and cramped until we took the plunge. The toilet was a massive wooden throne and the first thing that was banished!

MY WISHLIST I wanted the biggest, deepest bath I could find. I had a clear vision of walking upstairs to see a beautiful roll-top bath along the back wall. The room had to be far more spacious for Aris to walk about without banging his head!

98 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

TOTAL

£3,931 TURN OVER FOR MY SHOPPING LIST

‘IT WAS SO CLAUSTROPHOBIC’

USTROPHOBIC’ FRENCH INFLUENCE ‘I wanted the floor to resemble the floorboards in a French farmhouse.

These porcelain tiles are perfect and practical, too’

Surrey-based Katrina Thomas realised her vision to turn an awkward attic space into her nautical-inspired dream bathroom

W

hen Aris and I decided to buy a property, I had my heart set on a pale yellow Georgian house with a weeping willow in the garden,’ says Kat. ‘Amazingly, this house ticked every box – right down to the tree that reminded me of my gran’s.

The house had a lovely feel and plenty of potential for us to gradually put our own stamp on it. In July 2015, we snapped it up. As this is our forever home, we wanted to take time and enjoy transforming it.

Starting point Although I was keen to convert the cramped attic bathroom, there was a lot to be done before we could embark on this project. One of the main problems was the sloping ceiling. Aris is 6ft 1in and there wasn’t enough head height for him to stand up properly. I knew exactly how I wanted the room to look, but didn’t feel I had the knowledge to realise my ideas.

Help from the pros Luckily, I discovered NK Living (nkliving. co.uk) while searching for inspiration, and sent them a heartfelt message, asking for help. As part of the renovations of the rest of the house, we learned that part of the roof needed some repairs, so I suggested we could simultaneously enlarge the dormer in the attic bathroom to gain more height. Before tackling this project, we first updated another bathroom in our home, to ensure that when one was out of action, another would be useable.

Choosing the style I wanted to retain and enhance the character of the space, to create a happy room with a rustic feel and French influences. I thought a monochrome scheme, with subtle touches of

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 99

‘IT WAS SO CLAUSTROPHOBIC’ NAUTICAL TOUCH ‘The shiplap-style wall is so warm, tactile and cosseting. It’s also a link to our shipping roots’

STAR STRUCK ‘I love barn stars and started collecting them long before they became popular. They add wow-factor and hold a special place in my heart’

‘ALTHOUGH A ROOM IN THE EAVES CAN OFTEN BE AN AWKWARD SHAPE, WITH CAREFUL PLANNING YOU CAN MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY’ colour, would look fantastic. Having fallen in love with antiques at the age of ten, I’d been a collector for many years and was determined to incorporate some of my many treasured finds here.

The hard work

By August 2019, after the dormer had been enlarged, this project started in earnest. The room was gutted, a stud wall removed and a new shiplap-style wall was built, set further back in the room, to enlarge the space, which meant the bath fitted neatly under a beam in the eaves.

Plain sailing The project went smoothly and nothing was too much trouble for the NK Living team. When challenges arose, they’d say “leave it with us” and find a solution.

Despite spending ages sourcing a bath the perfect size, I still worried it wouldn’t fit up the narrow staircase. Luckily it did!

I had great fun sourcing items that would work with my much-loved antiques and paintings. Now, every time I walk up the stairs to our beautiful bathroom, I’m absolutely thrilled with the result.’

100 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

Do it!

TRANSFORM A CHEST OF DRAWERS

1

To create a unique vanity unit for your bathroom basin, it’s worth investing time to find an antique piece that you love that works with the space. You may even uncover a bargain buy!

Having sourced your basin, cut a hole in the top of the chest for the wastepipe to go through.

Next, cut out a section of wood from the back of the drawers to enable the wastepipe to be connected behind the wall.

If the top isn’t already waterproof, use a sealant.

Then simply slide the drawers back in and your individual vanity unit will be ready for action.

2 3

4 5

‘IT WAS SO CLAUSTROPHOBIC’ TIME WELL SPENT ‘A huge amount of time and effort went into sourcing a basin with curves to echo the bateau bath‘

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Layering towels is a practical and handy way of injecting interest’

Imperium bateau bath with ball and claw feet, £3,006, The Albion Bath Company.

Wall-mounted Bayswater white lever bath/ shower mixer, £477.49; Silverdale Empire close coupled toilet, £448.32 plus £190 for toilet seat, all Victorian Plumbing. Amalfi 55 basin, £525, Victoria + Albert. Wallmounted three-hole Grosvenor basin taps, £340, Just Taps. Skandi Original porcelain floor tiles, £59.93sq m, Mandarin Stone.

Shiplap cladding, £1,050, Neptune.

Traditional spotlight with Ledbury clear glass shade, £155 each, Fritz Fryer. Chest of drawers, £295, The Old Pill Factory, Witney, @theoldpillfactory. Industrial slim frame round mirror, £125, Cox & Cox. Meïda jute rug, £135, La Redoute. Chair, £85, One World. Dulux Easycare Washable & Tough paint in Pure Brilliant White, £25.73 for 2.5 litres. All sanitaryware, apart from the bath, sourced from Cuckfield Bathrooms.

FEATURE JANET MCMEEKIN PHOTOGRAPHS CHRIS SNOOK

Where to buy Katrina’s style

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 101

REVAMP YOUR LIVING SPACE

Revamp your

LIVING SPACE From nature-inspired décor to a luxe look, update your living room with our pick of the best buys…

3-pack botanical wall art £9, black and white cushion £16, spider plant in black pot £28, black 3-tier shade £70, rug £125, Huckley industrial shelving £180, Julien 2-seater sofa £830, all Habitat.

Set of 4 botanical artworks £100, Next

FEJKA artificial plant £40, IKEA

KONSTFULL vase £12, IKEA

Suri green rug £160, Next

Shell ornament £16, Matalan

Green velvet palm cushion £14, Marks and Spencer

BOTANICAL BEAUTY Bring the outside in, with lush greens, organic materials and pieces inspired by the natural world

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Magazine rack £18, Wilko

REVAMP YOUR LIVING SPACE

Gold tray £20, Next

Green miniature iron pig, National Trust Yellow velvet chair £119, Homesense

Potted fern £15, B&M

Gold toucan £32, Next

Monkey candle holder £12.99, Homesense

Fae accent chair £175, Next

Tortoiseshell vase £10, Matalan

Glass tumblers £10 for 2, green carafe £12, glass cloche jar £15, metal tray £25, navy velvet cushion £25, stripe vase £28, saffron cushion £40, golba basket £50, pear money box £70, Bobbin side table £79, elephant lamp £75, teal lamp base £85, peacock shade £80, Eden Ikat rug £120, 6 red coral prints £125, Bobbin velvet footstool £199, Bobbin console table £199, Desser rattan chair £259.99, Desser rattan coffee table £369.99, Bobbin armchair £499, 3-seater sofa £1,249, all John Lewis

Olive green light shade £40, Next

HEIRLOOM HEAVEN Combine rich colours, tantalising textures and eclectic accessories for this elegant take on tradition

Ribbed wine glass £3, B&M

FEATURE SOPHIE BARTON

Velvet fringed cushion cover £28, Oliver Bonas

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 103

‘MY NEW LIVING ROOM IS MY HAVEN’

‘My new living room

IS MY HAVEN’

While Vanessa was hard at work, expert helping hands stepped in to turn her dreary living room into the stylish, welcoming sanctuary she deserves

COME ON IN!

CALM CORNER ‘This is a favourite reading spot for Ariella and me’

ABOUT ME I’m Vanessa Dodds. I’m an NHS midwife and I live with my daughter Ariella, who’s just turned three, in a two-bedroom terraced house in Dagenham, east London.

I moved here in 2011.

MY CHALLENGE I’d not been able to redecorate my living room for some years, so it was more than ready for a refresh. It felt drab, tired and disorganised, as there was no colour and no proper storage, nor anywhere to show nice bits and pieces. I really didn’t know how to go about redesigning the room myself.

MY WISHLIST I wanted a calming, easy-to-maintain space with colour and a clean, fresh feel. Storage for toys was an absolute must, and I liked the idea of display shelves and a small table for mealtimes with my daughter, too. I wanted a comfortable, well-designed room where we could read, eat, play and spend time together.

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TURN OVER FOR MY SHOPPING LIST

‘MY NEW LIVING ROOM IS MY HAVEN’

We love

NHS

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Use a semi-circular table to make neat use of an alcove’

FAB FLOOR ‘The laminate floor is hard-wearing and easy to keep clean.

The rug adds a bit of softness, and I can replace it in time if I want a new look’

I

’d decorated the living room when I moved here about 10 years ago, but since then I just haven’t been able to update it. I’m a midwife in the NHS and my daughter, Ariella, is just three, so working through the pandemic in the past year has been hectic and stressful.

My living room was looking shabby, with plain grey walls, an old carpet and a grey sofa. There was nowhere for books, lamps or accessories, and Ariella’s toys were just stacked in one corner.

Getting started I stumbled on Design Havens For Heroes (DH4H) by chance on Instagram, @designhavensforheroes. It’s an amazing charity made up of interior designers, tradespeople and brands. They donate time, products and skills to transform

rooms in the homes of NHS workers, giving frontline staff a calm and restful ‘haven’ when they are off duty. I was longing to improve my living room, so I applied, not really expecting anything.

When I heard I’d been chosen, I was over the moon. I knew this would make a big difference, and give me a ‘happy place’ to relax with Ariella. It was lovely to have something exciting to look forward to.

Style file Over several weeks through lockdown, I chatted over Zoom and email with DH4H interior designers Fiona Duke and Julia Alexander. They made me feel relaxed as we discussed my decorative tastes and what I needed to make the living room work better. Julia and Fiona then reached out to contacts in their interior design networks and

companies keen to support the charity.

They put together mood boards with a vision for the scheme, including everything from paint to flooring and furniture. At the same time, they were sorting out the practical side of the installation. I like bright colours and a clean modern feel, and I loved the big, jade green sofa they suggested. It’s the anchor piece of the room and everything else was chosen from there.

Problem solvers I settled on a lovely pale blue-green wall colour and grey laminate flooring, so the room would feel light and fresh. Lack of storage, especially for toys, had been a problem, but I liked the big baskets Fiona and Julia recommended, as they make it easy for Ariella to help tidy up. I’d also wanted a small eating area, and the

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 105

‘MY NEW LIVING ROOM IS MY HAVEN’

COVER STORY ‘I painted the walls, ceiling and skirting in the same colour, as it has more impact and I didn’t worry about getting perfectly straight edges’

Buy it

Shop this classic country look PAGE 99

GET COMFY ‘I’m thrilled with my new sofa – it’s so roomy and comfortable.

Luckily, it comes apart so it could be brought inside’

‘THE ARTWORKS POP OUT AND BREAK UP THE WALLS. THEY ADD COLOUR AND PERSONALITY AND MAKE THE ROOM FEEL FINISHED’ designers came up with a neat little table and two chairs that fit perfectly in one of the alcoves. On the other side, they added stylish shelves for books, plants and a few personal bits. Their expertise really made the most of my space.

Hands on The first task was to lay the laminate floor.

I cleared the space, ready for the fitting, which was taken care of by volunteer DH4H contractors. Once it was down, I painted the room. I was so grateful for everything and it was important to me to feel that I was involved and making a contribution to the project. The layout of the room had been carefully planned, so when the furniture was delivered everything came together smoothly.

Finishing line Volunteer DH4H tradespeople came to fit the window blinds and hang the mirror and artwork for me, which completed the transformation. Ariella and I are in here all the time now, and its comfortable, bright and homely. I can’t wait for when friends and family can come and enjoy it with us. I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone involved.

For more information about DH4H, go to designhavensforheroes.org.uk.

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‘MY NEW LIVING ROOM IS MY HAVEN’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Opt for open shelving to create a light, spacious feel’

GORGEOUS GIFTS ‘DH4H even gave me some pampering presents, so I feel really special’

SHOW TIME ‘I like the contemporary design of my display shelves, and two side-by-side fit the space exactly. They came flat-packed and I assembled them with no problem’

Noble Oak laminate flooring, Carpetright.

Iggy four-seater sofa in Jade Smart Velvet, Sofa.com. Walls and ceiling painted in Welmish Blew emulsion, Edward Bulmer. Oculus linen magic screen roller blind; Penrith Roman blind in Duck Egg, both Blinds2Go. Alice oak dining table; for similar dining chairs, try Reymond dining chairs set of two; Dendron 120 shelving units; Faustino storage ottoman; Annifer accent mirror; Hobbs lamp base; Aspen empire lamp shade; Bizz Zig Zag Green pendant shade; Yellow and Black Abstract Circles art print; Cranes An’Ei Period art print; Faversham velvet cushion covers in Teal and Mustard Yellow; Symple Stuff cushion inserts; Rodolfo tufted wool rug, all Wayfair. Holden throw, Made.

Arbroath storage baskets, Neptune.

Bouquet, Freddie’s Flowers. Bath gift set, London Bathers. Skin mask gift set, Skimono. Black Bamboo hanging floor lamp, George Home

FEATURE ANNABELLE GRUNDY PHOTOGRAPHS ANNA STATHAKI

Where to buy Vanessa’s style

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 107

LIVING ROOM WALLPAPER IDEAS

Living room WALLPAPER IDEAS Turn your lounge from drab to fab with these colourful and creative ideas

Pick out accent shades form the wallpaper and choose accessories in the same colourway

108 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

LIVING ROOM WALLPAPER IDEAS

Choose a pattern like terrazzo for a subtle effect

Use... pops of yellow Yellow is a sunny, make-you-smile colour that will bring warmth to your living room whatever your style FRAME THE FIREPLACE WITH PATTERN Wallpapering either side of a fireplace helps to cement your choice of wallpaper as the focal point for the room. Choose a wallpaper that contrasts but has accents that work tonally with the paint shade on the chimney breast to help balance the scheme.

BALANCE WITH NEUTRALS Neutral linen upholstery and washed wooden furniture help to anchor the look. The yellow armchair highlights the accent colour while the neutral flooring gives it more prominence.

TRY A TERRAZZO PRINT Try on-trend terrazzo to give your living room a fresh, energising feel. Thanks to the plain background on the print, terrazzo is similar to a leopard print, as it can almost be seen as a neutral.

SMALL SCALE PATTERN Because of terrazzo’s small scale pattern, it doesn’t distract too much – perfect for letting a statement piece of furniture take centre stage in a living room. The pattern adds interest to a living room wall, but will still allow a hero piece like this vibrant chest of drawers to sing.

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 109

LIVING ROOM WALLPAPER IDEAS

Pair bright teal with rich jewel shades to make your scheme pop

Add a modern touch with a vibrant pattern

Use... rich teal and blue These vivid colours work perfectly in mid-century schemes, or give modern country a smart update bring the look together so it feels sophisticated and cohesive.

TEAM TURQUOISE WITH TEAK If you have a fair amount of dark or mid-toned wooden furniture in your living room, teal is a great colour choice that will lift the scheme. A punchy turquoise wallpaper like this one will bring vibrancy and life to your room, without becoming too bright and garish.

BLUE WITH GREEN ‘Blue and green should never be seen’? We disagree!

Mix blues with greens and you’ve got yourself an effortlessly harmonious blend that’s lively yet calm and soothing at the same time.

PAIR WITH WHITE White shutters and white painted woodwork give the striking wallpaper a smart twist for an elegant living room scheme, finished off by the stylish sideboard. Thoughtfully chosen accessories in a similar teal hue

LAYER COLOUR The blues and greens combined in this Arts and Crafts style wallpaper create a gentle backdrop for brighter hues like royal blue and lime, perfect if you prefer a colour scheme with a little more energy.

110 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

LIVING ROOM WALLPAPER IDEAS

Wallpaper tips & tricks DESIGN CHOICE It can be tricky to know where to start when choosing a wallpaper for your living room, but picking a design that you love and find exciting is a good place to start.

CONSIDER ASPECT ‘It’s important to note whether the room is north or south facing. If the room faces south then it will get a lot of sunlight, allowing the use of the cooler colours in the spectrum, while a north facing room will need warmer colours to make the space feel cosy,’ says Zoe Hopgood, designer at Graham & Brown.

GREAT IDEA Pick out a colour from patterned wallpaper for accessories

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 111

LIVING ROOM WALLPAPER IDEAS

Wallpaper tips & tricks SET THE MOOD How do you want to feel when you’re in your living room? Consider how the room will be used. Is it a place to entertain? To relax? Once you know how the space will be used, you can decide whether you want an invigorating, colourful design or a calming, muted one.

THINK ABOUT PATTERN SCALE In small living rooms a large scale patterned wallpaper could overpower the space, so think about room size and the scale of your pattern.

GO INDOOR-OUTDOOR In a living room adjoining the garden, a nature-inspired wallpaper might feel more at home – perfectly welcoming the outdoors in.

GREAT IDEA Bring the sofa away from the wall to create a greater sense of space

For a rustic style choose furniture in reclaimed wood

112 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

LIVING ROOM WALLPAPER IDEAS

Upcycle a chest of drawers in leftover wallpaper samples for an eclectic look

Use... characterful designs Striking wallpaper designs and patterns will enhance your living room space and make a real style statement PERSONALISE YOUR WALLS Work a world map into your décor for a cool artwork with international appeal.

Maps come in a myriad of styles and scales, and they make great wall art, as this scheme demonstrates. For a vintage vibe, go for a multi-map design like the one shown here.

GO OVERSIZED For country-house grandeur, try a blown-up oil-painting mural that will create a decorative focal point in the room. Or why not try a photo print of trees, and welcome the outdoors into a city flat?

BRING IN TEXTURAL ELEMENTS Mimic the look of stacked stone and exposed brick walls with realistic-looking faux wallpaper. Great for modern, urban spaces as well as country dwellings, this brick-style wallpaper effectively depicts a traditional, weathered brick wall.

MAKE IT A FEATURE WALL Faux wallpapers look all the more striking if kept to just one feature wall, with neutral furnishings and accessories.

Less is more, so don’t use them in more than one or two rooms or the effect will be diminished.

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 113

LIVING ROOM WALLPAPER IDEAS

Keep woodwork and flooring light in colour to let the pattern shine

Use... florals in a modern way Florals are back in the limelight and back on our living room walls, proving more popular than ever WORK WITH VIBRANT HUES Transform a plain white room into a tropical paradise with a wallpaper teeming with exotic plants. Continue the rustic jungle feel in the rest of your scheme, with cane furniture, wooden shutters and a cocktail trolley for those early evening gin and tonics.

CHOOSE COLOURS FROM NATURE ‘Floral wallpapers wrap your walls in nature and tend to incorporate a number of colours, which can be a great way to really embed your colour palette into the space and make it feel cohesive yet

natural,’ says Melanie Adams, global manager at Wallpaper Direct.

THINK ABOUT BACKGROUND Choose a wallpaper with a white backdrop and your scheme will still feel light and airy, despite the vibrancy of the pattern.

PICK YOUR ACCENT SHADE With a fairly busy print like this one, try to pull out one key colour and echo it further around your room, in accessories and large pieces of furniture. A blue sofa and cushion help to tie the look together here, while the wallpaper remains the star of the show.

114 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

LIVING ROOM WALLPAPER IDEAS

Wallpaper tips & tricks FOCAL POINT ‘Many living rooms have an existing focal point, – a fireplace or entertainment system – so it’s not always recommended to have a conflicting feature wall. Consider using a wallpaper on all four walls that complements the focal point for a more visually relaxing result,’ says Melanie Adams, global manager at Wallpaper Direct.

PICK THE WALL It’s best to wallpaper the most obvious wall – the one you see when you immediately walk into the space.

Wallpapering the wall where the TV is can help disguise it.

GREAT IDEA Wood flooring adds warmth and grounds a floral scheme Caverley in Rose/ French Blue, £89 a roll, Sanderson at Wallpaper Direct

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 115

LIVING ROOM WALLPAPER IDEAS

GREAT IDEA Hang botanical art to give a trellis design a garden-room twist

Wallpaper tips & tricks BE BOLD Whatever wall you choose to paper, be confident in your choice and remember, it can always be changed if you really hate it. Why not change up your feature wall seasonally to ring the changes and give the space a whole new look?

THINK ABOUT THE USE For a formal sitting room that’s used on special occasions or for entertaining, the space might benefit more from a gentle print to create a calming, serene feel.

Try soothing green tones from nature combined with botanical prints for a calming vibe.

116 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

LIVING ROOM WALLPAPER IDEAS

Warm up a monochrome design with pops of colour or metallic finishes

Use... timeless patterns Classic wallpaper designs such as stripes, trellis or simple geo patterns are great for a look that won’t date MATCH SOFT FURNISHINGS TO YOUR WALLPAPER DESIGN Immerse the whole living room in coordinating pattern to add a real wow factor. Just be sure the room is large enough to take the look – in small spaces too much pattern can sometimes be overwhelming and make it feel claustrophobic.

Pick curtains and a rug with a similar design for a cohesive look

PICK A CALM COLOUR Take this fine example as best practise, where the pattern is soft and subtle, with a mid-tone green on a neutral ground. The light contrasting background helps to inject a brightness to the scheme.

THINK SMART WITH PINSTRIPES Stripes never date, so this is a classic look that will last. You can easily give stripes a modern twist by mixing in super-contemporary accessories such as this sleek black floor lamp.

MAKE IT TAILORED Create a tailored, designer look in your living room with pinstripes – they look just as smart on your walls as they do on suits. Choose soft greys so the scheme doesn’t feel overly masculine, and add a luxe touch with accents of gold in your accessories and soft furnishings.

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 117

BEDROOM BEAUTIES

Bedroom

Dried floral bell jar £7, George Home

BEAUTIES

Versailles light £130, Next

Update your snooze space, with these fantastic finds…

Ornate mirror £120, Next

Jewellery box £6, Primark

Dried grasses bouquet, £25, Cox & Cox

Floor cushion £26, Matalan

Cream vase £5, Capiz tealight holder £6, set of 6 dried floral prints £30, XL Inca wall hanging £45, macrame cushion £18, crochet cushion £18, Camille duvet cover set £46, crochet throw £60, Lucille bedside cabinet £109.00, cane headboard (double) £119, Adalet chandelier £159, all Dunelm

Throw £42, nationaltrust.org.uk

Cushion £8, George Home

MODERN VINTAGE ANLEDNING vase (set of 2) £9, IKEA

Blend soft colours, comforting layers and tactile fabric, for a boho-inspired look

118 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

Set of 2 baskets £30, George Home

BEDROOM BEAUTIES

Framed wall art £69.50, Oliver Bonas

Duvet set £45-75, Next Blue console table £129.99, Homesense

Abstract ornament £16, Primark

Wall art £20, Matalan

Rico floor lamp £120, Next

Ibiza plant in pot £10, Matalan

Retro candlestick holder £12, velvet weave cushion £20, velvet blue cushion £14, statement mirror £160, all Next

MOODY BLUES From inky shades to purplish hues, create a sense of calm with bold blues…

Blue velvet drum £55, Next

FEATURE SOPHIE BARTON

Leopard cushion £12, Matalan

Bourdain chrome and blue lustre glass lamp £70, iconiclights.co.uk

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 119

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

The essential

BEDROOM EDIT Bring your bedroom up to date with these simple updates

the STYLE RULES GET BACK TO NATURE coordinating tones of denim A deep blue wallpaper with a blue, off-white and grey. subtle pattern or texture gives CREATE CONTRAST the impression of rippling water.

Whitewashed wood flooring Team this with untreated wood balances the dark colour on walls. and woven natural materials Make it feel more comfortable for a serene coastal feel. with several woven cotton rugs.

INTRODUCE SOFTNESS MAKE IT MODERN An upholstered headboard Give the scheme a rustic edge creates a soft focal point. Layer with industrial-style wall-hung bedding with subtle patterns shelves, task lighting and such as checks and stripes in reactive glaze ceramics.

120 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’ Give a coastal scheme an edge with washed wood, modern metals and shades of grey and denim

Rustic SHORES Use a watery palette to style a relaxed lake-house look

THE FABRIC Estrato in Denim/ Nude/Sky, £46m, Harlequin

THE WALLPAPER Crepe Texture in Teal, £25 a roll, Albany at Wallpaper Direct

THE PAINT Dulux One Coat Polished Pebble matt emulsion, £32 for 2.5ltr, Homebase

Hide underbed storage with a valance

THE FLOORING Blue denim handwoven striped chindi rug, from £7.99, Homescapes

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 121

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

Hang hooks above the bed

Modern COUNTRY Go with natural shades to create a rural escape

THE FABRIC Samuel woven linen stripe in Rust, £39m, Neptune

THE WALLPAPER Plaster in Cream, £25 a roll, Metropolitan Stories at Wallpaper Direct

THE PAINT Pampas flat matt paint, £42 for 2.5ltr, Coat Paints

THE FLOORING Chelsea Extra Feature Oak, £24.99sq m, Lifestyle Floors

122 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

Why it works Teramo two-door wardrobe, £1,780, Furniture Village

the STYLE RULES Spindle bed frame, from £449; Leighton Grey duvet set, from £40; Ludlow cotton throw, £25; Akina oak bedside table, £129; vase, £12; ash wood hooks, £22, all Dunelm

SELECT SOOTHING SHADES Never out of fashion, a palette of neutrals offers a calming ambience to your sleeping space. Complement natural wood finishes with shades of pale grey, sand and off-white.

MAKE IT COSY Create a sense of serenity by swapping pattern for an abundance of textures. Team bedding that has a subtle embroidered detail with crinkled linen and chunky knits.

STYLE AT HOME SAYS…

ADD DIMENSION ON WALLS ‘This look A plaster-effect wallpaper boasts demonstrates rustic chateau vibes. Alternatively, how natural install on-trend tongue-and-groove tones can still panelling painted off-white. be the heroes INVEST IN TIMELESS DESIGNS of a scheme, Choosing pieces with prominent especially when wood grains provides a connection showcased with nature. Uncomplicated furniture alongside styles give a nod to Scandi simplicity organic textures.’ while natural floorboards add DECORATING EDITOR warmth and have a grounding effect.

Nicky Phillips | 123 TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’ Be inspired by the riads of Morocco with plush textiles, rich embellishments and ambient lighting, all in sun-drenched shades

Moroccan SUNSET Combine dusky pinks with global accents

THE FABRIC Plush velvet in Brick, £20m, Warwick at Jane Clayton & Company

THE WALLPAPER Fresco in Copper, £71 a roll, Osborne & Little at Jane Clayton & Company

THE PAINT Rust-Oleum Chalkwash Terracotta flat matt emulsion, £36 for 2.5L, B&Q

THE FLOORING Kingston Saxony carpet in Oat Heather, £14.99sq m, Carpetright

124 | TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’ Create an indulgent relaxation or reading corner with a velvet upholstered armchair and matching pouffe for resting tired feet

Why it works Seagrass bowls and baskets make versatile storage

STYLE AT HOME SAYS… ‘If sugary shades of blossom or fuchsia pink give you a toothache just thinking IT’S IN THE DETAIL about them, Woven textures, embroidery then duskier and tassel details on accessories hues of brick, lend an artisanal vibe. Contrast terracotta and with luxe metallic accents on coral offer a furniture and lighting. grown-up RAISE YOUR GAZE option while Break up a high ceiling with a adding warmth.’ dado rail in white, running just SENIOR FEATURES below the curtain pole. Cloud-like EDITOR pendant lights above the bed Stephanie create a dreamy focal point.

Durrant TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 125

the STYLE RULES AIM FOR IMPERFECTION Create an aged limewash effect on walls using chalkwash paint.

Use a brush and uneven strokes to produce a multi-dimensional finish.

THINK (A NEW SHADE OF) PINK A palette of terracotta and dusky coral offers a sophisticated take on a pink bedroom scheme. Combine with grown-up fabric choices like plush velvet and slubby linen on bedding and upholstery.

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

the STYLE RULES

GREY IS THE NEW BEIGE UNDRESS WINDOWS Utilise tones of grey/blue as a Swap fancy window treatments cool neutral option. Paint half the for cafe-style shutters, which can wall behind the bed in a flat matt be adjusted to let light in. You may mid-grey to frame an upholstered need full shutters or an additional bedhead in a darker hue. Paint the blind in a main sleep space. remaining walls in brilliant white.

EMBRACE THE SCANDI ETHOS FIT IN A WORK ZONE Blend practicality seamlessly with Create a compact home working style by picking white bedding. or study space with a slimline Layer with a simple blue/grey desk and pegboard shelves in a bedspread and keep a wool blanket light wood such as pine or oak. on standby for chilly nights.

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‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

Hang abstract artwork above the bed

Serene SCANDI Keep it simple with calming neutrals

THE FABRIC Alvar velvet in Seal, £22m, Clarke & Clarke at Jane Clayton & Company

THE WALLPAPER Priya in Charcoal/Fossil/ Linen, £47 a roll, Scion

THE PAINT Smoky Eyes matt emulsion, £42 for 2.5ltr, Graham & Brown

THE FLOORING Saw cut oak Grey Impressive laminate, £24.99sq m, Quick-Step Boxit Vega Charcoal double bed frame, £499, DFS

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 127

‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

Rural CHARM Team dusky pastels with pretty floral repeats

THE FABRIC Pretty Maids in Pigeon, Teal, Winter, £59m, Vanessa Arbuthnott

THE WALLPAPER Maelee in Mineral, £56 a roll, Sanderson

THE PAINT Homebase Duck Egg matt paint, £15 for 2.5ltr, Homebase

Layer a bed with heirloom quilts and bedspreads THE FLOORING Chelsea butterfly rug, from £16, Home Essentials

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‘WE’VE DARED TO BE DECADENT’

Why it works

Create a makeshift dressing table by hanging a vintage mirror above a console table with storage

the STYLE RULES DON’T SHY AWAY FROM COLOUR Retire each evening to an uplifting scheme of soft pastels, including duck egg blue, blush pink and buttercup yellow. Layer colours freely for a frivolous feel.

BE PLAYFUL WITH PATTERN Mix ditsy florals with countryinspired motifs on wallpaper, upholstery and bedding. A vertical folksy flowerhead wallcovering makes a room appear taller.

STYLE AT HOME SAYS…

FEATURE STEPHANIE DURRANT PHOTOGRAPHS FUTURECONTENTHUB.COM

This look is all about layering pattern and colour, so don’t be afraid to clash prints of contrasting scales while sticking to a palette of fresh pastels

IN WITH THE OLD ‘This scheme’s To further the modern country charming, feel, pick Shaker-style painted informal feel – a furniture in white or pale grey. plethora of Accessorise with vintage-inspired pretty colours lamps and enamel jugs filled and patterns with floral posy arrangements. alongside INCORPORATE PATTERN AND curated vintage COLOUR ON FLOORING finds – can’t help On floors, choose a short-pile but spark joy.’ carpet topped with a pretty STYLE EDITOR, botanical bedside rug.

Michela Colling TRANSFORM YOUR HOME ON A BUDGET | 129

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Bookazine Editorial Editor Philippa Grafton Senior Designer Katy Stokes Senior Art Editor Andy Downes Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker Editorial Director Jon White Style at Home Editorial Editor Heather Young Houses Editor Ruth Corbett Gardens Editor Teresa Conway Senior Designer Chris McPhail Editorial Director Rhoda Parry Group Art Editor Alison Walter Contributors Sophie Barton Cover images futurecontenthub.com David Giles & Heidi Stone Photography All copyrights and trademarks are recognised and respected Advertising Media packs are available on request Commercial Director Clare Dove International Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw licensing@futurenet.com www.futurecontenthub.com Circulation Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers Production Head of Production Mark Constance Production Project Manager Matthew Eglinton Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Managers Keely Miller, Nola Cokely, Vivienne Calvert, Fran Twentyman Printed by William Gibbons, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XT Distributed by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9001 Transform Your Home on a Budget First Edition (HOB4690) © 2022 Future Publishing Limited We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this bookazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The paper holds full FSC or PEFC certification and accreditation.

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No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

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TRANSFORM YOUR

HOME

Budget

HOME INSPO

DECORATION IDEAS

Find out how these owners transformed their houses into havens

Go from drab to fab with our creative and colourful decorating suggestions

KITCHEN REVAMP

HIGH STREET PICKS

Take inspiration from our kitchen makeovers and reinvent your space

Discover our budget-friendly buys to bring your home up to date

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3 DIY TIPS 3 CRAFTY UPDATES 3 BUDGET BUYS 3 GARDEN IDEAS