We made our tiny budget go far

A gallery wall above the sofa, from DFS, makes an eye-catching statement in the living room. Bronagh created the display using different-style frames with the odd decorative plate thrown in. ‘I love this room. It’s full of so many treasures’ she says

Style idea

Mixing vintage with modern creates a fun display

MY STORY

This is my first family home with my husband, Ivan. It was in the perfect location, on a lovely spot down a quiet road and close to our families. We’d looked at lots of properties and actually viewed this house but dismissed it. However, when we came back for a second look a few months later, we decided that we could do something lovely with it.

The house was just a shell when we bought it as it had been empty for years. The excitement of owning our first home together and no longer paying rent made us so happy. We had a very limited budget, so apart from the electrics and plumbing, we did as much of the work as we could ourselves, with help from my dad. Ivan did all the tiling, fitted the laminate flooring, and did the insulation. We worked really hard throughout January and most of the work was finished by February.

We are very hands-on and will give everything a go. Nowadays, there’s so much information online so even if you don’t have the knowledge, you can learn so much and save a huge amount of money. That’s what we did, and it gave us the chance to create our home on a budget, something that’s given us great satisfaction and pride.

Welcome TO MY HOME

A BIT ABOUT ME I’m Bronagh Fleming, an interior designer and blogger at Fox Hollow Style and a digital media manager. I live here with my husband, Ivan Daly, a landscape artist.

WHERE I LIVE Our home is a small two-bed bungalow near Shannon in County Clare, Ireland. We got the keys to the house the day before Christmas Eve in 2015 and moved in right away.

WHAT I WANTED TO CHANGE Our priorities were to upgrade the electrics and central heating system. Décor-wise, every room needed work. I really wanted it to reflect our own style and make it feel cosy.

HOW I MADE IT MY OWN I painted the rooms in warm colours, added art that’s personal to us and filled the house with collectibles that we’ve picked up over the years. Ivan is an artist and needed some studio space, so we also converted the garage into a workable space for him.

MY FAVOURITE PART The location. It’s lovely and quiet here, and the garden is a great size so we can grow our own produce.

Living room

‘ This is the first room you see when you come into the house, so I wanted a bold colour, art on display and a welcoming vibe. The room is north-facing so we embraced this by painting it in a dark blue that totally transformed the space. All of a sudden it was a fun space to be in and it’s now our favourite room. We’re constantly adding to it with different accessories. It really gave us the confidence to use bold colours in some of the other rooms. I love decorating in here for Christmas but I try to buy as little as possible, instead incorporating greenery from the garden, old decorations and some DIY crafts thrown into the mix.’

BRIGHT FOLK p56

The living room walls are painted in Stone Blue by Farrow & Ball. Bronagh got the lampshade base on a local second-hand site and made the shade using Liberty fabric and a pom trim The antique cabinet was a chance find at an auction. Bronagh uses it to display her collection of china that she has picked up in charity shops or at vintage markets

‘I love mismatched pieces and I think it’s great to be able to team old with new as it adds so much more character’

HOW TO... Cr eate a gallery wall

Show off all the pieces you love for a unique display The type of frame you use can make a huge difference to your gallery wall. A light frame will make artwork pop, while black frames create contrast. If you want an eclectic look, mix the style of frames; for a coordinated style, go for similar designs.

Experiment by placing your pieces on the floor. Focus on balancing the colours and art styles so that all the prints feel evenly mixed. If you have an art print that will be the centrepiece of the gallery wall, start with this and add prints around it.

Take the sheets of paper that come inside of your frames, and use these as a template for planning your layout. Arrange them on your wall using Washi tape so that you can make changes and perfect the look.

A good rule is to place the centre of your gallery wall around 145cm above the floor. If you’re hanging above a bed or sofa, frames should hang at least 15cm above the furniture.

If you’re renting, use Command hooks to secure your display. These will easily peel away when you’re finished with them.

‘The excitement of owning our first home made us so happy’ Kitchen

‘We changed the layout of the kitchen so that we’d have room for the large dining table that was given to us as a wedding present. We fitted new worktops and new base and wall cabinets. I teamed these simple white units with metro tiles, which instantly made the space lighter and brighter. From a practical point of view, the cabinets have given us much-needed storage. We love to cook so we also fitted a new Belling range cooker, which is one of my favourite features in the kitchen. The chairs were all picked up in charity shops. I love mismatched pieces and I think it’s great to be able to team old with new as it adds so much more character. For visual interest, I did some colour blocking and created a feature wall with pretty plates that I’ve collected over the years.’

‘I love incorporating vintage finds into my festive table. Most of my tableware is Victorian pieces I‘ve picked up in auctions. It’s great to be able to bring them out at this time of year’

The utility room, which is painted in Bone by Farrow & Ball, leads directly into the garden. To add colour, Bronagh painted the fridge in Fruit Crumble by Colourtrend

The kitchen is painted in Bone by Farrow & Ball – a soft grey with a touch of green – which provides a lovely backdrop for the cream cabinets and metro tiles. The open shelving is the perfect way for Bronagh to show off her latest second-hand finds. Scouting around for preloved items is one her favourite hobbies. ‘I love auctions,’ she says, ‘you can always find a bargain’

By layering cushions and throws and using a mix of textures, Bronagh has given the master bedroom a luxurious feel. ‘I found a fallen branch in the garden and painted it. I use it to hang plants as it brings a natural element into the room. It also looks good with fairy lights wrapped around it’

Master bedroom

Bronagh painted three-quarters of the wall in Lipsync by Dulux. The upholstered grey bed from Pod Furniture works beautifully with the dusky pink walls and will complement any accessory colour as Bronagh swaps and changes them. ‘ The IKEA wardrobes provide us with plenty of storage,’ says Bronagh, ‘while the side tables, from Pod Furniture, add a vintage vibe to the room. I wanted the room to feel really cosy so I fitted carpet and dressed the bed with lots of cushions, sheepskins and soft throws from TK Maxx.’

A floating shelf is the ideal spot for Bronagh to display artwork and accessories and the chest of drawers from Pod Furniture provides extra storage For a more unique look, the simple white wardrobe from IKEA has been fitted with a botanical-style fabric

‘We started putting our stamp on the house in the cheapest way we knew, by painting it’ Bathroom

‘The once-dated bathroom has been totally revamped. We fitted a sink cabinet and teamed it with a lovely round mirror that we found in a local hardware shop. To give us enough storage, we made shelves to fit neatly into the limited space beside the sink. The walls are painted in a striking dark blue, Bowman Blue by Colourtrend, and Ivan fitted the vinyl flooring from Banner Carpets. We wanted some colour and pattern in this room, but tiles were just too expensive. This flooring was the perfect solution and it really looks the part.’

‘ To keep the bathroom uncluttered we went for a pared-back look. Fitting white sanitaryware brightened the room. I love houseplants, so I had to squeeze a couple in to add a fresh feel’

Guest bedroom

The theme of two-tone walls continues into the guest bedroom. Bronagh has painted the lower half in Rustic and above in Carnosa, both by Tikkurila paints. She has also added a gold stripe, which goes all the way around the room, even across the door. The wicker chair is from a Freecycle page. Crisp, white bedding from JYSK gives a fresh feel, while simple pendant lights add a contemporary finish.

Style idea

Instead of a bedside table, use a chair for a more relaxed feel

‘I wanted the guest room to be elegant and unfussy so it’s very simply furnished. I kept the wall lights understated in this space so the wall colour is the star’

WHAT I LEARNED...

You can do so many DIY jobs yourself when it comes to decorating and updating your home. There is a lot of help online so you can put your hand to most things.

Shopping in charity shops and at auctions is a great way to make your home special and different. Preloved items can be revamped easily and cheaply with a bit of paint.

I really enjoy using different colours in the one room. I love to see how they can work together.