9 minute read
Now my new-build is so welcoming
Buying this new-build took away a lot of the difficult decision-making process, as it came with the hob, double oven, fridge-freezer, and cabinet handles, so I could concentrate on how to decorate the space,’ say Kerry. The grey porcelain floor tiles are from Al-Murad and the rug is from Wayfair
MY STORY
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We were looking to upsize when I heard about a housing development planned for our village. We went to view a sister site and loved the design and size of the properties. There were only going to be a few homes built in the style we liked, and to buy off-plan meant putting a deposit down. At this point we didn’t even know how much the houses would cost, but we decided to go for it. We sold our place and moved into a rental while we waited for our new home to be built.
Living locally meant I could follow the progress. First some bricks went up, then a window went in, and it was really exciting to see it develop. To save money we decided not to have extras, such as flooring or tiling, as we knew we could save our budget doing this ourselves, though we did upgrade to a Shaker-style kitchen. Then, when we got the keys, we came to do the finishing touches. I painted the rooms and Richard laid the flooring downstairs and tiled the bathroom. We also changed the original laminate kitchen worktop to quartz to add a more luxurious feel.
Now I feel like our home is finished and we can simply just enjoy it. I do still spend a lot of time ‘faffing’, and love to refresh the look by changing things around.
Welcome TO MY HOME
A BIT ABOUT ME I’m Kerry Kellett, 37, a graphic designer. I live with my husband, Richard, 38, an applications engineer, and our two boys, Charlie, eight, and Sebastian, five. You can follow my renovation journey on Instagram @klk.interiors.
WHERE I LIVE Our home is a four-bedroom detached Redrow new-build in Highburton, Huddersfield. We moved here in April 2017.
WHAT I WANTED TO CHANGE As we bought off-plan, we knew exactly what we were getting with this house. Although it was well-designed and had good-sized rooms, like most new-builds, it needed character adding, so that was my challenge.
HOW I MADE IT MY OWN I decided to add panelling to most of the rooms, as it’s a fairly quick, cheap way to add interest. I wanted a cohesive space, so I chose soft, complementary colours to run through the house. Then I accessorised with lots of soft textures, such as chunky throws and pampas grasses.
MY FAVOURITE PART I love the open-plan kitchen-diner as it’s so fit for purpose. We live in there from morning to night.
Kitchen-diner
‘The kitchen layout works really well. The building company obviously spent a lot of time planning a good, practical design, with lots of cupboard and worktop space. However, the basic cabinets on offer, which were included in the initial build, were high gloss or wood effect, which didn’t appeal to me, so I chose to upgrade to these grey Shaker-style units that look far more stylish. I also wanted to change the original laminate worktops to quartz. We could have chosen the building company’s option, but I knew I could source something cheaper myself by shopping around, and I found this locally for half the price. I decided to go for an upstand, rather than tiles, and we also replaced the stainless steel splashback and the wooden windowsill with quartz to create a more streamlined, modern look.’
Measuring and fitting the new worktop was one of first jobs the couple did, and Kerry admits it was quite tricky trying to get the old worktop out and not damage the units. ‘We were really lucky being able to get lots of the work done before we moved in,’ she adds ‘We’ve had this table for nearly 10 years, but I’d gone off its original dark wood style. It’s a quality piece of furniture, so instead of dumping it, I sanded it down and then lime-waxed it, and now it feels like a brand new piece,’ says Kerry
Style idea
Untreated MDF has a warm, rustic look
‘I’m not one for bright colours, and I like to create a laid-back vibe, even at Christmas. The crackers, candlesticks and three-wick candle are from The Range, and the plates are from Wayfair
Kerry has used gold accents on the tree to complement the neutral colour scheme running through her home. ‘ The sofas, from Sofology, are two different sizes and we always swap them over at Christmas to fit the tree into this corner,’ says Kerry. The pre-lit snowy tree is from Next and the decorations are from Wilko
make
CURVED VASE p44
Living room
‘ This room was literally a white box with a window when we moved in. Richard had always wanted a TV that was set into a chimney breast, so, with help from my dad, he built a frame in the middle of the wall to create the illusion of one. Then he added the apertures to house the TV and soundbar so that they were flush, and a friend plastered it for us. I painted the walls in Beige 04 by Lick, and then attached the picture rail to add a bit of character to the space. We don’t use this room that much, but it is lovely to snuggle down in here for cosy movie nights.’
‘Building the chimney breast created the perfect alcove space for these shelves, and I’m forever faffing with them. The white vase holding the eucalyptus was originally yellow and blue, but I painted it with two colours of leftover paint to give a concrete effect.’ The knitted grey pouffe is from Beliani and the candlesticks are from Fleur and Grey
Style idea
Delicate panelling adds interest to a plain wall
‘ These bedside pendants, from Value Lights, are switched on using Alexa,’ Kerry explains. ‘I don’t like lamps on the bedside table as they take up too much space, so I asked Richard to hang them from the ceiling. He worked out how to take the wires into the loft, and now we simply tell Alexa to turn them off when we go to bed.’ The fake fur throw is from The Range and the bedding is from H&M Home
Master bedroom
‘I wanted this room to be my sanctuary, so I chose two soft beige shades, Clay Figurine and Graceful Grey, both by Valspar, to create a relaxed space. We added delicate panelling on the walls as I wanted something that felt a bit more elegant than the chunky styles I’d seen on social media. We went with IKEA wardrobes and plaster-boarded around them to give the illusion of built-in furniture. Then I made the headboard from some MDF, foam and linen fabric, from John Lewis & Partners. I was inspired by my mum, who was a seamstress and made her own headboard. Mine cost under £50 and was so much cheaper than similar versions I had spotted in high-street shops.’
‘ These IKEA drawers were originally dark brown, but I wanted a new look so I decided to upcycle them to suit my current style,’ says Kerry. ‘I sanded and primed them, then added the cheap wooden trim, painted the whole unit and finally replaced the handles with these gold ones from Maison Lamée. I feel like I’ve got a completely new piece of furniture. I also love lighting candles at this time of year to make the room feel cosy’
HOW TO... Upholster a headboard
Add budget-savvy luxe to your bed Cut a piece of plywood the width of your bed and decide on the height you want. Some builders’ merchants will cut this for you, so it’s always worth asking. Choose your thickness of foam; higher density foam will soften the feel of the wood. Cut this to the size of the plywood.
Apply an even coat of spray glue to the foam and plywood, then press together so it bonds.
Cut some batting wide enough to wrap around the wood and foam and cut your fabric so it can wrap around all of these layers, making sure to line up any pattern.
Place the foam side on to the batting and staple the batting to the plywood, ensuring it’s taut all the way round, then cut off any bulky excess, especially at the corners.
Place the headboard (batting side down) onto the centre of your material. Staple all the way round, pulling the fabric taut as you go. Cut off excess fabric and if there is a gap at the corners, stick the edges together with fabric glue.
‘ The wall colour in Charlie’s room is called Beige 03 from Lick, but it’s actually got a hint of green, which adds some colour to the room.’ Kerry chose the bedside table and matching bed, both from IKEA, specifically as a long-term choice, as the simple style is timeless and classic
Bathroom
‘The original bath went across the width of the space and had a shower attachment, but we have a shower in the en suite and I fancied a free-standing tub. So, Richard sourced this stylish bath and I chose these herringbone wall tiles. It wasn’t the easiest design, but Richard’s a perfectionist, so I knew he would do a great job.’
Style idea
Add a picture ledge to the top of panelling for an extra display space
The mirror is from John Lewis & Partners, the wood-effect floor tiles are from B&Q and the black taps are from Amazon
WHAT I LEARNED...
Be patient. I had to wait to get the bathroom I wanted, but I learned it’s actually good to slow down sometimes and just enjoy what you’ve got. It all works out in the end.
YouTube tutorials are your friend! We are both happy to get stuck in and are willing to learn how to do different DIY projects. We’ve discovered some great tutorials that have helped us save a fortune in labour costs.
You can’t redecorate constantly, but shopping from your home and changing up your accessories can completely transform the look of a room. Also, upcycling old pieces of furniture will make them look like new.
See yourhomestyle.uk for more great real homes
