ON THE COVER CAREFULLY CURATED Original features

pon stepping inside this Victorian property, it’s hard not to gasp at the grand entranceway. When viewing the house, it was this elegant staircase, winding up two flights of stairs, that captured the imagination of its owner Roxanne Hudson. ‘As soon as I walked through the door, I was blown away by the hallway. It looked like something you’d see in a film,’ she explains. ‘I couldn’t get over the original tiled floor, the 10-foot-tall ceilings and the generous proportions of the rooms. I instantly knew this was the house for me.’

The only downside was the price tag. This five-bedroom house was right at the top end of what Roxanne could afford. ‘The owner was in a rush to sell, so I put in a cheeky offer,’ she explains. ‘When it was accepted, it was totally unexpected!’ As she put every penny she had into purchasing the house, Roxanne had nothing left to spend on expensive renovations. ‘I wanted to replace the bathroom and install shutters, but I had to be realistic about what I could spend,’ she says. ‘My plan to save costs was to do much of the decorating myself, making the house feel homely with a calming colour palette.’

The previous owners had painted the house top-to-bottom in creamy colours. As Roxanne explains: ‘All the period features were lost under litres of beige paint.’ Her idea was to draw attention to these original details with dark tones and soft off-whites, giving her new home a curated look . ‘I wanted all the period features – ceiling roses, cornicing, fireplaces and the deep skirting boards – to take centre stage in my design,’ she says.

First, Roxanne focused her attention on making the open-plan living areas feel cosy and inviting. ‘With such a large bay window, I knew this room could handle darker colours comfortably,’ she says. ‘In the snug, I painted the ceilings black , then extended this colour down onto the chimney breast. I wanted the snug and living room to mirror each other so they felt connected but different.’ The result is these generously proportioned rooms now have an intimate feel. Finishing off the look of the room, Roxanne ripped up the carpet and painted the floorboards off-white for a fresh feel. ‘I’ve added natural materials

The inherited handcrafted kitchen units were painted in a colour match shade by brushed brass handles. The splashback was redone with rustic mini Metro tiles

H A LLWAY

This grand entranceway, with its staircase leading to like bamboo, wool, jute and linen for warmth and texture,’ she says.

Over the following months, Roxanne chipped away at each room. Her handmade cream kitchen was painted a deep black-blue. She taught herself to tile so she could replace the dated splashback with modern ceramics. The bedrooms were painted in calming tones. And she renovated her ensuite bathroom by making a Crittall-style shower screen using black vinyl tape and reeded glass film. But the biggest job by far was the hallway. She stripped the spindles of white paint and took up the stair carpet. ‘It was a long and fiddly project spread over three floors that took around three months to complete,’ she says. ‘It was a labour of love.’ She painted the risers, treads and spindles black to draw attention to the majestic staircase: ‘I’m so proud of the result and how it now complements the rest of the house.’

Roxanne shared her home’s renovation journey on Instagram and although it started out as a hobby, her account grew to 50,000 followers within a year. ‘When I moved in, I worked in retail, but as my Instagram took off, I made the leap to go full time as a digital content creator,’ she says. In September 2020, she launched an online interiors shop called Hinansho, selling pieces from independent home décor brands. ‘With my love for interiors and a growing audience, it made sense to start my own business,’ she says. ‘Now, I can’t imagine doing anything else.’

Although Roxanne’s interior has a considered look, she admits she’s made some decorating mistakes along the way. ‘At the start, I painted the snug in Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster, but the putty colour made the space feel gloomy,’ she says. ‘Over time, I’ve learned to let the house dictate what tones to use for the walls and it varies from room to room.’

When it comes to furnishing her home, Roxanne is a savvy shopper, preferring a mix of vintage and high street buys rather than expensive designer purchases. ‘I’ve never been one to follow trends completely – I take elements from them, which I use in my own way,’ she says. She looks out for retro furniture that complements the proportions of her rooms, hunting in local charity and antiques shops: ‘By buying secondhand, I can afford to make changes in the future without breaking the bank .’

Over the past two years, Roxanne has learned much about interior design. ‘I feel really proud of how far my home has come in such a short time,’ she says. ‘And being able to say that I have done 99 per cent of the work myself gives me a huge sense of achievement.’ Now her home is finished, she is open to taking on a new project. ‘I have a much better understanding of what my home style is, and I’ll carry this theme into my next property,’ she explains. ‘I’ll be forever grateful for what this house has taught me – and how it has helped me hone my style.’