‘My home works so well at Christmas’

W e l c o m e t o m y h o m e

A BIT ABOUT ME

I’m Monika Nowak, 36, a support worker and I live with my two children, Anthony, 10, and Mia, six. I also sell wooden homeware at Facebook.com/ woodworks.creationsshop.

WHERE I LIVE

My home is a semi-detached threebedroom 1930s house in New Ferry, Merseyside. We moved in early 2019 and I share my renovation journey on my Instagram @monikas.home.

WHAT I WANTED TO CHANGE

Both the kitchen and bathroom felt too small, and the old-fashioned gas fires, textured wallpaper and built-in furniture just had to go.

HOW I MADE IT MY OWN

The kitchen and dining room were knocked through, along with the bathroom and toilet. I redecorated every room in a modern rustic style.

FAVOURITE PART

I love the DIY dining table. It was tricky to make but it’s the perfect size for the space and it really comes into its own during Christmas celebrations.

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Nordic frost p44

M y s t o r y

I’d always wanted a house with character where I could renovate in the style I wanted. I wasn’t really looking, but a friend told us her neighbour’s house was up for sale. As soon as I walked in, I loved it. It had the perfect layout, the bedrooms were a good size and there was potential to take the wall down between the kitchen and dining room.

With two young children, it made sense to get the house re-wired and plastered while we were on holiday, nine days after moving in. My friends rallied round, helping to strip the walls ready for the electrician and plasterer coming.

I’ve done most of the work myself including tiling, fitting the kitchen units, wallpapering and panelling. Now that the kitchen and dining room have been knocked together, the house is perfect for Christmas. I’m originally from Poland and we have lots of festive traditions. On Christmas Eve we have a big dinner and swap presents. Then on Christmas Day, friends come over for more food. I always make too much!

I’ve always been creative and I started my Instagram account so that friends and family back in Poland could follow my renovation progress. I also love making candlesticks, wooden lanterns and clay Christmas decorations for our home. I’m actually hoping to move soon and I can’t wait to re-create a similar look in my next house.

Monika gave the fireplace opening a rustic feel with brick slips and a wooden mantel before choosing monochrome patterned tiles from B&Q for the hearth. ‘They match the ones in the kitchen and the hearth in the dining room to link the spaces together,’ she says

Monika turned a shorter lamp from B&M into a floor lamp by adding wooden legs. Then she made the lampshade by gluing pieces of leftover wood onto the old shade. The reindeer cushion is from John Lewis & Partners. Monika loves making pieces from wood, such as these coffee tables fashioned from tree trunks. She now sells similar handmade homeware at Facebook.com/woodworks.creationsshop

Living room

‘ The first thing I did was remove the built-in cupboards around the old gas fire and made the opening bigger for a wood-burner. As the carpets were in really good condition, I took them up so they wouldn’t get dirty during the renovation. That’s when I discovered the original wood parquet flooring underneath. I was so happy! After much research on YouTube, I decided to hire a sander for the first time and give the carpet away to friends. It took two days to do the whole downstairs and I finished it with a clear matt varnish for a natural look. At first, I had a more industrial style with elements of black metal, but it lacked warmth, so I added loads of wood and taupe to soften it. I’ve also experimented with floral wallpaper on one wall, MDF panelling on another and an upcycled IKEA Ivar cabinet in the corner. This room has all the features I love and I’m really happy with it.’

‘The wallpaper from Komar was the first thing that went on the walls,’ says Monika. ‘It was quite expensive but I just fell in love with it.’ The chest of drawers was a bargain buy from B&M

‘I love the chunky shelves (which I cut and waxed myself ) and the industrial metal brackets,’ says Monika. ‘They’re great for things like spices’

Having knocked down the wall between the kitchen and dining room, this space works much better for family life now. ‘A few weeks before Christmas, I like to make Polish gingerbread cake and biscuits, which are spicier than English gingerbread,’ says Monika. ‘The kids really enjoy sitting at the stools (from Argos) and decorating them with me’. Monika has used 3D wood-effect wallpaper from Wallpaper Empire on the front of the island. ‘Since then, a few friends have got real wood slats, so I’m the only one with the fake ones now!’ she says

Kitchen

‘Designing the U-shaped kitchen was like a little puzzle. I really wanted a pantry unit, so the door to the laundry room was made narrower to fit one in beside the hob. I also love the cupboard with the tambour door as it hides away the microwave, toaster and coffee machine. As I was short on space, the breakfast bar is made from wall cupboards on the floor. They’re narrower and fit perfectly. When it came to choosing the colour, I found a lovely stone kitchen in B&Q that had a timeless look. I’ve teamed it with antique gold handles to add warmth.’

‘I wanted Metro tiles in the same formation and direction as the parquet flooring in the dining room, but the tiler said the space was too small and it would be too difficult,’ says Monika. ‘In the end I did it myself and he helped me out with the corners’

Monika loves dressing the table for Christmas and likes to use a linen runner with a garland and lots of candles. ‘Sometimes I fill clear baubles with foliage and wooden beads as another decoration,’ she says

make this

bench cushion p46

STEAL MY STYLE

Get Monika's warm and natural home style with these buys

Alpine village Christmas cushion, £14, Julian Charles

Wooden candle, £6, B&M

Bottle brush tree ornaments, £10 for a set of 3, Dunelm

‘When I stripped the textured wallpaper in here, I discovered lots of writing on the walls underneath. I sent the seller some pictures and he remembered writing it with his sister as a child! The dated brick fireplace was also knocked out and I got the inside plastered before making a wood surround. As I wanted a really big table and couldn’t find anything suitable, I made it myself. It was quite a task as it involved gluing the wood together and strapping it tightly with a belt normally used for a car roof rack while it set. I also designed the chunky legs and bench, which I’ve recently re-upholstered with JF Ticking Fabric from Just Fabrics. The light was a DIY creation as well. I bought a wood beam, which I hung from chains, and added lots of nice bulbs. I got an electrician for the wiring. He said I’d done a good job.’

‘After finding a cream mirror in the attic and painting it black, I wanted a geometric shape behind it,’ says Monika. ‘Rather than painting the wall black, which would be difficult to paint over, I chose a wall sticker that can be peeled off easily’

A boho bedside table from B&M works well with lots of plants, while the DIY bamboo ladder was made from cane picked up at Home Bargains

Master bedroom

‘ This room felt quite enclosed before as there were built-in cupboards all around the bed. They were ripped out and the walls re-plastered. The circle design behind the bed was originally a peachy colour, but I changed it to green last Christmas. I made the tray from a round piece of wood, which was cleaned and varnished before I drilled holes to attach the rope handles. I love using it to have breakfast in bed. To finish the room, I’ve added natural accents, like the shelf, cane bedside tables, a wooden beaded chandelier and loads of plants.’

Bathroom

‘ The tiny bathroom and toilet used to be separate, but the wall was knocked through so the space is much more practical now. I really wanted black fittings and black grout in here as it’s easier to keep clean while the monochrome vinyl flooring ties it all together. The vanity unit is actually a kitchen drawer cupboard from B&Q with a kitchen worktop on top. There are lots of size options so you can easily find something to fit your space. I've also used a wooden serving board as a bath bridge where I like to display candles – it works really well!'

I,ve always been creative and I started my Instagram account so that friends and family in Poland could follow my renovation progress

Monochrome vinyl flooring from Best4Flooring brings impact to the new bathroom, which features kitchen units converted into a vanity unit and black fittings for a contemporary look

‘Anthony loves rhinos so there are lots of pictures of them in his room, which I found online and printed off,’ says Monika. ‘It all started when he adopted a rhino from the WWF and was sent a toy and certificate’

‘ There are a couple of different feature walls in here. I painted a terrazzo effect on one wall and the wall behind his bed is covered in little cross stickers. During lockdown we had a desk in here for home schooling, but Anthony prefers the hammock chair in this space. I bought it after getting rid of an outdoor swing chair, which had become like a trapeze for the kids! This is a much more chilled-out design from JYSK.’

Monika made the wooden bed herself, while double-sided Christmas bedding from B&M gives Anthony’s room a fresh new look during the festive season. The same bedding is flipped in Mia’s room

Mia's bedroom

‘When we first moved in, I let Mia pick some wallpaper and she chose one with massive pink roses. It was up for a while, but it was too overwhelming and wasn’t really working with the rest of the house. Instead, I painted a scalloped wall in an accent colour called Peach Blush by Valspar that Mia chose. She used to have a houseshaped bed like Anthony’s, but the room was too small to fit much else in. Instead, I built a bed into the curved wall with storage underneath.’

‘I made the bed canopy myself from voile attached to a wooden crochet ring,’ says Monika. The Christmas tree duvet cover is from B&M and the peacock lamp is from George Home

What I learned

You can save money by making things yourself. For instance, I saw some beautiful £30 candlesticks but made my own from clay and painted them. They’re more special because they’re one-offs.

With panelling, I usually cut out paper shapes first and stick them on the wall with Blu Tack. Then if it’s too wide or too thin, I can try again before I cut the wood or MDF.

Warm water and washing-up liquid is the best way to remove wallpaper. I’ve used a steamer and wallpaper removing solutions before, but this is the easiest and quickest way.