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Shrewd decisions helped stretch the budget when updating a ‘ horror show’ semi in Hastings
Initially hoping to buy a house in Brighton, Louise Body and her husband, Jonny, soon discovered that prices there were higher than they’d thought. Reluctantly, they looked a little further afield. ‘Searching along the coast, we were amazed at how much cheaper Hastings was,’ says Louise. ‘ We viewed a Victorian semi there, and it was a horror show, with the kitchen sink hanging off the wall and stained walls. But it had six bedrooms, and we could see that there was the potential to create the lifestyle we wanted for ourselves and our children, Isaac, 10, and Marney, 7.’
CLEVER CHOICES
The couple bought the house, and after a year of being unable to cook in the dilapidated kitchen and making meals on a tabletop hob in the dining room, they called in builders to start the structural work. ‘ Walls between the kitchen, sitting room and dining room came down,’ recalls Louise. ‘It took six months in all.’
With that done, Louise was on a tight budget, so she opted for some cost-effective solutions. ‘I went for fairly inexpensive kitchen cabinetry, painted the floorboards instead of buying new flooring and chose blinds for the bay window, to create an expensive shutter-style look at a fraction of the price,’ she explains. ‘ We did all the work ourselves, including sanding the floors, painting and papering.’
PERSONAL TOUCHES
When it comes to decor, Louise favours neutral tones, to set the stage for lively accessorising. Every room in the house includes furniture that has been handed down through her family. ‘I’ve kept it all, except a painting of a great aunt that had to go because she looked so disapproving!’ laughs Louise. ‘But I’ve held onto the frame and will add a mirror to it one day.’
Louise is a wallpaper and fabric designer and has reupholstered lots of the heirlooms in her own designs. This, and creating feature walls throughout, has put a unique stamp on the house. ‘Each room has a character all of its own,’ she says.
‘In time, we’d like an en-suite bedroom in the attic,’ adds Louise. ‘But with the rest of the place finished, all we want right now is to enjoy our beautiful home.’