All change Novice renovators create a characterful home
Novice renovators Margy and Leigh have surprised themselves by creating a modern, characterful home
Having rented in London for eight years, Margy Forshaw and Leigh Harrison planned to start a family and move back to Leeds where they had met while at university. ‘We had to get to know the area again and chose to rent for a while,’ says Margy. Two years later, during which time their daughter Bella was born, the couple started house-hunting. ‘A two-bedroom house in Headingley kept popping up on one of the property websites we were watching,’ explains Margy. ‘It looked as though there was more renovation work required than we wanted to tackle but we viewed it anyway just to rule it out for certain.’
After being surprised by how spacious it felt, especially the main bedroom that runs across the front of the house, the couple made an offer of £170,000, which was accepted. ‘We were so naive,’ Margy admits. ‘I thought since I knew how to use a drill and could paint, renovating it would be easy. However, the reality was that every wall we touched crumbled and the work took much longer than expected.’
The biggest change was knocking the tiny galley kitchen and dining room together to
‘At work I keep falling for new pieces, but at home I’m attempting to be more minimal and functional,’ SAYS MARGY
create an open-plan space. It needed to include doors to both the basement and hallway, a chimney breast and a window overlooking the rear garden, so planning the new layout was tricky. ‘Something on every wall restricted where we could put units,’ says Margy. ‘In the end, we knocked out the stone fireplace and opted for a large central island and a run of units on one wall. The old kitchen became the dining area. Looking back I wish we’d moved the basement door but, even so, everyone loves the new space.’
As the couple didn’t know many tradespeople in the area, they hired a Lancashire building firm recommended by Margy’s parents and let them sleep in the house while they fitted the kitchen and bathroom, replaced the central heating and re-plastered throughout. They also removed a large cupboard that housed the water tank but blocked a portion of the landing. The space is now a curtained-off storage area with room in front for a desk where Margy uses her sewing machine.
A complete redesign was in store for the bathroom too. ‘I wanted a freestanding bath with a separate shower tucked behind the door,’ says Margy. ‘The black-and-white floor tiles were inspired by the morgue in the TV show Ripper Street, which was on at the time!’
Although the couple had £10,000 ringfenced for the kitchen and bathroom, Margy admits they hadn’t really budgeted for the
rest, so the renovation has been a gradual process over the past four years. ‘For the first three months we all slept together in the living room,’ says Margy. ‘And to save money Leigh carried out some of the work himself, including knocking out the stone fireplaces and replacing the carpets with laminate flooring.’
The house features many quirky touches, such as an old stove in the living room salvaged from a neighbour, 1970s wallpaper in the kitchen and a stair runner made from several Ikea rugs. And with 12 charity shops in Headingley, there are plenty of places to pick up vintage items. ‘At work I’m surrounded by interiors images and keep falling for new pieces, but I’m attempting to be more minimal and functional. I’m drawn to homes jampacked with stuff as I love seeing things on display on open shelves, but I’ve come to realise that I feel a lot calmer when everything has its place.’
Having initially toyed with the idea of improving the house to sell on, the couple have had a complete change of heart. ‘Once we’d moved in we realised how much we loved the house,’ says Margy. ‘Next we plan to make the front garden more family-friendly. In the longer term, we’ll turn the basement into a room for Leigh’s collection of guitars and amps, and then it’s on to converting the loft into a third bedroom!’