‘DIY was our MONEY-SAVER’

Natasha and Gary used their DIY skills to revitalise their home, giving it a new, easy-living layout and a timeless, budgetfriendly makeover

This house was in such a sad state when we first viewed it that I don’t think anyone else was even interested!’ says Natasha. ‘Inside, everything was grubby and worn, and the decor was awful – turquoise kitchen walls and cupboards, an old-fashioned gas fire in the living room, and hideous vinyl wallpapers everywhere.

The layout was very strange, too, as the living room was only accessible from the dining room, and you had to walk through the second bedroom in order to reach the bathroom. It was going to be a challenge, but the potential was there. The amount of work that needed to be done must have put most people off, but Gary and I were looking for a doerupper where we could make our mark.

Whitewash

Once in, we scrubbed the whole house and painted over the worst of the wallpaper to make it liveable, but it was freezing cold as there was no insulation. We had the woodburner fitted in the dining room as soon as possible, but we couldn’t do more because we were saving hard for the renovation. It was two years before we could afford to start major work, but we made do, and I spent the time saving, planning and researching. Although it was a long wait, it worked for me. I like to think things over carefully and then hopefully, make the right choices.

Online tuition

Neither of us had much renovating experience but we were determined to do whatever we could ourselves. Gary was

already quite handy as he builds sets for photography at work, but we used online videos to pick up information and learn how to do things like tiling. It definitely wasn’t the easy option, but it made our budget go much further.

The renovation

We completely underestimated how much work there was, though. I thought we could just pull the wallpaper off and redecorate, but the plaster started falling off with the wallpaper, so a lot had to be replaced before we could paint. We also needed a new boiler, and upgraded plumbing and wiring to get the heating working properly. The tricky layout was another issue. We put in a passageway upstairs to separate the second bedroom and allow access to the bathroom. Gary actually moved the staircase and rearranged doorways downstairs so

‘DIY WHERE YOU CAN. IT’S NOT THE EASY OPTION BUT IT MEANS YOUR MONEY WILL GO MUCH FURTHER’

there’s now a smooth flow from the front to the back of the house. It’s made all the difference, but it was hard going and a huge upheaval. At one point we just had deckchairs to sit on and a ladder to get up to our bedroom.

Adding twinkle

I absolutely love interiors and I’m always leafing through magazines or looking online at my dream spaces. By the time we started decorating, I knew exactly how I wanted my home to look. I love that blend of classic and contemporary style, with lots of natural light, and soft, neutral colours that suit the age of the house and won’t date. You can see my ideas @natashajacksoninteriors. At Christmas, my go-to theme is white and silver, as it works so beautifully with all of my pale colours. I have plenty of twinkly lights and candles, too, as well as lots of natural greenery. My mum’s a florist and she always lends a hand with the festive decorating.

A better balance

Our rooms aren’t huge and I wanted each one to feel calm and balanced, so I had to measure meticulously and plan

‘DESIGN YOUR OWN ALCOVE STORAGE TO MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY INCH OF SPACE. DISPLAY ALL YOUR FAVOURITE PICTURES AND KNICK-KNACKS ON THE SHELVES’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Hang a rise-and-fall pendant light above the table to create an intimate atmosphere’

the layouts carefully. I used masking tape to stick sheets of newspaper down on the living room floor to work out where the sofas could fit. Then, we installed the beautiful, period-style fireplace and I designed the alcove storage either side, making sure the shelves were the right dimensions to display my framed photos. When the stairs were repositioned, the door into our bedroom was moved, too, which made space for built-in wardrobes on either side of the little fireplace. The room now feels calmer and more harmonious. We’ve fitted a lot of built-in storage throughout the house. It uses the space well and I think it’s good value compared to buying freestanding pieces.

Creative accounting

I’ve tried to stretch our finances as far as possible by shopping around and thinking creatively. The wooden flooring for the living and dining rooms was a brilliant buy as it was on offer in Homebase. We nearly had a disaster though, as when Gary had almost finished laying it, we realised we were two packs short, and it was actually being discontinued! I rang around loads of shops with no luck, but amazingly I

‘INTRODUCE COLOUR TO A BEDROOM SCHEME WITH TEXTILES, THAT WAY YOU CAN EASILY CHANGE UP YOUR ACCENT SHADE EACH SEASON’

eventually found some on ebay. In future, I’d buy extra as you can usually return unopened packs. Our kitchen was another incredible bargain, as the cabinets and wooden surfaces were rescued from Gary’s work, where they were being thrown out. It’s all from Ikea so we bought a couple more matching cupboards and, thanks to his incredible DIY skills, Gary turned what we had into a fab kitchen. There was a lot more wooden worksurface than we needed, so he stacked it up to give that lovely chunky edge. Transforming this house has taken us five years and it’s been challenging, but really exciting, too. In time we might extend at the back, but for now, I think we’ve made the house the best it could be, and I’m really proud of it.’

‘POP A SIDE TABLE NEXT TO YOUR BATH, MUCH LIKE YOU WOULD YOUR BED,TO HOLD ALL OF YOUR ESSENTIALS’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Make the fireplace the focal point in a periodinspired roomõ

SMART MONOCHROME ‘Although the house didn’t have any original features, I still wanted to keep the look classic’

BUDGET BALANCE ‘As the kitchen units were such a bargain, I splashed out on a lovely farmhouse-style sink’

SLIDE AWAY ‘Gary installed the pocket door – what a brilliant space-saver it is!’

COSY CORNER ‘Gary built the mantel and alcove storage, which I’ve painted in a soft grey-green for contrast and impact’

WARM WHITES ‘I went for pale walls and lots of white accessories for a soft, light-filled look’

FUTURE-PROOF FURNITURE ‘I’m happy to incorporate budget accessories, but for the key items, like my dining furniture, I’d rather save up and invest in good-quality pieces’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Paint skirtings, doors, cornicing and architraves white for elegant contrast’

SUITE SOLUTION ‘The bathroom was a challenge, as although it’s roomy, it’s a tricky shape. The freestanding bath was an absolute must-have, so luckily it fits nicely in the corner’

TIDY SPACES ‘I designed this nifty laundry storage – it makes great use of the often forgotten space behind the door’