Dining room

‘ 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.’

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 ‘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’