‘We’re so proud of our dramatic DIY living room’
Thanks to a hands-on approach, this smart space was transformed on a tight budget
Why did you want to change the room? It felt tired and uninviting. We wanted to give it some love and personality and make it function better. Our two children play in here but there was no storage, so we had to pack the toys away in boxes every night. It’s where Evan and I unwind in the evenings too, so we wanted somewhere to display books and accessories.
How did you build up the look?
To give the room some warmth, I decided on dark tones with bright highlights to lift the mood. I’m from the Caribbean and a bold palette is part of my personality. I went for a rich, deep bluey-green for the walls and woodwork, and did all the painting myself. Evan was a bit unsure about using such a dark colour everywhere, but now we’re both really pleased with it. I’d already bought the yellow sofa and blue rug, both of which I love, and for extra impact I added a gold accent chair I’d spotted in Homesense.
What was the biggest challenge?
Building the storage! I’d drawn up sketches for alcove cupboards to hold toys and games, with floating display shelves above, but having them made for us was unaffordable. However, I’m very hands-on, so even though I’d never done anything similar before, I researched, measured and worked out the cost of tools and materials to make it myself. It was hard work and took me three months, but it saved us money and I’m really proud of the results.
Tell us about the finishing touches…
I was after a real statement piece to lift the dark colour and found a fabulous gold-framed mirror, which was perfect for above the fireplace and our new woodburner. To echo the rounded shape and metallic finish, I’ve also added some hand-painted gold curves on one of the walls. Bright yellow accents and a few leafy plants add softness and bring it all to life.
Are you happy with the room now?
We love it! We’re in here all the time. It works really well and whenever friends come over it gets lots of compliments. There’s a sense of achievement too as I did everything myself, and that makes me appreciate it even more.