See how Matt and Emma cleverly transformed bedsits into a vibrant family home

Transforming a run-down property full of bedsits into a comfortable and vibrant family home was all in a day’s work for Matt and Emma Rawlinson

Why we’re loving Emma’s home

One of the first things that Emma Rawlinson and her husband Matt did on collecting the keys to their new home was to head round to the property with a sledge hammer. They had a four-month window for turning their ‘absolutely knackered’ former HMO – in an otherwise smart neighbourhood of Cheltenham – into a functioning family home in time for Christmas, and didn’t want to waste a moment in getting started.

So began their project to convert a semi-detached late Victorian villa consisting of seven bedsits into a comfortable and boldly decorated four-bedroom home. The project required a complete rewire, the building of two single-storey extensions for the kitchen and playroom, and rejigging the upstairs space to add a shower room and dressing room on the master bedroom floor, plus their children’s bathroom and guest bathroom. They also reconnected the flat in the basement to the main house, turning it into a home office for Matt – a commercial interior designer – and the centre of operations for the project.

The couple’s huge undertaking makes the results all the more breathtaking. Filled with graffiti art, Ebay bargains and quirky one-off auction finds, Emma and Matt’s characterful house is an inspiring example of what can be done with a creative mindset and a willingness to hunt for good deals. Over the following pages, Emma shows us around – and reveals how they created their bold and beautiful home.