‘I added life to our new build’
Aileen and Stephen turned a uniform modern house into a spacious, bright home, bursting with clever design tricks
We had been living in a small two-bedroom Victorian flat for years and there were always structural problems and damp,’ says Aileen. ‘it felt like my husband Stephen and i were constantly fixing the place – no sooner was one problem resolved, another one came up.
We were a growing family and wanted a bigger house with a garden. So, when we discovered a new housing development was being built in a good area near us, we jumped at the chance to own a larger, brand new, low-maintenance house. We chose our house off-plan, and moved in six months later.
Bump in the road
We had chosen a corner plot as it had a drive, a big garden and didn’t overlook any neighbours. My daughter Nicole and son Stephen finally had their own rooms, and it was wonderful having the extra space. Plus, not needing to fix something every five minutes was like a breath of fresh air. The only downside was that it was all painted magnolia inside, and lacked the charm and architectural features of our previous home. However, it was a blank canvas and I was excited to add some personality to it.
Within the year, we had added a conservatory to connect the kitchen with the garden and create a more functional space where we could all be together as a family. The back garden got the sun until early evening every night, so it was a lovely space to be in. However, in the same year, we discovered I was expecting my third child, so despite all the space, we knew we would soon outgrow it.
We loved our new home and I really didn’t want to move again, so as daunting as it was, we decided to put all our decorating plans on hold and build
an extension. So much for our fuss-free, low maintenance new house!
Big changes
We decided to add a double-height extension to the side of the property to give us a fourth bedroom with an en suite and a garage/workshop from where we could run our business. Stephen and I both wanted to be around for our young family, so the new work area would be essential. We also decided to create a bigger family kitchen by stealing some space from the open-plan dining area. In the time it took to get planning permission and get started, my son Aidan had been born. I was worried about the disruption the build would likely cause, especially having a new baby, but luckily most of the work was completed externally before they knocked through
into the main house and, in the end, there wasn’t too much dust or mess. We fitted the new kitchen with classic white units from Howdens and re-fitted the bathroom and our new en-suite. We then had the task of plastering and decorating to face, but it was over quite quickly.
Changing tastes
My taste has changed a lot over the years and the whole house has been updated, several times. I’ve been known to redesign and redecorate an entire room in a weekend. The key for me now is keeping the decoration simple. I love calm, Nordic tones and natural wood but I’m not afraid of a bright feature wall. Being able to make my own blinds and pelmets also means I can easily change the colour schemes of the rooms when I get bored.
Our sitting room has to be my favourite room, as it’s so cosy and welcoming. I added a real slate feature wall to lend
texture and I invested in classic neutral sofas from Next, which always look great no matter how they are styled. I love how the yellow cushions I picked up in Homesense lift and freshen the room.
Trading spaces
With the new conservatory, I now have a room to escape to if the boys are all watching football. By rethinking and changing the layout downstairs, we have created different zones where we can either get together as a family or enjoy our own space.
We refitted the downstairs cloakroom last year, with a new white vanity unit and grey subway tiles. Small spaces like downstairs toilets can often look bland, so I had lots of fun accessorising with yellow and grey towels and hanging planters. Finally, we fitted new oak
floors throughout the downstairs to allow the spaces to flow into one another and changed the stairs from solid wood to oak with glass panelling to brighten up the entryway.
The whole upstairs has been carpeted in grey, which again allows the rooms to flow into one another, creating a sea of calm. After our eldest child, Nicole, moved out, we had a reshuffle of the bedrooms and I gained a little workroom where I can be creative and have my own little sanctuary. The boys’ rooms are both decorated in similar styles, with playful brick wallpaper, cushions and throws and my handmade pelmets adding splashes of bold colour.
I wanted the main bedroom to feel like a luxurious, boutique hotel room, but I couldn’t find the feature headboard I had in mind. In the end, I watched a tutorial
online and made it myself. Alongside the gorgeous wallpaper, sumptuous cushions and throws in different colours and textures, it really pulls the space together.’
House to home
‘The house has served us well over the years, and I’m so proud of what stephen and I have achieved, and that we made the big changes when we did. We love our home just as much now as we did all those years ago. Thanks to all our hard work, it’s a modern, welcoming and spacious family home that we all enjoy living in and with my ever-evolving taste, it certainly never gets boring!’