COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Cynthia Hyams, 45, and I live with my husband Matthew, 52, and our son Henry, five, in a two-bedroom Victorian terrace in Middlesex. We bought it in 2017.

MY CHALLENGE The sitting room looked dated and lifeless. The walls were painted cream and the decor was bland, especially the wooden fireplace surround.

MY WISH LIST I wanted to create a cosy space that felt warm and welcoming for us and our visitors. Another challenge was to create a focal point and the shutters helped to achieve that.