COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I’m Vanessa Dodds. I’m an NHS midwife and I live with my daughter Ariella, who’s just turned three, in a two-bedroom terraced house in Dagenham, east London. I moved here in 2011.

MY CHALLENGE I’d not been able to redecorate my living room for some years, so it was more than ready for a refresh. It felt drab, tired and disorganised, as there was no colour and no proper storage, nor anywhere to show nice bits and pieces. I really didn’t know how to go about redesigning the room myself.

MY WISHLIST I wanted a calming, easy-to-maintain space with colour and a clean, fresh feel. Storage for toys was an absolute must, and I liked the idea of display shelves and a small table for mealtimes with my daughter, too. I wanted a comfortable, well-designed room where we could read, eat, play and spend time together.