I mixed boho, industrial and vintage for a luxe look on a budget

With savvy spending, Stephanie Emmerson gave her Kent property a top-to-toe makeover, creating a stylish, eclectic home for her young family

An eclectic blend of looks works well in Stephanie Emmerson’s Kent family home

Although it wasn’t love at first sight when Stephanie and her husband, Simon, viewed this Victorian property on the Kent coast, they were able to use their imagination to see past the dated décor and layout, and have spent the past three years transforming it into a characterful family home. ‘We were under pressure to move and demand in the area was high, so we had to be very open-minded while navigating the housing market,’ says Stephanie. ‘Even though this property wasn’t perfect, I really liked its high Victorian ceilings, and the large bay windows meant the rooms felt bright and welcoming. It was crying out for some TLC and we knew that we’d update everything, so it was more about looking for the potential in each room when we decided to buy the house.’

‘I use a mixture of different house plant species to create a lush, indoor jungle vibe for a tropical feel.’

Having not been touched since the 1970s, the property was in desperate need of modernisation, but this didn’t faze the couple. They had initially planned to do a side return extension at the back of the house but took the decision to add a smaller extension instead, as the expense would have exceeded the ceiling price of the property.

‘The kitchen extension was done under permitted development rights and still gave us a generous amount of space,’ says Stephanie. ‘Having the living area off the kitchen makes the room so much more sociable and we can really enjoy the garden from here too, particularly in the summer when the bi-fold doors are opened up.’

‘Choosing the kitchen was an exciting part of the project and we went for an IKEA design to help keep costs down.’

As well as tackling the downstairs extension, the couple had electrical works carried out, a new heating system installed, and every wall was stripped back and replastered. Given this blank canvas, each room was decorated from scratch, which was a big project with their son, Archer, in tow. ‘We lived in the house while all the work was going on and it was certainly challenging at times, as deadlines kept getting pushed back,’ explains Stephanie. ‘We started with the bedrooms, as I felt we needed somewhere comfortable to retreat to while everywhere else was a mess, and I remember longing for some carpet under my feet instead of dusty, plaster-splattered floors!’

When it came to the interior décor, Stephanie has introduced a mixture of different styles to give each space a real sense of character. ‘Choosing the kitchen was an exciting part of the project and we went for an IKEA design to help keep costs down,’ she recalls. ‘The black cabinetry gives the room an industrial feel and we selected wooden worktops to add a warmer tone. I was really impressed with IKEA, as you’re able to essentially design your own kitchen without all of the hard sell.’

As part of the renovation, the couple tackled a lot of the DIY work themselves,

including sanding and whitewashing the existing wooden floors in the living room and two bedrooms to help brighten up the interior and make the rooms feel more spacious.

Stephanie’s style is a mish-mash of different looks; industrial accents are off-set with luxe touches and boho-inspired pieces introduce texture to each room. ‘We like to mix old and new furniture to add character, and are keen art collectors,’ she says. ‘I love creating gallery walls for a maximalist look and am always on the lookout for new pieces.’ As the co-owner of an online plant store, The Fern House, on Instagram @thefernhouse_plantshop, Stephanie uses houseplants to bring her interior to life and has an impressive array of planters to house her collection. ‘I use a mixture of different species to create a lush, indoor jungle vibe for a tropical feel and I particularly love ferns and palms.’

Taking on a whole-house renovation has been a learning curve for the couple and they’ve taken away some valuable lessons. ‘I was slightly gutted that the house didn’t still have all of its original period features when we bought it, but I feel we were still able to design an interesting and characterful home nonetheless,’ says Stephanie. ‘I’ve also learned to be bold with colour and not shy away from it, as paint is the cheapest and easiest way to transform any room and it can be undone if it doesn’t feel right.’

The project has been a labour of love for Stephanie, but her clever design ideas and practical approach to decorating have paid off in creating a modern home that her family can enjoy for years to come.

Stephanie turned the former dining room into a cosy living room. ‘The Chesterfield-style sofa from MADE.com suits the period of the house,’ she says With its large window filling the room with light, this space is Stephanie’s favourite in the house. She’s paired a mid-centurystyle dining table from Cult Furniture with a textured rug from West Elm

‘We needed to slot an office into the house and the light in the dining room made this space the most practical,’ says Stephanie. She has zoned this area from the rest of the room using clever colour-blocking

Stephanie and Simon kept the steel beam exposed in the kitchen extension to enhance the sense of height. ‘I’ve painted it in a two-tone effect with black and pink to make it a feature within the room,’ Stephanie explains

Taking on a whole-house renovation meant Stephanie had to be smart with the budget: ‘We chose IKEA’s Kungsbacka kitchen and added brass handles to tie in with the industrial-style shelving and to lift the black cabinetry’

Open shelving from Naken provides additional storage where wall units would have been too bulky, and warms up the dramatic black wall with wood and gold tones

Most of the Victorian features were gone when they moved in so Stephanie made sure to highlight any that remain, like the woodwork in the landing, which she’s painted grey to stand out against the Valspar Dusky Pink walls

The seating and play area off the kitchen leads onto the garden via bi-fold doors. Stephanie has continued the bold monochrome look with paint and accessories, including a large IKEA rug

Stephanie has created a cosy main bedroom, with Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue on the walls and pink and mustard accents. ‘I painted the headboard of the MADE.com bed frame blue to tie in with the décor,’ she says

A family member restored Stephanie’s fireplace: ‘Several layers of old paint needed to be removed, and the surface was waxed to give it a fresh finish.’ She added black furniture to match for a cohesive look

Vintage pieces, like this family heirloom armchair, add to the charm of Stephanie’s styling. ‘I had this chair reupholstered by local designer Sylvia & Margot,’ she says. A lowhanging pendant provides essential task lighting Archer’s bedroom is painted in French Turquoise by Craig & Rose, and the whitewashed floorboards keep the space feeling light. ‘His bedroom is a work in progress as he grows and discovers his own taste,’ shares Stephanie

The family bathroom has been given a modernindustrial look, with a free-standing bath and walk-in shower enclosure. The Crittall-style shower screen, from Bathstore, ties in with the matt black fixtures and fittings