We just needed to add our own finishing touches

Choosing a property that had already been renovated allowed Meg and her partner, Sam, to concentrate on the fun decorating details

Meg Brackpool and Sam Copson were able to put their own stamp on this newly renovated Victorian terraced property in Bristol

When Meg and Sam started looking for a home together, they imagined moving to a flat in central Bristol. But, having experienced lockdown with no outdoor space, the couple decided to reassess their priorities. ‘We discovered that if we changed our search area and looked further out of the city, we could afford a house with a garden,’ Meg explains. ‘We still wanted to be able to eat out and have holidays, so we didn’t want to stretch ourselves too much financially.’

Although they agreed their priorities were a garden, walking distance to a pub, and a log burner, the couple had different ideas about what style the property should be. Sam wanted a new-build, whereas Meg hoped for a renovation project – but they both got ‘the feeling’ during their viewing of this place. ‘I loved the Victorian character and

Sam loved that there was little work to do, as the previous owners had already done the renovation, including knocking through the living and dining area to create a lovely, bright

‘There’s always a way to get things done, but it’s about discovering the difficulties and then finding solutions.’

space, and they’d installed a log burner,’ says Meg, ‘so finding it felt like a real win.’

The first job on Meg’s list was to change the colour of the living room. ‘Sam loved the blue, but I was less keen and wanted a neutral colour,’ she admits. ‘But we moved in December and put up a Christmas tree, which stopped me painting the room straight away. As a bit of fun, I put a poll on Instagram to choose the final colour, and not one person said change the blue, which really made me take another look at it.’ As Meg began to dress the room, adding her own sofas, rugs, and textured cushions, she admits she started to change her mind. ‘Now I love the blue, and often think, thank goodness our Christmas tree stopped me changing it!’

Although they wanted to make minimal changes to the living room, Meg and Sam were still desperate to update their bedroom. ‘It was a really dark blue,’ explains Meg. ‘It was too dark to wake up to in the middle of winter, so we knew it had to go.’ Meg wanted to install panelling on the wall, so Sam started searching for someone to do the job, before Meg suggested doing it themselves to save money. Sam wasn’t sure, but after looking at instructional videos on YouTube, Meg decided to go for it. ‘I just needed Sam to do the maths for the design and cuts,’ she jokes, adding, ‘there’s always a way to get things done, but it’s about discovering the difficulties and then finding solutions,’ though she does acknowledge that it was quite tough getting the panels lined up. ‘We marked the

‘I put a poll on Instagram to choose the colour of the living room, and not one person said change the blue, which really made me take another look at it.’

design with a spirit level and then simply used No More Nails to attach the panels, and the finished result is amazing; it’s completely changed the look and feel of the room for not much more than £70, including the paint.’

The couple then had a break from updating the house for a while. ‘I would like to be constantly getting on with things, but the limiting factors are time and money, so we have to budget as we go,’ says Meg. Then, after a few months of saving, Meg decided to tackle the spare room, which was initially dark grey and covered in child’s stickers. She wanted a feature wall and, after getting some wallpaper samples and doing a lot of Pinterest searching to see what the patterns looked like on a whole wall, Meg rested on this William Morris design. With a bit of help from her dad, she decorated the room herself. ‘Sam hates painting but I love the creativity of it; choosing colours, getting swatches and seeing how the light and shadows play on the colours, and I get a real kick seeing the finished result,’ she admits.

They decided early on to invest in longterm pieces, such as the sofa and bed, which are classic and will stand the test of time, and to look out for bargain buys for everything else. ‘Luckily, we love most of what the previous owner did in the house, particularly the classic white kitchen with brass handles and the wooden floorboards, but we still had to be mindful of what we spent on our changes as we don’t have loads of spare cash, so I hunted for bargains,’ says Meg.

Reflecting on how lucky they feel to have found this house, Meg says, ‘I thought we would need to compromise far more when we decided to look for a house to buy, but we hit the jackpot when we found this place as it ticks all our boxes.’ Now that the house is exactly how they want it, she’s looking forward to simply enjoying living there. ‘I’m learning to slow down and live in the space, rather than rush into things – and we can’t wait to go to the local pub!’

‘I love the creativity of decorating; choosing colours, getting swatches, and seeing how the light and shadows play on the colours.’

Meg and Sam splashed out on a sofa from Loaf, as they wanted a long-lasting quality piece and chose a neutral colour to suit any future changes in décor Sam chose the blue snuggle chair, from Loaf, when planning to repaint the walls, although Meg now admits that if she’d been more patient, they may have bought a chair in a different shade

Paint shelving in the same colour as the wall – Grey Patina by Valspar in Meg’s case – for sleek open storage. Meg has added texture with baskets and plants, and accessorised her mantelpiece with bright candles

The IKEA kitchen was a real selling point as it was in perfect condition and the white cabinets and metro tiles were close to what the couple would’ve chosen. Meg particularly loves the brass handles and the oak worktops

Consider how your existing furniture might work in a space before buying new. Meg’s dining table and bench, made to measure by an Etsy designer, was from her previous home

Celebrate the quirks of a period property by accentuating them. The hatch has been painted shut and would have cost a lot to remove, so Meg has made a feature of it by using it as a shelf for cute crockery Although the bathroom is located downstairs, the couple hope to move it upstairs in the future. Meg has hung an oversized mirror from Dunelm to brighten the room and make it feel bigger

‘Having a garden has been a game-changer for us; it’s such a sun trap in the evening, although the deck was scorched from an old barbecue,’ says Meg. She sanded and treated it, then painted it in Cuprinol’s Muted Clay and added furniture from JYSK to create her outside sanctuary

The couple invested in William Morris wallpaper and Farrow & Ball emulsion in Setting Plaster for a scheme they’ll keep for years

The art print of Bristol’s suspension bridge, by Emmy Lou Holmes, was given to the couple as a nod to the city they love living in, and its muted tones are well-suited to the scheme

As the skirting board is so narrow and close to the wall, Meg chose the thinnest sheet of MDF available to create the panelling effect behind the bed. She used B&Q’s timber cutting service to get the MDF cut accurately

Meg felt this alcove was crying out for a traditional-style dressing table, but realised new ones were out of her budget. She kept an eye on Facebook Marketplace and picked up this upcycled find for £40