COME ON IN...
WE ARE Ali James, my husband, Gary, and our six children. I’m currently a teaching assistant and training to be a teacher. Gary works in property maintenance.
OUR HOME IS A five-bedroom, semidetached cottage in Somerset.
I LEARNT THAT Taking time over a project means your style evolves. Living in a space while you renovate can help you understand how you actually use it.
MY BEST BARGAIN The big kitchen table was a huge bargain – handmade at just £400 – and it’s perfect for a large family such as ours.
alongside full time work and study. ‘We had one bathroom between eight of us, an outdoor toilet, and a number of rooms that didn’t even have sockets.’
However, undaunted by the extensive refurbishment, the couple set to work on reconfiguring the property – completing the unfinished bathroom, removing a wall in the kitchen, and taking down the stud wall in the lounge to return the room to its original proportions. ‘There’s now a real sense of space – Gary and I can now watch TV in one room while the children occupy themselves in another,’ says Ali. During the restoration, they also uncovered some beautiful period stonework – previously hidden beneath the render. ‘We couldn’t bear to cover it up so we decided to keep it exposed as a feature.’
ECO ELEGANCE
With an eye for a bargain, Ali saved money by sourcing items second-hand or discounted in a sale: the Laura Ashley sofa in the snug was a £60 Facebook Marketplace find; the wallpaper in the lounge from an end-of-line bargain bin; furniture from the reduced
Ali has made a feature of the landing leading up to the attic bedroom, created by reducing the size of one of the existing bedrooms. ‘As we don’t have a hallway, it’s nice to have this space on the first floor,’ she says
‘When I’m not at work, you’ll often find me, paintbrush in hand, upcycling furniture or updating a colour scheme’
corner at IKEA; and a second-hand chest of drawers from eBay. ‘I favour reusing rather than buying new: we tend to be quite ecoconscious in our choices,’ she says. ‘I’ll also wait until the sales for larger purchases – like our free-standing bath, which I happened to see in a showroom window, miles away from where we live.’ She has also added character with vintage finds: the kitchen splashback is fashioned from an old window; and shelves are adorned with glass jars, old clothbound book and retro tins. ‘I’ll scour the internet and charity shops for pretty bits and pieces. I love anything that’s a bit rusty and unloved.’
Although most days are currently spent beside the fire, the couple are looking forward to making use of the decked area they built last year, taking advantage of the garden’s sunniest spot. Ali tracked down a well-priced rattan sofa set, and Gary
made the area feel more secluded with a pergola constructed from leftover decking boards and decorative screens. ‘This area was overgrown with shrubs and weeds –
I’m so looking forward to having a place outdoors to sit with a book.’ When the budget permits, they hope to build a log cabin, and convert an outbuilding into an Airbnb, giving them additional income. ‘We don’t have a garage so it’s a bit of a dumping ground at the moment,’ says Ali.
The couple are delighted with the way the cottage looks now, and how well it works for their family of eight. ‘I love to breathe new life into a house: to make it lighter and brighter and more characterful,’ Ali smiles. ‘Sometimes, it’s hard to remember quite what it was like when we moved in, but we’re thrilled with how it is now – with enough space for us all to eat together around the kitchen table. It’s been a lot of hard work, but it is definitely worth it.’
‘Sometimes, it’s hard to remember quite what it was like when we moved in, but we’re thrilled with how it is now’