This is not really a fair before and after comparison because the wall was removed and so the after is much bigger and brighter.  The existing kitchen (when we bought it) was charming and full of character.  The result after the renovation was brighter and modern with a contemporary vibe.

The BEAUTIFUL kitchen was from Wren (you MUST try them they have fantastic offers and I’m not much of a haggler!).  We didn’t use their installation because we had an amazing team on site already.

Miele appliances throughout all sourced via Wren.  The best shutters from Nigel Hare Joinery (we have used them several times and they have always been amazing and good value).  Chandeliers and antique flavours from Palace Antiques (best shop in Hampton Court).

Wall paper :  Homebase – I wanted to add something fun for my little one, not grey like the rest of the house!  This paper is on a plain background but has beautifully designed and colourful animals on it.  I’m not sure if I will do all walls or just a feature wall, not sure how “busy” it will look when it’s up…

Pretty boring room full of plastic toys and looking a bit dumpy.  There is a gorgeous spiral staircase (complete safety hazard but beautiful feature)  so might try to make something more out of that.

Going for a jungle theme so have selected some oversized stuffed animals.  Internet is saturated with lovely large stuffed animals but cheapest vs quality I found were from Ikea (lets face it we wont have them for long so I’m not paying £60-£100 each!).

Also some faux greenery to add to the theme (these are from Dunelm).  And what, house with children, isn’t complete without the Ikea storage solution!!!  It’s plain and better than the multi-coloured current storage situation.

This light fitting is my favourite…bit of a fluke because I ordered a small feather light shade from Dunelm (link) (currently on offer £20 instead of £25) but it was too small for the room.  I then found a larger shade at M&S and joined the two to make this chandelier effect.  Really easy and quite a statement, give it a go.

Waiting for everything to arrive so will post the AFTER shots shortly.

R x

This was at the time, our most ambitious renovation because it involved a loft conversion.  The apartment was the entire top floor of this beautiful building which was perfectly situated and absolutely massive inside (even before the loft).  It had incredibly high ceilings and large lofty rooms.  The attic was untouched and prime for an extension.  More on that another time…

Lux Penthouse entrance hall before and after

The entrance was tired with green paper and a red carpet (removed almost immediately so not shown here).  We updated this very cheaply by painting the stair faces and spindles white and varnishing the treads and bannister walnut to add a classic feel.

The green paper had a lovely art deco texture so we painted it a dark grey (good for high traffic areas because it doesn’t show scuffs and marks).  I think we used Farrow & Ball railings for this in eggshell so it had a subtle sheen with a slightly lighter grey on the top to add contrast.

Added a runner with a contrasting trim and changed the light fitting for something a bit more masculine and hey presto!

More on this project to follow soon…x

I’ve started this website to share my love of interiors, to re-inspire myself and hopefully others, to remember to pause in this busy life, take notice of our surroundings and make the best, most fabulous, lives for ourselves.   I will be sharing some recent renovations, before and after shots and ideas as well as details of some products sourced along the way.  The opportunities available to all of us are endless and with a bit of elbow grease we can achieve our dreams.  I’m a firm believe in envisaging what you want for yourself and working really hard to achieve it!  It doesn’t have to be a dream, you can get it for yourself!!!

This journey has been a long time in the making…after an unfortunate historic family incident, I managed to purchase a shared ownership starter home in Hounslow at the age of 18.  Anyone familiar with Hounslow will know that it was hardly living the dream, but it proved to be the start of something inspirational and productive.

The house was a tip, I had no knowledge of DIY, and no money, but how hard can it be right! I could read and learn and that is what I did.  Working 2 jobs and studying a correspondence course in law, in the little spare time I had, I built and installed a Tesco flatpack kitchen in that starter home along with painting, laying laminate floors and frugally furnishing.  With plenty of research/inspiration from Living Etc and Home & Gardens the place was transformed into a mini slice of heaven.  

When the time came, that little starter home was sold to a lovely little family which meant a healthy deposit for my next move to lovely Richmond!   My new house was a choice between an ex-brothel or a 2 bedroom cottage (in which the poor old man who had owned it for several years had died).  Well beggars cant be choosers….I went for the latter.  Followed by more midnight elbow grease and an unfortunate A&E visit (where the doctor had to remove my red nail polish and sew my finger back on whilst I explained how not to use a jigsaw!), I polished that little place up a treat. 

Sold that one for another healthy profit in a matter of months and so on and so forth.  You get the idea.  Visualise, work hard, really hard, and you WILL achieve.

You too can make your own destiny, take inspiration from others, shed your ego, work hard, focus and you can get there.  If this website helps in any way with that, its mission accomplished for me.  Recently my enthusiasm  has waned (probably something to do with having a full on 15 month old whilst trying to run a business and do another house up).  I’ve been racking my brain about how to get myself back on track and perhaps an alternative career at the same time (please excuse affiliated links although, I would say, they are all personally recommended by me)…I thought what about a blog!  Bit late to that party obviously, with no experience and massively out of my comfort zone (a bit dyslexic) so bear with!  Happy viewing and I hope if nothing you enjoy looking at the pictures and feel inspired x