After converting the loft to create more space and renovating the family bathroom, the owner of this three-bedroom apartment in North London turned her attention to the kitchen. She wanted to to improve the kitchen and dining spaces to accommodate a growing family.
‘The original layout of our kitchen didn’t work for a couple of reasons,’ says the owner. ‘It was originally two rooms – the kitchen had a doorway leading through to a separate, small annexe by the garden. Which we called the summer room as it was just too cold to use during the winter.’
‘This small annexe space was pretty redundant as we only used it for drying the laundry and for access to the garden.
The kitchen itself was far too cramped for all five of us to sit and eat together. There was barely enough room for a table, and having friends over was a fiasco!’
She wanted to create one kitchen and dining area by combining the two rooms. Extending the property wasn’t an option, so she had to make the most of the space she already had, which meant a lot of thought went into the new kitchen idea.
Image credit: Future PLC/ David Giles
The owner toyed with the idea of two-tone Shaker-style units, before deciding that a more clean, contemporary line would be better for the space. She chose Beckermann units from the Estrada range in two shades of grey gloss laminate.
Speaking of her grey kitchen idea the owner explains, ‘The bank of light grey units helps make the room feel lighter and larger, and separates the storage zone from the cooking hub.’
Image credit: Future PLC/ David Giles
One of the last decisions before ordering the kitchen was to include a kitchen island idea in the new design. ‘We felt that the room would look too empty without one, but the kitchen supplier didn’t think that there was enough space.’
‘We decided to reduce the size of the island so it wouldn’t impact the room too much. We’re so pleased that we opted for this simple solution – it has made the kitchen very practical and has given us extra storage space.’
Image credit: Future PLC/ David Giles
The owner saved money by reusing some of the original kitchen appliances such as the oven, fridge freezer and even the pull-out tap.
Image credit: Future PLC/ David Giles
This kitchen mixes rustic textures like brick and wood to soften the look of a modern kitchen. Exposed areas of brick wall add texture, colour and interest. A colourful glass kitchen splashback idea adds a fun touch.
Image credit: Future PLC/ David Giles
The owner wanted a bright and spacious eating area so that the family of five could sit and enjoy mealtimes all together. She also wanted a garden view.
‘We’re ecstatic with what we’ve achieved. The kitchen has now become the heart of our home, and it’s wonderful having the view of the garden from the dining table. There really isn’t anything at all that we’d change!’
The post Before and after: reworking the layout creates a kitchen-diner fit for family life appeared first on Ideal Home.
A walk-in wardrobe may be desirable, but let’s face it, these bespoke storage spaces don’t always come cheap. There’s a reason why they’re a celebrity favourite. However, with a trip to IKEA and a little hard work you can save a fortune building one.
That is just what Megan Righelato from Essex did when she updated her bedroom and wardrobe area. If you’re short of bedroom ideas or have been stuck on wardrobe storage ideas, then this makeover is a lesson in great planning and creative thinking.
Having moved into the house she shares with her boyfriend in October 2020, Megan was keen to turn her bedroom into a soothing sleep space with the walk-in wardrobe of her dreams.
Image credit: @megsathome
Beige walls and carpet, curtain-free windows and lots of scuff marks meant the bedroom in Megan’s new home was in desperate need of a makeover.
‘We’re having to budget as we’re renovating the whole house and adding an extension downstairs next year,’ Megan told online retailer MattressNextDay.
‘We spent approximately £1,000 building our walk-in wardrobe and renovating the bedroom. Keeping costs low by doing everything ourselves, as paying for labour is usually the biggest expense.’
Image credit: @megsathome
On the other side of the room, a small mirrored wardrobe just didn’t live up to Megan’s dream of a large clothing closet. She began to think about how she could use the space better. With the average cost of a labourer around £200 per day, it would likely have cost Megan about £800 in labour. However, she was determined to do the work herself.
‘As we both work full-time we could only dedicate our weekends to working on it,’ she says. ‘It took about six weekends in total.’
Image credit: @megsathome
Fast forward to now and you wouldn’t recognise it as the same room. Gone are the plain walls and dreary decor. Now a smart bed, wall panelling and beautiful lighting combine to create a stylish hotel feel.
‘We wanted to go for a calming vibe, so we kept the tones neutral,’ Megan explains. ‘However, we used black accents to add more modern touches throughout the room, such as the black sockets and the statement chandelier overhead.’
Image credit: @megsathome
On to the walk-in wardrobe idea, which Megan made after watching YouTube videos. Large enough to store all her clothes and shoes neatly, the wardrobe area looks much more expensive than it is.
The bespoke space is filled with plenty of drawers and rails, a small dressing table area and vinyl herringbone-effect flooring.
‘It was a bit of a nightmare to get our heads around, but with the help of YouTube we ended up mastering it,’ she says.
‘By the end, I realised that it’s important not to be afraid to make mistakes and realise that it always gets worse before it gets better. We got to a point where it felt like it was never-ending, but we are so pleased with the result.’
Image credit: @megsathome
Another way that Megan saved money was by buying cheaper (but good quality) wardrobes and finding ways to make them look more bespoke.
‘We purchased IKEA’s Pax wardrobe units for around £600, but added beading to the drawers to match the more traditional style of our bedroom, such as the panelling,’ she says. ‘We then painted them in Crown’s Satin White and added cup-shaped handles to the wardrobes to make them look more expensive.’
Megan’s done an amazing job and it’s a space to be proud of. You can see more of Megan’s home on her Instagram account @megsathome.
Has this inspired you to create your own walk-in wardrobe?
The post DIY-er saved £800 on glamorous bedroom makeover with a smart IKEA Pax walk-in wardrobe appeared first on Ideal Home.
