We don’t think we’ll ever grow tired of seeing how people personalise their space, especially when they’re super creative like this clever DIYer. Working across three rooms, Instagrammer, Emma, from Staffordshire, saved £1,547 by painting her own retro floor murals – and they’re ultra colourful!
Making the decision to paint the floors in order to save on buying a patterned design, it’s saved Emma thousands of pounds. So, whether you’re after some kitchen floor ideas or are thinking of revamping tired hallway decor, glean inspiration from the three rooms that Emma has transformed here…
Image credit: @ahouseonashbank / Leader Floors
The master bedroom was in need of a makeover, so Emma decided to revamp the entire space. ‘We actually had a carpet in this bedroom when we first decorated three years ago, but it just didn’t work for me,’ she recalls.
‘I had the idea of taking the carpet up and painting the floorboards myself. However, the floorboards weren’t in good enough condition to leave exposed, so we fitted new boards over the existing ones ourselves.’
By taking on the task to fit the new floorboards themselves, the couple saved around £500 on fitting fees – not a bad start to the project.
Image credit: @ahouseonashbank / Leader Floors
Here’s how to ensure your floor makes a statement! We love Emma’s choice of colours and how she’s echoed some in the furnishings and furniture.
‘Once we’d fitted the new floorboards, we primed and painted them with the background colour,’ says Emma. Her hand-painted floors are inspired by Orla Kiely’s popular prints. ‘
I made a scaled plan of the floor and pattern I wanted to create, then measured it all out and made a stencil. Most of the patterns I drew with a pencil and then painted them layer by layer to build up the colour, finishing off with three coats of floor varnish.’
Image credit: @ahouseonashbank / Leader Floors
Another room Emma decided to tackle was the spare bedroom. Before its transformation the room had floral-printed curtains and bedding, along with red walls and a mirrored built-in wardrobe.
You won’t believe what it looks like now…
Image credit: @ahouseonashbank / Leader Floors
What a difference! That deep ochre floor colour works beautifully alongside burnt orange and olive green, with another strong design painted on.
‘We chose to paint the flooring as I can never find a carpet that really suits my style,’ says Emma. ‘I just found that it was a really interesting twist on the “feature wall“.’
This room doubles s a home office, with a small desk tucked into the alcove and shelves above – can you spot the Orla Kiely accessories?
Image credit: @ahouseonashbank / Leader Floors
The floor wasn’t the only transformation, either. Along with the ceiling, which Emma painted the same burnt orange colour as she used in her flooring design, the couple also built their own wardrobe doors with hand-made handles.
‘The doors were made to fit Ikea’s Pax wardrobes, to make them completely bespoke,’ says Emma. ‘We had the MDF cut to size at B&Q and then we primed, painted and varnished them ourselves. We made Orla Kiely-inspired handles from offcuts of MDF using our electric jigsaw and sander, too.’
Image credit: @ahouseonashbank / Leader Floors
The final room to get an update was another spare room, which previously had an old floral wallpaper, pink curtains and a floor that was desperately in need of a revamp.
Image credit: @ahouseonashbank / Leader Floors
Emma’s love of retro style is displayed loud and clear in this room, from the painted floor to the mid-century furniture and striking wallpaper.
Having calculated that it would have cost approximately £2,183 to buy a similar-design flooring for each room, Emma was thrilled to have spent just £636 in total, saving a whopping £1,547. It just goes to show what you can do with something as simple as paint.
Creating her dream home through numerous DIY projects, Emma’s painted floors take the property’s interior to another level. ‘I love mixing pattern and colour with retro and industrial styles,’ she told online retailer Leader Floors.
You can see more of Emma’s home on Instagram at @ahouseonashbank. Which of these three floors is your favourite?
The post See how this homeowner saved over £1,500 by painting her own retro floor murals appeared first on Ideal Home.
When the eventual owners found this three bed end-of-terrace house in an attractive part of east London after months of looking, not even the prospect of a significant overhaul put them off.
They were attracted by the property’s mid-Victorian proportions, generous garden and the tranquillity of the street. The owners also knew they could turn it into a contemporary haven, while still respecting its 1860s roots.
Image credit: Kasia Fiszer
‘We looked at about 20 houses before this one, across north and east London, but none felt inspiring,’ say the owners. ‘This was wider than average, on a quiet street yet right in the heart of Dalston, with its urban buzz. It had plenty of potential: we liked the split levels on the first floor, and the original features in the living room.’
‘But we wanted to reimagine the ground floor. Eight One Two Architects came on board early on; our brief was to create a contemporary rear space where we could entertain and connect with the garden. We wanted to retain the Victorian features of the front living room and the main bedroom, update the bathroom and find space for a utility. Ultimately, we wanted to create a ‘modern-Victorian’ home.’
Image credit: Kasia Fiszer
In the renovations, the dividing wall between the original living and dining rooms was removed. They reconfigured the space to enlarge the proportions of the living room.
Here, the fireplace was refurbished for cosy evenings,
Image credit: Kasia Fiszer
Adding a sliding door enables sleek concealed storage or full display, depending on the mood. Extra storage and a drinks bar can be concealed behind the dark wood panel.
Image credit: Kasia Fiszer
The couple added bespoke shutters, a dado and picture rail, plus an ornate ceiling rose, to elevate this space. A green sofa idea and yellow accessories add a vital colour pop.
Adding a simple but bold silhouette like, with this pendant light, is an effective way to update a period scheme
Image credit: Kasia Fiszer
‘The space has transformed the way we live,’ say the owners. ‘The kitchen and snug are where we congregate with friends and cook. Then the living room, with its stove and dark-blue walls, is the place we hunker down in winter.’
Image credit: Kasia Fiszer
The rear was extended outwards and into the side return to accommodate an open-plan kitchen-diner and snug area, which has a bespoke DJ table and wall-mounted speakers.
This informal snug features a smart monochrome palette. ‘We wanted to retain a simple feel that didn’t compete with nature,’ say the owners.
Metal-framed bi-folds with a corner opening allow for maximum connection to the outdoors.
Image credit: Kasia Fiszer
The building was extended to the side to incorporate a generous island with a sleek, contemporary finish that houses a fridge, sink, dishwasher, storage and bookshelf.
Thoughtful touches make the space sing. A quartz surface in Calacatta Gold by Planet Marble cascades over each side of the island for maximum impact. Interior design studio Kemsi also used black kitchen joinery with a light-wood finish on the inside of cupboards for a dramatic, contemporary feel.
Blue velvet bar stools add a vibrant pop, providing a visual link to the walls of the blue living room.
Image credit: Kasia Fiszer
The new space incorporates a deep picture window, lined with the same wood used for the inset kitchen cabinetry. Framed in black metal, looking out to the garden, this creates a simple but strong statement.
It is complemented by the bi-fold corner door that opens fully to the outside from the snug, plus a narrow floor- length window by the sofa.
Image credit: Kasia Fiszer
The bathroom was transformed with a black and white bathroom scheme and a new skylight. Details, such as the sleek handles from Buster and Punch, provided crucial finishing touches.
Image credit: Kasia Fiszer
A modern marbled effect on the feature wall introduces drama to this scheme.
Image credit: Kasia Fiszer
Kemsi designed simple bespoke floating dressing tables either side of the fireplace, which was sourced to complement the age of the building. Simple beading on the wall either side of the bed creates a panelled effect, adding depth to this moody space.
Additional words: Emma J Page
The post Tour this terraced London home: transformed by a clever extension appeared first on Ideal Home.
Whether you’re extending your kitchen, converting your loft or adding a conservatory to your home, carrying out major home renovations can be an exciting time. It can also be a stressful and risky business which is why it’s important to consider renovation insurance to protect you if something goes wrong.
Renovation insurance is a type of insurance policy that is specifically designed to cover all the additional risks associated with home renovations. It will provide protection against damage to structures being built, and provide cover against injury for those carrying out the renovations.
image credit: Future PLC
A standard home insurance policy won’t usually cover you for these additional risks or it will have specified limits in place. S.o it won’t be appropriate if you’re planning extensive home renovations such as a loft conversion or any structural alterations.
The cover provided will vary depending on the policy, but typically you should be covered for:
Before starting any type of home renovation work, it is important to make sure you have adequate insurance in place to protect you if someone gets injured or your home is damaged during the renovations.
For fairly minor home improvements, such as the installation of a new kitchen, it’s worth contacting your current insurer to double check whether your standard home insurance policy already provides sufficient cover. It’s best practice to inform your insurer of any work being carried out on your home anyway.
But for more substantial home renovations you will need to take out a separate renovation insurance policy; an insurance for building works.
‘It is always in the best interest of a homeowner to purchase specialist insurance when carrying out renovation works to their home,’ says James Vaughan, development underwriter at specialist insurer Hiscox.
‘Building works can increase the risk of claims occurring to a property caused by perils such as an escape of water, fire, or even subsidence or collapse for significant structural projects.’
Image credit: Future PLC/ Colin Poole
The cost of renovation insurance will depend on a range of factors. Including the expected length of the project, the estimated costs, the scope of the work being carried out, as well as the rebuild cost of the current property.
‘When purchasing renovation insurance, it is important to engage with your insurer as early as possible. Providing them with as much detail as you can,’ says Vaughan.
‘Some insurers have a preference of 30 days’ advanced notice of the project starting. Due to the complexity of building works, insurance quotes can often take longer to produce compared to a standard home insurance policy.’
You can buy renovation insurance from a specialist insurer or broker online. As with any type of insurance, be sure to shop around and compare your options. This ensures you’re getting the best level of cover at the best price.
Check the small print carefully for any exclusions so that you know exactly what is and isn’t covered.
‘It’s important to remember that with so many different types of renovations out there, you can face a range of problems during your project, setting you back to the start. So it’s very important to ensure you get the right type of cover,’ says Brooke Crisp from Renovation Plan.
Some renovation insurance policies will provide continuous cover once the work is complete. But if not, you will need to revert to a standard buildings and home contents insurance policy, checking that you have the correct level of cover.
‘Renovations could add value to a property as well as the value of household contents,’ says Vaughan. ‘It is important to update the policy to ensure that the right insurance cover is in place.’
The post Renovation insurance: what is it and do you need it? appeared first on Ideal Home.
