Style at Home

baking cakes, so it’s very important tome. The original design had cheap newwhite glossy units that ran down each sideof the room, which meant we had to moveacross the space to access various items.There were other problems, too – theold range in the chimney breast soundedlike an aeroplane taking off when it wasin use, and the cold slate floor tiles were anightmare to keep clean. The new cookerthat I wanted wouldn’t fit in the existinglayout, so I managed to convince Edd thatwhat we needed was a brand new kitchen.A local company helped us design thespace and to fit solid wood units andcomposite worktops. Swapping one ofthe doors for a new window allowed usto create a whole new L-shaped layoutwith enough space for the new range.We didn’t think we could afford tochange the flooring, but at the last minute,we decided it was now or never, so Eddspent a very dusty weekend taking up theold floor with a jack hammer. We chose``````Karndean’s Van Gogh oak flooring, whichwas one of our best decisions becauseit’s practical to clean and warm underfoot- something that is essential in a houselike this, which can get cold easily. Wegradually replaced the hall, downstairsloo and snug floors so they all matchedand it has really unified the space. A year later, we could finally affordto redo the bathroom, too. Removing acupboard from the corner of the roomgave us space for a much-needed separateshower and bath. We had to be carefulwith our budget, so we sourced all theproducts ourselves, mostly from Bathstoreand B&Q, and added character withwallpaper, towels and accessories.Decorative inspirationMy job involves working across threewebsites – Rock My Wedding, Rock MyStyle and Rock My Family – which all offera daily dose of inspiration and prettiness.The only problem is that it has given meSTYLE TIP‘Use a simple displayof logs on a hearthto catch the eye‘HERITAGETOUCHES‘We love the originalfireplace and built-in‘IF YOU LIKE TO CHANGE UP YOUR ARTWORK, TRY cupboards in this room’SLIM LEDGES LIKE THE ONES WE HAVE, ,WHICHLET US SWAP PICTURES AROUND WHENEVER WE LIKE’^HANDY HELPER‘The L-shaped sofafrom John Lewis alsodoubles as a bed’``````housetohome.co.uk/styleathome SEPTEMBER 2016| 43VICTORIAN SEMI Love it