Style at Home

TOTA L£1,326TURN OVER FORMY SHOPPINGLISTSTYLE TIP‘Carry your accent colourthrough in unexpectedways, like garlands’FROM THE LOFT’Samantha, 32, usedcandy shades andtransformed piecesto brighten up herbrand-new kitchenWhen this two-bedroomflat came on the marketI didn’t think I’d be ableto afford it at first,’ saysSamantha. ‘I’d beenliving in a flatshare in Crystal Palace andreally loved the area but there was noway I thought I would ever be able tobuy my own home in London.After doing a few sums and working outthat I could rent out the spare room, mydream looked like a reality. I viewed the flatand was completely blown away. It hadhigh ceilings, was painted white throughout- so I could put my own stamp on it – andall the fixtures and fittings were included.Plus, as it was a new-build, I’d haveno-one else’s decorating disasters to fix!Choosing my styleI’ve always loved interiors and I was soexcited to be able to decorate my flatexactly how I wanted, especially after livingin a flatshare, where I was restricted onwhat I could change. Leading up tothe move, I spent lots of time creatingmoodboards on Pinterest, and flippingthrough interiors magazines for inspiration.I’m a big fan of bright colours and, asthe kitchen was sage green, I decided tobrighten it up with copper and coral hues.Ever since I first saw a chalkboard wallin a magazine I’ve liked the idea, and so thesame weekend I moved in, I got to workcreating one – it was the first thing I did,even before I unpacked. I love the sense offun it lends to the room and my nephewenjoys drawing pictures of dinosaurs on it.``````Easy revampsI’m a big fan of upcycling furniture and,having quite a tight budget, I spent whatI did have on a few pieces of second-handfurniture and then raided my parents’ loftfor anything that could be given a newlease of life. The Ikea kitchen trolley hadbeen gathering dust in my dad’s garage,so I nabbed it to create an extra worktopand a bit more storage. I painted it withchalk paint to give it a bit of personalityand added a metal rail to hang teatowels. On the shelves, I slotted two``````| 99KITCHEN MAKEOVER Love ithousetohome.co.uk/styleathome SEPTEMBER 2016