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My home

 We bought this house in late 2009. It had been owned by one family for 50 years and needed everything doing to it. I like to do the work myself as much as I can. I've always painted but now I find myself getting braver with carpentry and plumbing as well.



 I like to spend as little as possible so I'll look at the expensive catalogues for inspiration but try to create the look from secondhand finds. Old furniture is more substantial than new and I don't do 'real' shops. Just charity shops, car boot sales and flea markets. It's all about the thrill of the chase and finding potential in things. I like quirky, industrial, farmhousey, European vintage furnishings.
I'm a firm believer in working with what you've got.

I'm taking my time with the work on the house, doing things as we can afford to and aiming for minimum disruption to our family. I fail at that part. It's often chaotic around here.

Let me show you the good bits.

The painted stairs...



before
My gustavian inspired wine table... was dark wood





The hallway...



My beloved Barbola mirror collection...





My daughters room...






I covered a mirror frame in vintage patchwork...




I re built these cupboard doors that started out as ugly flush 1960's doors...




and changed them to tongue and groove for a farmhouse look...



I still have to finish her furniture...






My room...


I painted the chest of drawers...






I painted my bed...


My dressmakers mannequin had a hessian makeover...


The corset laced back


 The living room...

The stone fireplace was £30 from ebay. BEST BUY EVER!




I painted these vintage crates...




I painted an old dresser that came from ebay...


The chair was a £30 junk shop find.

 

I'm looking for a matching sofa!


I used vintage lace and doilies to tart up a lampshade...


My upcycled milk painted desk started out as a brown dressing table...


The garden...








I built raised beds from scaffold boards. I grow cats.



The dining room

The farmhouse dresser underwent an epic makeover...




My china collection - most of it was car booted for next to nothing.



You can never have too many breadboards...


My hand painted car booted chandelier...


The window cost 20p from a boot sale and I painted the lettering on it...



The kitchen...

This makeover is ongoing. So far for under £300 I've changed the doors from these...


to these...


to these...









 Floors have gone from this...


and this


and this




and this



 to this


and this


For more information you can get the links on the 'before and after' page or type in the search button. There's lots more work to do! Please come back again.


12 comments:

  1. Anonymous8 October 2013 at 12:19

    Hi Emma, Found your blog today - what a beautifully designed home. I love white/neutral homes with a rustic feel. They are so homely and warm. I am loving the mix up of dining chairs and the ornate bedroom furniture - adds such character and style. I also like how you use stunning display units for your treasures, rather than hiding them away in cupboards - it makes a house a home in my view :O)

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  2. Angela1 January 2014 at 20:14

    Love your website and blog. Have you got any tips on how to wax or ??? something else, not sure what, a pine kitchen table. Just stripped it down as it seemed to look a bit orangey now it is bare wood looking so much better but does it need to be waxed to protect it from stains or does it need a varnish. We want it to look old and reclaimed wood style, but want something that can just be wiped down or sprayed with anti bacterial spray and nothing will happen to it. Got a young toddler who will probably want to draw on it too!! Any ideas please if you don't mind that is, thanks so much. angela

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    Replies
    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style2 January 2014 at 14:39

      Thank you Angela! I would definitely wax or varnish it. Try an inconspicuous area first as whatever you chose will darken it again. If you really want to keep the pale look you could try wood bleach and a paint wash before you seal it? Check out my dining table posts. Wax or varnish will both be fne but I'd avoid oil based varnishes as they darken over time and look more yellow. Waterbased ones are fine. If you go with wax make sure you get a really clear wax. Just brush it on and polish it off 10 mins later. I often do one or two thin coats of waterbased matt varnish, then wax over the top. Hope that helps!

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  3. Elaine from myinteriorslife.com6 February 2014 at 22:21

    Hi Emma, your house looks great and you have clearly put a lot of work in.

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  4. Trisha Bryant7 February 2014 at 12:05

    Absolutely outstanding!! - A true work of art, and so beautiful!!

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  5. Gabrielle16 April 2015 at 12:09

    "I grow cats". That just made my day. Thanks for your post about ESP!

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  6. Emma Kate at Paint and Style16 April 2015 at 15:29

    You're welcome!

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  7. Mary in New Mexico17 December 2015 at 20:59

    What a fantastic kitchen -- and house! Read your blog about ESP and followed link to your kitchen. It wasn't finished when you wrote the blog. Took me awhile to find this page of your whole house. It was worth it. You're amazing! Can't believe that kitchen was revamped for under 300 pounds. Love the cabinets and counters. And the wall behind the stove is wonderful!!! A vivid splash of pure joy/fun. It's made my day. Many thanks!

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I love to hear your comments!