Arranging an off-market deal can be a great way to get the home you want in a heated market, as first-time buyers Amelia and Damon Barrett discovered.
‘Period homes always sell super quickly round here, so after we were outbid on another house, our mortgage advisor suggested putting notes through doors on the same street,’ says Amelia.
The couple funded the kitchen extension with a £20,000 loan, but ended up borrowing £15,000 more to get everything fully finished. Luckily, Amelia’s parents kindly paid for their kitchen, and Damon’s plasterer, joiner and electrician friends helped out on evenings and weekends.
Damon also built wardrobes, put up panelling and created the media wall in the family living room, as well as fitting tiles and laying flooring in the bathroom. ‘We spent more on sash windows, the big rooflight and a more expensive floor,’ says Amelia. ‘There were also costs we hadn’t factored into our renovation budget, such as building control and structural engineer’s fees. Doing up the house in stages really helped, so we could save up in between.’
The open plan kitchen
‘Planning permission was already in place, but we tweaked it by moving the kitchen to the middle rather than at the rear,’ says Amelia. ‘It works better as you’re not walking through a second lounge to get to the kitchen. We also added a bigger rooflight and changed a window into double doors.’
Amelia’s must-have was a large island in the open-plan space. ‘It made sense to put the sink on the island as I wanted a range cooker within the old fireplace,’ she says. ‘You can get a lot of people in here, so it’s great for entertaining, and it’s sociable if one of us is cooking and the other is watching TV.’
‘We were going to have open shelves either side of the range cooker, until an interior designer on Instagram suggested putting tall cupboards there to make it look more high-end. We also had a shelf made by our joiner to enhance the period charm,’ says Amelia.
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‘I kept the wall units light as there’s no window in this part of the room, but with the white Omega stone worktop, the island could take a darker colour,’ adds Amelia.
‘Our second-hand extending table is paired with upcycled chairs from family and a vintage bench from an old pub near my parents’ home. It’s a relatively big piece of furniture so it doesn’t look lost in the space.’
The living area
‘Damon adapted the media unit, which also hides the boiler, using larder cabinets from the same company as the kitchen. I was worried it would feel too big, but we chose a sofa with a lower back to keep the space feeling open,’ explains Amelia.
The living room
A dedicated living room provides a more formal entertaining space.
‘The previous dark teal was too overpowering for me – I wanted a more neutral shade with a cosy carpet,’ says Amelia. ‘The alcove cupboards were painted white, but after adding a light carpet, we felt a darker shade would work better.’
The green velvet footstool is the perfect centrepoint to the room – Dunelm’s Max design is similar and has the added benefit of providing storage too.
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Guest bedroom
‘This was our bedroom for the first 18 months, but it was quite warm in summer and a bit noisier, so we moved to the first floor at the rear. The panelling creates more of a focal point, as the bed felt a bit lost against the back wall,’ says Amelia.
‘I swapped the strong blue walls for this paint colour that I was desperate to try, with elements of green, beige and grey,’ says Amelia.
Bathroom
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The bathroom was also transformed.
The couple lived with the faded textured wallpaper and peeling linoleum for two years before starting the bathroom refit.
‘I wanted a freestanding bath and separate shower, but they wouldn’t fit,’ says Amelia. ‘I wasn’t keen on Damon’s suggestion of a short deep bath, while extending into the nursery would have made that room small, so we compromised with a shower over the bath and chose a stunning brass panel to elevate the design.’
A wooden bath rack, like this from Amazon, completes the look
Nursery
Their two-year-old son’s small nursery is located at the rear of the house.
‘We reinstated the picture rail and coving from when the previous owners lowered the ceiling for the loft conversion, then added panelling,’ says Amelia. ‘I’d seen Cole & Son’s Florencecourt wallpaper available from John Lewis on Instagram and loved it, so everything was based around that.’
FOCUS ON… media walls
Take inspiration from the Barretts’ combination of form and function and create a stylish focal point for the living room, which neatly houses the television while offering plenty of storage
- MAKE A PLAN Whether you’re aiming for a luxury built-in look or something more budget-friendly, a media wall adds visual impact and maximises your space. Think about what you want to include: TV size, sound system, storage cabinets and lighting. A central position with good viewing angles and minimal glare works best. Measure everything meticulously and sketch out a design, or use free online planning tools such as SketchUp, MagicPlan or Ikea’s Kreativ app.
- CHOOSE MATERIALS Paintable MDF is a popular and affordable choice for the frame, while high-gloss finishes or wood veneers can elevate the look. Add LED strip lighting – like this from Amazon – for ambience and consider fluted panels or cladding for texture. Built-in electric fires are also a popular addition beneath the TV.
- WHAT WILL IT COST? A basic DIY set-up costs from £800 to over £5,000 for custom-built versions. To save money, try building the framework yourself using MDF sheets and battens, then finish with paint or panelling. Ikea’s Besta, Eket or Havsta cabinets are a budget-friendly base for bespoke-style results.
Follow Amelia’s progress @amelia.home
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