Better by design

Carla's first home was a blank slate ready for her to unleash all her creativity and design skills, and the effect is just 'wow'

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THE OWNERS Carla Elliman (@carlaelliman), a graphic designer, lives here with her partner, Fraser Edwards-Cleaves, who works in sales, and their cat, Bramble ('after the gin cocktail')

THE PROPERTY A 1992 threebedroom semi in Chester

PROJECT COST £3,095

'I really like colour blocking. It's a good way to zone a space,' says Carla. 'Sitting in this corner, it feels like the colour's giving you a bit of a hug.'

Walls painted in Teal and Orange 01, Lick, and Brilliant White, Leyland Trade. Yellow chair, Homesense. Trunks, Made. Side table and lamp Ikea. Prints, Juniqe

"We wanted to hide the cat's litter tray so we bought an Ikea unit and cut a hole in the side to make her a little cat house."

Ivar cupboard, Ikea. Rug, sofa, coffee table, and throw, Made. Cushions, H&M Home, Ikea, Habitat, and Made. Stool, Homesense

When buying a house that needs a little or a lot of work to make your own, the greatest renovating skill you can bring to the table is patience. The patience to sit with the dubious design decisions of the previous owners and get a feel for how you can make better ones. The patience to learn how the house flows before you start impulsively knocking things down and ripping things out, and risk ending up with renovator's regret. The patience to trial and error your way through learning new skills and techniques as you gradually discover and learn to express your style.

For graphic designer Carla Elliman, it took two years of living in a boring beige' box before she was ready for the transformation. And the gloriously colourful results, skilfully achieved for only a few thousand pounds, were absolutely worth the wait. We chatted to her to learn her tips for taking a measured approach to a makeover.