We Have A Small House, A Tiny Budget… But Big Ideas

The Westons stretched themselves to buy a small, dark, former rental, then got creative to turn it into a family-friendly home.

Play with shapes

‘Our old sofa accentuated how long and thin the living room is,’ says Sarah. ‘Swapping to an L-shaped one has opened up the space and stopped it feeling like a corridor.’

BUY THE KEY PIECES

Vallentuna sofa, £690, Ikea. White cotton oak flooring, £56.99sq m, Quick-Step. Rug, £99, La Redoute

Desperate for a house and more space, Sarah and Jon Weston sold their Edwardian maisonette in Twickenham in 2013 and started looking in nearby Isleworth, where prices were slightly lower. ‘It was the house no one wanted,’ says Sarah. ‘It had been rented out and still had beer cans in the bedroom, but we could just about afford it! I think people were also put off by the small leaded windows at the front, which made it very dark.’

After taking advice from Sarah’s dad on the practicalities, the couple decided to go ahead with the purchase, moving in with Sarah’s parents for three months while the windows were replaced and the back of the house remodelled. ‘Putting in bifold doors turned the kitchen into a lovely family space,’ says Sarah. ‘We can work or cook while the kids run in and out from the garden and the patio creates extra space. Bifolds also bring in loads of light and make the room feel much bigger. Replacing the windows with sashes did the same and looks more in keeping with the age of the house. We also painted the exterior white, to cover up mismatched brickwork from previous renovations.’