Our home is full of POSITIVE VIBES'

Having created a bold, eclectic home with her late husband Pete, Mel's passion for interiors is central to her healing journey

- KAREN WILSON

After 10 years of living in London, I got the opportunity to move back to Manchester at just the right time,’ says Mel. ‘It was 2010 and I’d been working as cabin crew for Virgin Atlantic Airways when I met my future husband, Pete, in Ibiza. He was DJ-ing at Space nightclub and it was love at first sight. Our worlds collided and we knew we were supposed to be together.

My dad had just evicted yet another bad tenant from a property he rented out in Sale, and offered us the house. He’d had some terrible tenants over the years, so he’d had enough of being a landlord. Faced with the choice of struggling in London where house prices were so high or going back to Manchester, it was an easy decision for us to make.

All change 

The house was in a real state, so we had it replastered before decorating. With no savings, everything went on a credit card and we put up with the tiny kitchen at the back. Although we made it look nice, our budget makeover didn’t last long, and when our daughter Elbie was born we realised we needed more space.