I revamped it in UNDER A YEAR

Interior designer Emma Davies is on a mission to show how rented homes don't have to be boring magnolia boxes

- KAREN WILSON

ABOUT ME I'm Emma Davies, 46, and I have an online interior design service (@emmadaviesinteriors on Instagram). I live here with my husband, Damian, 50, a flooring fitter, our son Albie, 17, daughter, Emmie, 12, and cavapoo, Teddie.

MY HOME A three-storey four-bedroomed mid-terraced house in Todwick, South Yorkshire.

We moved here in March 2021.

WHEN WE MOVED IN It was wall-to-wall magnolia with worn carpets and needed some TLC.

AND NOW We've decorated in a dark, moody style with vintage lamps and religious iconography.

STYLE TIP Don't be afraid to mix old with new. Pieces from different eras can work well together. A room should always hold people's interest. If it does, you've nailed it!

We'd been renting a modern three-bedroom semi in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, for about eight years when the landlord decided to sell it,' says Emma. 'Searching for another place wasn't easy, as anything decent gets snapped up quickly.

However, this three-storey house in nearby Todwick came up. Although it was a bit shabby and needed decorating, which put other people off, the village is lovely and the location was perfect, as it's right by my daughter's school. With four bedrooms, it was also much bigger, which was brilliant as I got the opportunity to buy more furniture!

Getting started