'Everything is now a Perfect Fit'

Colour fan Holly brought vibrant shades, dark wood-effect flooring and metal accessories into a dull space

- By Stephanie Smith

COME ON IN!

ABOUT ME I'm Holly Tarling, 27, an environmental officer. I live with my partner, Roger Greer, 33, a public affairs officer, in a two-bedroom, end-of-terrace house near Reading, Berkshire, which was built in 2000.

THE CHALLENGE Turning a dull and outdated kitchen into somewhere we wanted to be, which incorporated a space for eating and entertaining.

MY WISHLIST I wanted to use blues and pinks in the scheme, along with a wood-effect flooring and touches of marble.

STYLE TIP For expensive materials, such as wood flooring and marble, source affordable alternatives that look just like the real thing.

This is the first house Roger and I have had together,' says Holly. 'We were really excited to move out of a rented flat and buy it after saving for the deposit, despite knowing we'd have to do lots of work ourselves.

Everything in the kitchen was old and dull, in shades of beige and brown, and the fittings were outdated, too. However, it was a good space and there was plenty of room for a dining table and chairs.

Making plans

A large pantry-style cupboard was taking up too much room and we already had enough storage in the units, so we removed it to give us a better idea of the space. The units were sound and we really couldn't afford to replace them, so we looked into painting them, which seemed a possibility. The oven was fairly new so we kept that and the washing machine, plus we bought our fridge freezer from our flat - but everything else had to go.

First steps