‘I'm forever PAINTING STUFF!'

Lucy combined a passion for DIY with her flair for finding thrifty buys to create a home filled with imagination

- LISA FAZZANI

Moving house wasn’t our plan,’ says Lucy. ‘We moved to the area 12 years ago and loved the location, but our house was getting to be a bit small for us – we were fast running out of space.

Then this house came up for sale just round the corner from us. It’s in such a lovely road, had lots more room, a bigger garden and it was in budget, so it all just fell into place and we ended up buying it.

Good bare bones

The house was pretty run down and neglected, with old-fashioned swirly carpets and textured walls and ceilings – there was even an old stair lift. But the good outweighed the bad. For all of its decor downfalls, the house had lots of character and original features, and a lovely light, bright reception room at the front that I knew would make a great studio. Although the house needed a lot of work, Tiff and I had tackled renovation projects before, so we knew we’d be able to make the property how we wanted it – it would just need a bit of hard work and creativity.

Embracing DIY

To keep the project on budget, everything we could do ourselves, we did – such as ripping up carpets, sanding floors, painting and wallpapering. We knew that the kitchen and bathroom would need a bit of extra work and would cost more to complete, so we left them until last so that we could plan and save up for them. I grew up with my mum and dad always doing things themselves while I was young. They bought a wreck and did it up around us, so I’ve never been fazed by hard work. It’s partly a financial thing, never having had tons of money, but there’s also a practical element, too. I always say that if you think you can do it yourself, then you have nothing to lose by giving it a go.

Experimenting