‘It used to be SEVEN BEDSITS!'

Emma and Matt’s blend of Victorian detail, antique finds and colour hits has created a unique and eclectic family home

- DOMINIQUE CORLETT/GEORGIE RODGERS

We’d dreamed of moving to Cheltenham; it’s close to my parents, and not too far from our former home in Birmingham,’ says Emma. ‘However, buying somewhere that needed work was the only way we could afford to live here, and this house certainly needed lots of TLC.

It consisted of seven bedsits, and the original features had been stripped out. Our offer was accepted in May 2011 and we had to move fast to convert the rundown rental into a family home by Christmas. So as soon as we collected the keys, we headed around to the property with a sledgehammer at the ready!

First steps