Real homes

Brighton is a treasure-trove of
vintage shops, so Georgia was able
to fill her room with second-hand
finds for a characterful scheme

Bedroom makeover: ‘I created a cottagecore look with reclaimed buys!’

The cool, unwelcoming colours of Jannine’s old bedroom scheme have been swept away by warm, earthy tones and natural materials in everything from the bedding and accessories to new wardrobe handles

Bedroom makeover: ‘Our room is so much brighter and happier now’

The custom vinyl floor tiles from Atrafloor (since closed), was Helen’s biggest splurge. ‘The flooring cost around £800 but it’s been down for five years, and you can wipe it clean, which is great with young kids,’ she says. ‘I found the dining chairs on eBay at £80 for the set and the John Lewis & Partners dining table was only £100 in the sale’

Kitchen makeover: ‘Our open-plan kitchen-diner pops with colour!’

Lindsey is a colour lover, and feels most at home in bright and cheery, yet minimal, spaces. To achieve her signature look in the kitchen-diner, she went for white, handleless cabinets with plain tiles and lots of fun, colourful accents

Home makeover: ‘My colourful décor brings me so much joy’

pink and red tiles

Bathroom makeover 'We planned every detail of our pink and red bathroom'

‘As a renter, I like to spend my money on things we’ll take with us if we move, like beautiful cushions. I got this Palmeral design in the House of Hackney sample sale, the striped cushion is from John Lewis & Partners, while the floral embroidered one is from Projektityyny, one of my favourite shops for home accessories. We love to display family memories, so the shelving in this room was a big draw for us when we first saw the house. I bought the curtains on eBay and they tie in well with the DFS sofa’

Home makeover: ‘Personal touches have made our rental a stylish family home’

Sylwia combined sharp lines, floor-to-ceiling tiles and navy accents for a contemporary scheme that’s practical, too

Bathroom makeover: ‘We turned a cupboard into a Scandi-inspired shower room’

Kitchen makeover: 'My once tired kitchen now looks peachy keen'

Kitchen makeover: ‘My once tired kitchen now looks peachy keen’

‘I adore how it has all come together. It’s such a lovely, calming space to relax in’ says Julie

Bedroom makeover: ‘From a dark, serious space to fun and colourful!’

Yellow kitchen: 'Bright yellow has given my home a happy sunny twist'

Yellow kitchen: ‘Bright yellow has given my home a happy sunny twist’

Bryony has created a lovely dressing table area for herself in the spare alcove, choosing an inlay table and elegant velvet and gold chair to add to the eclectic look in this room

Boho-chic terrace: ‘I future-proofed our home with a timeless colour palette’

blue coastal bathroom

Blue bathroom makeover: ‘Our coastal style bathroom feels like summer’

The family also has a separate living room to retreat to. In keeping with the rest of her home, Heena has decorated it in a soft grey palette, introducing small pops of yellow for a splash of colour

Minimalist 60s semi: ‘We extended our house to reflect our evolving style’

The bedroom is quite big, so one of the challenges we faced was filling the space without exceeding our budget,’ says Sameera. She wisely chose a few investment pieces to elevate the look of purse friendly, high-street buys

Bedroom makeover: ‘We swapped plain walls for boutique luxury’

‘Although I went for a sleek, all-white kitchen, I still wanted a relaxed look. Adding textiles, like a simple tablecloth, is an easy way to soften a room. The kitchen is from Lubina Kitchens and the sofa is from Next. The textured porcelain floor tiles are from Tile Mountain and are great for hiding marks’

Home makeover: ‘I wanted to embrace a calm home’