Real homes

‘The dining area has the lovely original parquet, but the kitchen was
concrete so we had to work out how to make them complement
each other. We did consider having the same flooring throughout,
but when I saw these floor tiles in Wickes, I thought that actually
using them to zone the two areas was a good idea’

Home makeover: ‘My home is an oasis of calm’

Rather than buy an expensive pre-painted bath,
Tilly sprayed the tub herself. She also made the simple blind out of colourful fabric from Bluebellgray edged with fluorescent ribbon

Bathroom makeover 'My yellow bath makes me smile'

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Home makeover: ‘It feels like we’re living in Palm Springs’

Julie’s kitchen is a sociable space thanks to the central island. It was the main reason Julie wanted to extend the kitchen, and now she can enjoy cooking and entertaining

Kitchen makeover 'Our kitchen has designer style at high-street prices'

Office makeover: ‘My small home office has all I need’

‘I love art deco, which is why we’ve used a lot of brass and velvet furniture pieces,’
explains Raya. Walls painted in Johnstone’s Dresden Dream are the perfect
backdrop to the lush navy velvet sofa and feature wallpaper from John Lewis
& Partners, while shelves in the alcove provide a place for plants and trinkets

Home makeover: ‘Our home is cool & quirky with a bit of edge’

Although the bathroom is now smaller, Sina’s
low-key style choices and restrained white and grey palette creates a feeling of space. Improved storage – including deep, under-basin drawers – keeps
surfaces clear and everyday toiletries out of sight

Bathroom makeover: ‘Downsizing has made a big difference’

‘The layout of the house sold it to us,’ says Sam. ‘It was still a building site when we first saw it but we instantly got a feel for the flow of the place and the potential it had’

Home makeover: ‘We’ve given our new-build bags of character’

Kitchen makeover: 'Extending our kitchen has been life-changing!'

Kitchen makeover: ‘Extending our kitchen has been life-changing!’

Living room makeover: 'It's now my favourite room in the house'

Living room makeover: ‘It’s now my favourite room in the house’

‘I painted the plaster effect on the beam using leftover paint from the pink wall in the extension. It’s quite a narrow space so the open wooden shelves from IKEA are perfect for storing essentials without the need for wall cabinets’

Home makeover: ‘The extension was a game changer’

Homeowner Melanie

Home makeover: ‘Our soft Scandi scheme is so calming’

A simpler layout with a tiled bath and compact vanity unit and toilet has provided a fresher feel

Bathroom makeover: ‘Our family bathroom now works for all of us’

Good idea! Use wallpaper as well as paint to upcycle furniture, as Gillian has with the terrazzo print on the inside of her glass cabinet

Home makeover: ‘My new-build helped release my creative potential’

Kitchen makeover: 'We gave our kitchen a retro revamp for under £900'

Kitchen makeover 'We gave our kitchen a retro revamp for under £900'