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The cornerstone of any project for me is value. I’m an absolute cheap skate and as a single mum I don’t have much choice other than to start with a teeny budget, so I’ve not been able to replace the units, sink, tiles or worktops. Instead, I worked with what I’ve had for 20 years and did all the graft myself (with a little bit of help from my teen son).
I have always been a great believer that creating a cosy, comfortable and colourful home doesn’t need to cost a fortune. In fact, I managed to bring this latest update in for around £200 and a weekend of my time: that’s the paint, wallpaper, shelves and wood stain. I’ve been hoarding vintage bits and bobs for more than 30 years so I had plenty of frippery already in my collection!
Since I posted on my Instagram page, I've been asked so many questions about where I bought things from, so here's a quick run-through of what I used:
The gorgeous, dark green paint is a Palm Night by Dulux. It's a beautiful, distinctive and versatile shade and, teamed with the off-white of the top units, I think it brings a real heritage feel to this space.
The wallpaper is called Nocturne by Borastapeter that I bought from Jane Clayton and Co. With its intricate floral and leaf designs it gives a nod towards William Morris, and I love is vintage style.
The shelves were a bargain buy from Ebay - I just searched “scaffold shelves and brackets".
The wood stain was dark oak from Amazon and I also bought a matte varnish to seal it. I used this on my worktops and antique cabinet - I love it so much, I wish I'd done it years ago.
And the fringed Boho rug is from Primark Home.
Nicely done!