Five years after buying my first home, I could never have imagined then that this little cottage in Epsom would be the backdrop to my blogging life on BritishSyleUK. The house although structurally the same, has a completely different look and feel to when I first moved in. Gone is the red living room carpet, kitchen ’tile effect’ laminate and (gulp) bathroom carpet. Gradually over the five years, I’ve left my stamp on this home by creating a bright and open plan living space with plenty of storage for clutter. The garden has offered more privacy as the shrubs and trees have grown and I’ve created a BBQ and seating area where once was a parking spot.
In all honestly, if it were possible, I would pick this house up and move it to Chorleywood, Herts where my Fiance lives. But instead, I’m managing to hang on to it for now and rent it out instead. I’m really excited to be finally moving in with my wonderful Fiance – it’s about time we lived together! And, he’s even letting my have his home office which is his (underused) architect’s studio – more on that coming soon as I’ll be putting my own stamp on that! If any of you have architects in the family or as friends, you’ll know their obsession with all white finishes to interiors… well all I’m going to say is that I have a BLANK canvas to be working with when I move in! Redecorating an entire house is daunting, but I’ll be sharing my experiences with you on here step by step and showing you a little more of my own personal style. The first room has got to be my toddler’s bedroom though, as it’s important for us that he settles in quickly and I want him to fall in love with his new bedroom. My brief from Little K is he wants black, white and yellow… so wish me luck!
I’m writing this surrounded by packing boxes and my home no longer feels the same after taking my artwork and prints down. I realised it’s the prints and art on your walls that really makes a space yours. Forget about everything else because as soon as you take those frames off the walls – it feels really bare and impersonal. But the sooner I pack things up, then the easier it will be to prepare your home for rent! But for now – here’s a few before and after photos of my lovely little cottage in Epsom…
Bedroom before
Bedroom after
You can read about my tranquil bedroom redesign project here : )
Living room before
Living room before
Living room after
Living room after
Open plan living room, kitchen and dining area
Read more living room related posts – there are too many to list individually!
Little K’s room before
Little K’s room after
You can read about Little K’s bedroom updates here: Animal Map of the World | Flytastic aeroplane themed nursery or children’s room
Kitchen before
Kitchen after
I’m not going to include the bathroom, hallway and utility room photos as I don’t have any befores! But I feel I’ve achieved a lot in this house, especially as a single parent and on a low budget. But the start of a new chapter awaits and I can’t wait to share it with you all!
Natalia xo
