A 1930s semi-detached house in Alfreton, Derbyshire, transformed from dated decor to a boho aesthetic for under £2,000. Leanne Ward and her partner Ashley Simpson purchased the property in February 2020, drawn by its architectural features: bay windows, high ceilings, and original coving and picture rails. They hadn’t been actively searching for a new home but had always admired this row of 1930s houses during their daily dog walks, so when one came up for sale, they acted quickly. The couple, who live with two pugs, undertook all renovations themselves during lockdown, leveraging furlough time to modernize the space on a tight budget.
The Kitchen Transformation
The kitchen, initially a dark oak structure with fruit-design tiles, underwent a £150 makeover. Ward painted the terracotta hexagonal floor and applied Rust-Oleum floor chips to create a terrazzo effect, opting for black to modernize the look. Inspired by painted kitchens seen on Instagram, she chose black to make the space feel more contemporary. She took the doors off for the first few cabinets but found it too much hassle, so she finished the rest in situ. The entire makeover cost about £150, fitting within their overall budget focused on paint and soft furnishings. The couple postponed plans to knock through to the dining room, prioritizing a quick fix instead of waiting for builders.
Living Room and Bedroom Updates
The living room, a favorite for its happy atmosphere, was repainted in stages. Ward initially hesitated to paint the upper walls dark green, opting for a darker pink first before switching to Johnstone’s Ivy Sky. A £50 Dracaena fragrans plant from Facebook Marketplace became a standout feature, its eight-year age adding to the pressure of care. The plant’s mature size required special attention, and its placement in the corner made it a focal point. Colorful art from Juniqe tied the space together, reflecting her Instagram-favored style at @sixtysevenbelmont.
Moving to the back bedroom during Christmas, Ward stripped floral wallpaper to reveal good-quality lining paper. She painted the walls pink with a yellow stripe around the top. It wasn’t long before she fancied a change, as the color scheme felt a bit childlike. She went more neutral, but that felt too boring. To spice it up, she created a spotty animal print wall opposite the bed, which took two days.
She started off using a stencil but then went freehand as it was hard to match up the shapes. Then she went even bolder with a nature-inspired wall mural on the side wall. She practiced beforehand on paper to see what colors and shapes worked together and then scaled it up on the wall. The room now features rattan furniture and plenty of plants, and they replaced the red floral carpet with a calmer alternative.
Bathroom updates included painting marble-effect tiles white and blackening textured wallpaper to match the granite-effect shower panel. Ward hinted at future plans for a walk-in shower but deemed the current setup functional. She painted the textured wallpaper above in black, creating a modern look that harmonized with the granite-effect shower panel opposite. Although they’d like to eventually replace the bathroom and install a bigger walk-in shower with a tropical spa feel, it suits them for now.
