Homeowner Denise has transformed a tired old house into a vibrant home that’s packed with personality, warmth and colour
Denise Brough admits that for many years she walked past the house she now calls home without even noticing it. Built on an incline, the three-storey detached house is unassuming, standing quietly in a busy riverside town. Inside, though, it’s a very different story: the house sings with jewel-box colours, bold ideas and assured design touches.
Six years ago, however, that wasn’t the case. “I was looking for property in the area which I could really put my stamp on,” Denise explained. “Many of my friends have taken on ‘doer-uppers’ with fantastic results, so I wasn’t fazed by the prospect of a renovation project. As soon as I walked into this place, I thought, Oh, hello...!”
The townhouse had been a holiday rental for some years and every room was bland and tired. “In a way that helped because it was like a blank canvas which made it easier to visualise what could be achieved,” Denise recalled.
Nevertheless, there was much to consider. The main entrance opened into a tiny hall with a dated bathroom and two awkwardly configured bedrooms. A staircase led up to the first floor where the sitting room and kitchen were linked by a huge arch, meaning valuable wall space had been lost on both sides. Meanwhile, on the third floor was a large attic bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, all ripe for an update.
“I found the sense of space hugely appealing – there was even a little roof terrace which I loved,” Denise said. She could also envisage that, with some reconfiguration, the ground floor could make a perfect self-contained space for guests in an Air B&B venture she had long been considering.
With a careful eye on budget and timing, she got a recommended builder lined up before she’d even completed on the house, so that work could begin straight away. It was decided that the project should be tackled in two stages: the two upper floors first, followed several months’ later by the guest suite below. “I stayed with a friend while the initial renovation was being carried out, although I did host a New Year’s Eve dinner party here amid all the disruption,” she laughed.
“It was a bit like camping as I only had a cooker in the kitchen, and the washing-up had to be done in the bath downstairs, but it was fun and well worth it!”
By February, enough progress had been made for Denise to move in properly and bring her punchy decorating ideas to life. “I love colour and I didn’t want to play it safe,” she explained. “In the sitting room, for instance, the starting point for the entire scheme was the bright yellow sofa and I simply used that to inspire the overall palette of gold, red and deep blue.”
The adjoining kitchen is now linked by a large open doorway, and Denise has created a completely different vibe – which is influenced by her love of cooking. “I wanted a casual, slightly industrial look that wasn’t at all precious,” she said. “A big range cooker was non-negotiable, and I didn’t want to close in the space with wall cabinets.” Instead, she chose to display her collection of tableware, ceramics and glasses on rustic, painted scaffold board shelving.
Bespoke iron brackets have been used to support them and her myriad utensils hang below on an iron rod. “Nothing is purposefully styled,” Denise noted, “When friends are staying and ask where things go, I say, ‘Put it wherever you like!’ which I think keeps things interesting.”
Finally, the transformation of the ‘guest quarters’ on the ground floor took shape. “I wanted a large welcoming entrance hall to replace the poky corridor, so we reconfigured the layout to make it work,” explained Denise. This meant pushing the awkwardly shaped walls back to create neatly sized double bedrooms, which in turn made the hall much bigger.
A sparkling new bathroom suite completed the overall space, which was finished in a monochrome scheme keeping things classically fresh.
By the following spring, Denise had not only settled happily into her individually stylish home but was also ready to welcome her first Air B&B guests. “I still love it when people arrive assuming that the inside will be as low-key as the outside. Then seeing their reaction when they walk through the door,” she laughed. “It still delights me!”
Photographs: Richard Gadsby/Living4media
Words: Sharon Parsons/Living4media
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