It’s been a year since we moved in and a lot has changed. On day one we painted the kitchen and spent the first four days stripping and painting the bedrooms so they would be liveable right away. Since then we’ve made steady progress, and there’s still plenty left to do.
In the dining room the only additions so far are a new light fitting and curtains. We love our Hever dining table from Noa & Nani — it seats five chairs and a bench, so eight people can sit comfortably. We’re rearranging the furniture this weekend and I’ll share an update after that. Eventually I’d like a different door or patio doors to link the dining area to the new decking.
The living room hasn’t been drastically altered either. We removed the wallpaper the first weekend, updated the wall lights, curtain pole and curtains, and added a rug and soft furnishings. My plan is to replace the fireplace with a faux log burner one day — I love the look but true log burners are costly to install.
The kitchen has had the biggest cosmetic overhaul. We painted the yellow walls on day one, laid Luxury Vinyl Tiles, and I painted the cupboard doors with Frenchic Al Fresco in the shade Cool Beans. We still want to remove the wall tiles and install new worktops, so more changes are coming.
The hallway made us laugh when we first saw it because the rug was glued to the carpet. We’ve replaced the flooring with the same Luxury Vinyl Tiles from the kitchen and I’ve painted all the woodwork in Dazzle Me and City Slicker from Frenchic Al Fresco. Stripping the wallpaper is a big job so we’ve been saving that for later. I’m planning to paint the door a sage green in spring.
Downstairs, the toilet had purple wallpaper and tiles. Small updates made a big difference: a modern toilet roll holder, towel rail, a new seat, tile stickers over the old tiles, and green paint on the walls — a family vote and green won.
We made a major change to the bathroom by knocking down a wall to create one large bathroom instead of a separate toilet and shower room. We kept the recently installed shower but replaced everything else: white walls, new wall and floor tiles, new basin and toilet, and a roll-top bath as the focal point.
The master bedroom is almost finished; we stripped the wallpaper, laid new Luxury Vinyl Tiles from Carpetright, and painted the cupboards with Frenchic. We’ve been creative on a tight budget and I’ll share a full reveal soon. Other bedrooms were also improved: wallpaper removed, carpets replaced, and new beds with storage added to make the most of the space. Noah’s room got new carpets and a fresh coat of paint, and we’ve rearranged furniture to maximize space.
One room remains largely unchanged. We’re looking at new floor tiles to replace the dated 1970s pattern, and there’s some damp that needs treating with specialist paint. I’m also upcycling the units there because the brown finish isn’t for me, though the storage is useful.
Outside, we removed the fish pond, rockery, greenhouse and pagoda and decked the patio areas where the pond used to be. We still need to lay patio where the rockery was; I’d like a rattan corner sofa there because that spot gets the late-afternoon sun. We’ve painted the fences grey. At the front, we pulled out some bushes to allow both cars to park side by side on the drive. Next steps are tidying the parking area, removing more shrubs, and creating a proper home for the bins.
We’ve achieved a lot in one year and it’s been an exciting journey. There’s still much to do, but I’m looking forward to seeing how the house evolves over the next year.
