If you're about to embark or have embarked on a house renovation it can be daunting to think where you’re going to get some inspiration for your new project.
You may be one of the lucky ones where interior ideas come naturally but the rest of us need some help to get the creative juices flowing. Interior house magazines are a brilliant source of information but do you find yourself thinking the rooms are too big or the products are way out of your price range and what you’re really yearning for are some real life projects?
Maybe you’ve bought a shell of a house that needs a complete makeover or maybe you want to give your living room refresh after a couple of years, either way it’s easier to get some inspiration when you space (and budget) are similar to other peoples. That’s why we find interior bloggers, real people, on a real budget working their magic in a room that has no flush walls and an oddly shaped chimney breast, a refreshing change from the glossy pages of magazines.
Some of our favourite bloggers aren’t even interior designers but on the same journey as we are, with a wicked eye of what works in what room.
The Frugality – www.the-frugality.com
Updating a living space can be as simple as changing the shutters - www.the-frugality.com
Alexandra Stedman is a fashion editor by trade but her blog, The Frugality, is the go to place to for house renovation inspiration. After buying a shell of a house, Alexandra and her husband have put in a ten-year plan to finish their project and her blog is a way of documenting the progress on different rooms as well as sharing inspiration and bargain hunting tips.
Alexandra doesn’t put an Instagram filter on her renovation project, she tells it how it is and more! If you think you need bringing down to earth with how easy renovating a whole house is then give her renovation posts a read. Three ceiling collapses, no kitchen and a baby on the way… no problem!
Mad About The House – www.madaboutthehouse.com
Balanced colour palettes prove you shouldn't be afraid of dark walls - madaboutthehouse.com
Kate Watson-Smyth is a journalist who has been writing about property, interiors and design in national newspapers for twenty years, so she knows her stuff.
Her blog, Mad About The House, is full to the brim with interior inspiration from before and after photos of her own house renovation to where to buy the best brass handles for kitchen cupboards. There are even some chuckle-worthy anecdotes about terrible architects and posts that make you say “who knew I wanted a tin ceiling in my kitchen?”
If you’re in the market for a new house and have a spare couple of hundred thousand then Kates ‘Househunter’ section is for you. If you just like to have a nosy at how others have decorated their kitchens and bathrooms then it’ll be right up your street too.
Fifi McGee – www.fifimcgee.co.uk
Beautiful clean lines in Fiona's kitchen - www.fifimcgee.co.uk
Turning a city home into a country dream is Fiona and her husband Neil who have been doing up their Brighton home since 2016. The pair got tired of waiting for their farmhouse dream to happen so decided to renovate a 3-bed semi-detached instead.
Fiona’s blog is a breath of fresh air for those who haven’t found the dark grey ‘downpipe’ trend too appealing. The house renovation gives all kinds of ideas how to achieve a country chic look without being too twee and Fiona gives all kinds of recommendations along way from her favourite removal companies to the best online tile suppliers.
