House Tours: Renovated 1920s Property

Join House Tours this month as we go behind the scenes of Claire and Dave's gorgeous renovated period home and find out how they bought a £47,000 kitchen for £4,000!

Buying a house can be such a nerve wracking process. The threat of being outbid or having an offer rejected, along with the general anxious wait, makes it a really stressful process. For Claire and Dave, their hopes were dashed many times before they found their dream home.

"The good and the bad all lead us to where we are meant to be"

Seeing the house was love at first sight. The property has real period character and includes a Grade II listed section. Unfortunately, most of the original features had previously been ripped out, but Claire had a vision of what she wanted to do and started planning the transformation.

The initial plan was to replaster the bedrooms before moving in, and then leave the rest of the work to do bit-by-bit as a gradual project. However, once they exchanged contracts and were able to take a closer look, they decided it made better sense to do all of the renovations before moving in. Thankfully they were able to remain in the flat they had been living in for a few more months.

The results are stunning. The 1920s house has been transformed into a home with real character style and Claire has used a fusion of vintage period details and contemporary styling.

Wall Panelling

Wall pannelling is making a big comeback and brings instant personality to a room. All the rage in Georgian and Victorian homes, wood panelling was originally used as a practical way to insulate rooms. Now, with our modern heating solutions, there is no longer the need to add extra insulation, and panelling can be used to add unique character and retro elegance. Panels can be painted in accent colours, bold brights or dark, rich shades.

Claire has used a combination of different wall panelling styles, and what a transformation it has made! Such a simple feature, bringing an instant impact.

1. Wainscoting

Claire installed wainscoting panels in her daughter's bedroom to give a decorative feature as well as a hardwearing practical solution. Wainscoting is a great idea for rooms that need protection from general wear and tear, such as hallways, stairs and children's rooms. Unlike wallpaper, wainscoting can be easily wiped down or touched up with paint.

Wainscoting is a type of panelling installed on the bottom half, third, or sometimes two thirds of a wall. Used frequently in the eighteenth century, it can be topped with moulding, a dao rail or decorative beading.

Claire also had the genius idea to top the wainscoting in her daughter's room with a dado rail and architraving on its side to create a narrow shelf, which is perfect for trinkets and provides a striking architectural feature.

2. Beading

Claire wanted to create a dramatic panelled effect in the sitting room but with the renovation budget dwindling, she needed to find a low cost way of achieving the look. Beading was the answer - this creates faux panels across the wall which can then be painted to make it look like real panels.

Beading is a low cost option, and the beading strips can be bought from a local timber yard at £2 for a strip of approx 2-2.4 metres long. Claire added a decorative dado rail as the finishing touch. It took her carpenter three days to complete the job, and the walls were painted in a school house white. Stunning!

3. Tongue & Groove

Tongue & Groove or Shiplap is probably the most popular style of wood panelling and has versatile application. This type of decorative wall cladding is characterised by horizontal or vertical planks. For period properties, like Claire and Dave's, the vertical planks offer a simple elegant look, but you can also use this style of panelling to achieve a rustic country farmhouse style by installing the planks horizontally.

Finish off the tongue & groove panelling with a dado rail or an architrave.

Period Doors & Beehive Door Knobs

Most of the original period features of the house had been removed or modernised, but a pair of stunning stained glass double doors remained. They lead into the porch where there is a main set of doors to the outside.

Claire was faced with a dilemma about these beautiful doors. While she wanted to keep them, the external porch doors were forty years old and needed replacing. If the door were replaced with a single door, the porch would need to be reconstructed and the stained glass doors would have to go - thankfully she has decided not to do this and the feature doors will be staying!

For the interior doors, Claire wanted to find door furniture that would not only complement the rest of the decor, but also incorporate that fusion of period character and modern style.

What better choice than classic panelled oak doors with ebonised beehive door knobs and antique brass ball bearing butt hinges. Period style with contemporary flair.

The beehive door knob has its roots in the Georgian era and was a popular door knob during the Victorian years. In polished rosewood or the more modern ebonised finish, beehive door knobs tick all the boxes for a home renovation.

The ball bearing butt hinges Claire chose are suitable for any door, but in particular doors in frequent use or heavy solid wood doors. These door hinges are fire rated hinges, made from solid steel and certifed fire rated CE1121. With a choice of four finishes, including antique brass, these butt hinges co-ordinate with any interior colour scheme.

Upcycled Chic

Claire has a real flair for upcycyling, and this is a great way to get the look you want on a budget. Restyling old pieces of furniture means that you don't have to throw out and start again.

The biggest upcycling saving Claire and Dave made was in finding a £47,000 kitchen for £4,000. Wow! And that included a rangemaster and other appliances. Incredible value. How did they do it?

Used kitchen exchange is the place to go to find approved ex-display/used kitchens at a fraction of the cost.

The chest of drawers in her daughter's bedroom was picked up on FB marketplace and with the clever use of frog tape and frenchic paint, Claire created a gorgeous deisgner look item. For more upcycling ideas check out Claire's instagram account @interiorantidote

Claire's Renovation Tips

Whatever your budget, add a third at least! You never know what you are going to come against so have that extra saved to be prepared.
Look for little ways to save pennies. We paid a fraction of the cost of a new kitchen by finding a used kitchen and upcycling.
Only go on recommendations for tradespeople. We have had a few horror stories with so-called professionals who didn't work out.
Be prepared to compromise.

Thank you for joining us and a big thanks to Claire and Dave for sharing their amazing renovation with us. Head over to Claire's instagram page @interiorantidote for more updates and behind the scenes renovation news of their stunning home ❤️

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