My Houzz: British Blogger Puts Her Stamp on a Rented Cottage
The best part about the changes to the cabinets, counters and walls? They’re easy to reverse when it’s time to move
Victoria Harrison
February 11, 2018
Editor, Houzz UK and Ireland
It takes a skilled eye to see the potential in an unfurnished rental home, and when interior design blogger Hayley Stuart moved into this 1930s farm cottage in southern England four years ago, she realized what it could become with a little love and attention. Fast-forward to today, and the boring off-white rental is now a characterful and cozy home for Stuart and her family.
Photos by Chris Snook
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Hayley Stuart; her husband, Jordan; their two boys, Rex and Mack; and their French bulldog, Arthur
Location: Hampshire area of England
Size: Three bedrooms, two bathrooms
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Hayley Stuart; her husband, Jordan; their two boys, Rex and Mack; and their French bulldog, Arthur
Location: Hampshire area of England
Size: Three bedrooms, two bathrooms
When Stuart and her family moved into the Hampshire cottage, it was in good condition but, like many rentals, rather lacking in personality. It had been painted off-white throughout and was, as Stuart puts it, “very bland.”
“Being tenants means we can’t make any structural changes, but we are allowed to paint and make other decorative updates,” she says. “As such, I have updated almost every room in the house, and it really feels unique to us now.”
“Being tenants means we can’t make any structural changes, but we are allowed to paint and make other decorative updates,” she says. “As such, I have updated almost every room in the house, and it really feels unique to us now.”
“The living room was the first room I properly decorated,” says Stuart, pictured. “I based the color scheme on a photo I found online of a wedding table dressed with deep autumnal hydrangeas and vintage brass candlesticks.”
The sofas were the first purchase Stuart made, and they set the tone for the rest of the design. “I did think about painting a feature wall in Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke,” she says. “But once the sofas arrived, I changed my mind and decided to go all white and let the furniture and accessories do the talking instead.”
Sofas: Sofa Workshop
The sofas were the first purchase Stuart made, and they set the tone for the rest of the design. “I did think about painting a feature wall in Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke,” she says. “But once the sofas arrived, I changed my mind and decided to go all white and let the furniture and accessories do the talking instead.”
Sofas: Sofa Workshop
In keeping with the rich tones of the living room, the dining room has a similarly dramatic feel thanks to a smoky gray feature wall and a dramatic black chandelier.
Vintage finds and salvaged treasures add layers of interest and character to the space. Stuart’s shopping skills ensured that most of the finds were affordable.
“I went to [flea markets] and searched Gumtree for unique vintage pieces,” Stuart says. The rug was about $7 (5 pounds) on Gumtree, the British version of Craigslist.
Wall paint: Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball
Vintage finds and salvaged treasures add layers of interest and character to the space. Stuart’s shopping skills ensured that most of the finds were affordable.
“I went to [flea markets] and searched Gumtree for unique vintage pieces,” Stuart says. The rug was about $7 (5 pounds) on Gumtree, the British version of Craigslist.
Wall paint: Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball
A carpenter made the weathered dining table using antique scaffold boards. A scaffold-board shelf above the bench complements it.
A standout feature of this room is the chandelier, which Stuart made herself using about 4,000 beads. “It was hard work but fully worth it,” she says.
Stuart’s dad made the window shutters in the dining room, and they are one of her favorite elements in the space.
“I think they absolutely make the room,” she says, “and this is now my favorite place in the house.”
“I think they absolutely make the room,” she says, “and this is now my favorite place in the house.”
The kitchen is one of Stuart’s more recent makeovers. “I put it off,” she says, “because we obviously don’t own the property, and although I’m sure our landlord would have loved us to put a whole new kitchen in, for obvious reasons that was not going to happen.”
The biggest change she made to the space was to upgrade the floor with a herringbone-patterned vinyl floor covering.
Flooring: Online Carpets
The biggest change she made to the space was to upgrade the floor with a herringbone-patterned vinyl floor covering.
Flooring: Online Carpets
Two clever tricks that Stuart used in the kitchen makeover were to replace the cabinet handles with homemade leather pulls and to cover the existing tiles with tile stickers for a fresh and colorful new look.
Both updates can be reversed if required, but they modernized the space and gave it a fresh new look.
Self-adhesive stickers: Pixers; browse wall decals
Both updates can be reversed if required, but they modernized the space and gave it a fresh new look.
Self-adhesive stickers: Pixers; browse wall decals
This creative corner in the kitchen is another showcase for Stuart’s artistic skills. Against a backdrop of Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe, Stuart created a feature wall using aged wooden spoons to frame two vintage-style prints and a calendar. Besides creating an interesting visual feature in their own right, the spoons also give a fun nod to the culinary nature of the space.
Unusual vintage-style accessories, such as this perpetual calendar, helped transform the cottage from a blank canvas into a family home. “My favorite places to buy homeware are antique and vintage shops,” Stuart says. “They are filled with treasures that have helped to give our home lots of character.”
Other changes in the kitchen include a new door painted in a pretty pink. It leads to the utility room.
Door paint: Dead Salmon, Farrow & Ball
Door paint: Dead Salmon, Farrow & Ball
The utility room, seen on the left past the kitchen, used to be a cold and uninviting space. “It was a no-go zone, apart from quick trips out there to put washing on,” Stuart says. “It had a stone-cold concrete floor and bland veneer [countertops]. It ended up being a dumping area for cardboard boxes and was just a bit depressing until I gave it a makeover.”
The smart, budget-friendly face-lift gave the space a new lease on life.
“I knew I had to stick to a budget because, although we don’t have any plans to move just yet, we know this house is temporary,” Stuart says. “So I covered the [countertops] and cupboard fronts with removable self-adhesive stickers and got a brand-new carpet [remnant] for the floor to warm up the space.”
Self-adhesive stickers: Pixers
“I knew I had to stick to a budget because, although we don’t have any plans to move just yet, we know this house is temporary,” Stuart says. “So I covered the [countertops] and cupboard fronts with removable self-adhesive stickers and got a brand-new carpet [remnant] for the floor to warm up the space.”
Self-adhesive stickers: Pixers
Stuart gave the room a fun vibe by really embracing the botanical trend. “It also meant I could incorporate my love for plants into the space,” she says.
The master bedroom has also been revamped a few times since Stuart moved in. “I’m in love with boho style,” she says, “and the bedroom felt like the perfect space in which to create that relaxed feel. I love color, so I collected lots of boho-inspired scatter cushions for our bed from Next and Ikea.”
A vintage Persian rug from eBay warms up the floor and unifies the room design.
A vintage Persian rug from eBay warms up the floor and unifies the room design.
“My inspiration comes from all over the place,” Stuart says. “I love mixing old and new, and I think this has allowed me to make our home unique. Upcycling is also a huge part of our decor — I love creating a new purpose for an old item.”
Other boho touches include a macramé plant holder and woven baskets, as well as plenty of leafy plants in terra-cotta pots.
Woven baskets: Homesense and Ikea
Woven baskets: Homesense and Ikea
“Our bathroom was my most recent project,” Stuart says. “After using tile stickers in the kitchen, I knew they would be a great option for here, and I managed to find some Victorian-style ones on eBay. The results were incredible, and the space has been transformed from a dull and clinical room to an inviting sanctuary.”
Stuart also brought in plants to liven up the room and used a vintage ladder from her husband’s work to serve as a towel rack.
Stuart also brought in plants to liven up the room and used a vintage ladder from her husband’s work to serve as a towel rack.
The children’s rooms are decorated with just as much care and creativity as you would expect from Stuart. Rex’s room, shown here, has cheerful wallpaper and a fun “camp” bed.
“I tried to avoid going with things that were current to their interests, as they move on very quickly,” Stuart says. “Instead we chose more timeless themes that the boys could get involved with.”
Self-adhesive wallpaper: Pixers
“I tried to avoid going with things that were current to their interests, as they move on very quickly,” Stuart says. “Instead we chose more timeless themes that the boys could get involved with.”
Self-adhesive wallpaper: Pixers
Mack’s bedroom has a woodland theme. A tepee with a faux-grass rug inside makes a fun addition, along with toadstools, a leaf garland and a scattering of garden gnomes.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
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Love your style,especially the tile decals.
Probably a bit late but I’m curious how the tiles held up? Do they still look good or were they difficult to clean. Adore your bedroom posted I the comments! Very inspired!