Looking to bring more colour into your home and don't know where to start? We'd recommend exploring Di Roome's vibrant home for maximalist interior design inspiration.
You know what they say: more is more.
Feature by Stephanie Smith. Photography by David Giles
I’m Di Roome, 58, a retired lettings agent, and I live with my husband Steve, 57, a construction director, and our cavapoo Alice. I document my reno journey on Instagram @our_casa_flamingo.
Where I live
My home is a four-bedroom, detached, 1970s house on the outskirts of Derby, which we moved into in April 2008.
What I wanted to change
Every room needed decorating. The kitchen needed extending to create a kitchen-diner, the loft was crying out to be converted, the useless garage could be repurposed, and we were keen to make a bar area.
How I made it my own
The only things that we haven’t changed are the retro glass brick wall behind the bar and the balustrade, which we’ve sprayed. We've added lots of colour and floral wallpaper, every ceiling is painted a colour, not white, and the dining room has a wallpapered ceiling.
My favourite part
It’s a tricky one – my husband would argue the kitchen, but I think I'm going to have to stay the loft conversion with my wonderful big bathroom and dressing room where I can see all my clothes at a glance.
This is the first house my husband Steve and I bought together. When we met, I was living in a Victorian apartment in Nottingham, but we needed more space for Steve’s children from his first marriage. So, it was a choice between character or size, and we went for the size option as this house has four double bedrooms, one of which we could make into an office.
The same person had lived in it since it was built, and it was good structurally, but dated, so a blank canvas for me. I love a house to be colourful, homely and fun.
We’ve done plenty since we moved in, including going into the loft, adding a chimney breast, and converting a garage into a veranda and a cloakroom, as well as changing the decor.
We nearly had to start again from scratch after a terrible fire in February of last year, which started with a tealight in the kitchen. Although it was contained by the fire brigade, the smoke damage was awful, affecting all the rooms but one, and we ended up living in a caravan on the drive for six months while the repair work was carried out.
We gathered up and washed all our accessories and clothes ourselves in the garden and packed them away into 85 boxes. Steve says he could have had a Porsche if I didn’t buy so many things! It’s only recently that I can call the house finished all over again. But I love the way it looks now.
Living room
This used to be the dining room, but we swapped the two around last year. This space escaped the smoke damage as it had a better threshold on the door. We swapped the rooms because we liked the idea of somewhere cosy with a fireplace and I’d always wanted a mantel to faff with.
Neither room had a chimney breast, but Steve worked out he could build one out of MDF. Because of the slope of the roof, we couldn’t have our top choice of a wood-burner, but we’ve put in a lookalike electric version, which gives out plenty of heat and is the focal point of the room.
Taking the stunning Lucy Tiffney wallpaper as the inspiration, we bought a new green velvet sofa and chairs.
Kitchen
We had a white kitchen before the fire, and had to replace the whole thing after it happened, including the floor and ceiling. I thought I’d want like for like, but when it came to it, I realised I wanted something different. So, instead of white, I went for a green kitchen with gold handles.
I liked the idea of creating a permanent spring vibe in here, so it’s mainly greens and yellows and a few touches of pink, inspired by the Diane Hill wallpaper.
The fire started with a tealight, so please everyone: make sure you have a small fire extinguisher in your home.
Hallway
The large hallway still has one of the only original features of the house, the metal balustrade which is also on the landing. It was covered in layers and layers of white paint, and I hated it. But, due to budget constraints, we knew we’d have to live with it for a few years.
Eventually, though, I fell in love with it. I sandblasted it and sprayed it purple, and now it goes well with the wallpaper. I’ve also upcycled a sideboard that’s great for storage, which was originally grey. It looks a lot better in shocking pink and I’ve added palm handles and put up some of my favourite art above.
Cloakroom
The cloakroom was created out of a section of the unused garage and it’s extremely useful to have something on the ground floor. The focal point is an upcycled unit, which I painted in a Valspar shade from a tester pot that I matched to the wallpaper.
After the fire I also got round to tiling the back of the washstand, something I’d always planned to do. The wallpaper is a small-scale version of the wallpaper behind the bar – it’s a clever idea to offer options, depending on the size of the room. The floor tiles also match the bar ones.
Landing
We have a huge landing, but it was a bit of a puzzle to know what to do with it, so I’ve created a fun seating area with pink round chairs that swivel.
Someone asked me if anyone ever sits there, and I can say yes – whenever my friend and her kids come round, we love to go and sit up there and chat and it’s a good spot to get away if someone’s watching TV in the living room.
The seats are actually really comfortable, and I’ve put them on a rug to define the area. I’ve carried on my pink and green theme in here with the wallpaper and pink paintwork for continuity.
Main bedroom
We put the stairs in here when we converted the loft, and I’ve made sure they’re in the same green as the ceiling and the skirtings, so they blend in. I love the flower wallpaper in here and it’s great not to have to worry about wardrobes and storage, as it’s all been moved upstairs to the dressing room, so we can easily keep things tidy.
The painting over the bed is by one of my favourite artists, Kerry Darlington from Wales, who describes herself as a painter of stories. I’ve added plenty of tactile fabrics in here, like the pink velvet throw, and my cushion, which says Wake Me Up For Champagne and was from Ted Baker, makes me laugh.
En suite
The en suite is part of the loft conversion, along with a dressing room, and both are accessed via stairs from our bedroom, which was the only space the stairs would fit into. We didn’t need another bedroom, and I loved the idea of a dressing area, plus an en suite with a lovely big bath which was totally private.
Having a bath up here and not just a shower is bliss for me. I’ve stuck with the pink and green theme, with a similar wallpaper to the bedroom, and I painted pink and green stripes up over the ceiling. Who doesn’t love a stripe?
Guest bedroom
I’d always wanted a lilac room, so now the kids are all grown up with homes of their own, it was time for me to go for it.
It’s the only room in the house where we’ve put in panelling, for some interest, and painted it lilac, of course, with floral bedding and a lilac throw, as well as upcycling a little chest of drawers. The tub chair belonged to my late parents, Margaret and Roland, so it’s lovely to have it as a reminder.
Second guest bedroom
‘The second spare bedroom has a tropical theme, with jungle wallpaper, but it still has the same little touches of pink as the rest of the house. I’ve mixed some rattan in as well with the headboard and central lampshade, plus bedside lamps and the flower-shaped chair.
It’s darker and moodier than a lot of my home, but has those bursts of colour that you’ll see in every room for a cohesive feel. I’ve also picked up a gorgeous throw from Lucy Tiffney to soften the scheme.’
Dining room
The old living room has become the dining room, and although this room was damaged by smoke, we managed to keep the floral wallpaper we loved on the ceiling by scrubbing it thoroughly. We’d bought this table years ago but had kept it in storage as it was too big, and we didn’t need to seat that many people.
Then, when we were looking for a suitable one for this room, we remembered it and cut it down to fit the space. I’ve teamed it with yellow chairs and upcycled an old sideboard and lamps, which I painted purple.
Bar
The area that led to the hallway had walls that served no purpose, so they came down and we turned it into a bar. Steve, who is really handy at DIY, actually built the bar, out of IKEA bookcases and MDF with a resin top. We’re a great team, as I design, paint and direct, and he works out how it’s possible and builds it!
Using bookcases really works, as you’ve got all the little sections at the back to store the bottles and glasses. We’re big entertainers and I started off with three bar stools, but it’s proved so popular that I’ve just ordered another three. Currently the bar’s called Bubbles, but I’d like something more dynamic. So, if you have any ideas, please contact me on Instagram!
Bookcase bar hack
Try these ideas for transforming a run-of-the-mill bookcase into a glam bar area with a resin countertop
- Think carefully about the space you have and how big the bar should be. Using bookcases is a great idea as it gives you a basic structure and leaves plenty of options for storage at the back.
- Work out the dimensions and cut out a piece of paper the size of your bar base and place it on the floor to see what it looks like and whether there’s enough room to move around it, and for bar stools.
- Deciding on the height of the bar is key. You need to make sure it’s comfortable to sit at and works with your bar stools. To help you work it out, sit in some kitchen showrooms and look at breakfast bars, or even take out your tape measure when you’re in an actual bar.
- After positioning the bookshelves in your desired arrangement, add an extra MDF frame if the height isn’t right and put a flat piece of MDF across the front for a seamless look. Add wooden batons to the MDF to make it look more interesting and paint the bar in your chosen colours.
- Create the countertop by cutting one to size in MDF and think about adding an overhang for seating. If you want a wavy shape, like Di’s, consider where the seats will be when creating the curves.
- To give your bar the wow-factor, use resin on the countertop. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions and add a raised edge to the countertop to hold the resin. Add in a pop of colour and swirl everything round to get an interesting finish.
What I learned
- Be patient and don’t rush into major decisions. I spent five years being convinced I was going to get rid of the metal balustrade, but eventually I fell in love with it, and after spraying it purple I love it even more and can’t imagine it not being there.
- Just because you see other rooms looking amazing on Instagram, it doesn’t mean it will suit your house or your style. I love pictures of dark and moody rooms, but I tried it once and it just sapped all my energy.
- Don’t hold back when it comes to going wild with paint colours on vintage pieces that you pick up for a few pounds. If you don’t like the colour you paint it in, you can always start again.
