We are… Mandy Naldrett (@mrsnhome), 40, a catering lead duty manager at a retirement complex, and my husband Andy, 44, a duty manager at Tesco, our three children, Aimee, 20, Ryan, 15, Harry, 7, and our two Pugs, Ronnie and Reggie.
Where we live… A three-bedroom, end-of- terrace, 1950s ex-council property in Eastbourne, East Sussex.
After years of moving from one rental property to another, Mandy Naldrett and her husband Andy dreamt of buying their own home in their beloved seaside town of Eastbourne. ‘Andy and I were absolutely fed up with renting,’ explains Mandy, ‘we’d paid out thousands over the years to landlords and really wanted to invest in a house locally and get on the property ladder.’
The couple had worked hard to save for a deposit and, in 2009, were finally in a position to start looking around. ‘Our daughter Amy was six at the time and our son Ryan had just turned one, so finding a three bedroom property near to a good nursery and primary school were our top priorities,’ says Mandy. After an initial search, the Naldretts realised that their budget wouldn’t stretch to anywhere that had already been renovated, and so started to look for a project property, eventually finding this 1950s ex-council house. ‘Although it was set back from a main a great central location and near a decent school,’ says Mandy.
The property was in a sorry state and every room was in a terrible condition, with plaster coming off the walls and filthy carpets. The kitchen was outdated and falling apart, and the bathroom hadn’t been replaced since the house had been built. However, it was affordable and had great proportions downstairs, a large back garden and three good sized bedrooms. ‘We could see it had potential,’ Mandy explains, ‘we were just going to have to dig deep!’
Redesigning the kitchen
Although they were ready to take on the challenge, the couple still initially felt a little overwhelmed by the amount of work needed. ‘I remember just after moving in standing in the kitchen and crying! The walls were bright yellow and every cupboard either had the door falling off its hinges, or no door at all! But, with no money left in the kitty, we had to make do and mend,’ says Mandy. They fixed up the kitchen and the rest of the house as best as they could by deep-cleaning it, white-washing each room, and ripping out all of the carpets, to get it into a liveable state while they saved. ‘Our absolute priority was replacing the kitchen. It took a good few months before we could afford a new one, but that made it even more rewarding when we finally walked into Magnet to choose our new kitchen cabinets!’
At the time, Mandy decided on classic cream Shaker-style cabinets which, luckily, she still loves, but the black worktops and stainless-steel sink and fixtures they originally chose have since been replaced with oak-effect laminate worktops, a white ceramic sink, and a vintage brass tap and cupboard handles. ‘We also recently changed the vinyl flooring to porcelain tiles, which looks so much better,’ Mandy explains.
Updating the bathroom
Another big job was renovating the bathroom and updating the 1950s sanitaryware. ‘Andy loves a shower, and I had my heart set on a bath, but it’s a small space and couldn’t squeeze in both, so we decided on a “cube” shower bath, which was the perfect compromise,’ says Mandy. ‘Andy then splashed out on a digital shower, which at the time I thought was bit extravagant, but it’s an absolute godsend not having to wait a long time for the water to heat up!’
Over time, as their budget has allowed, the couple have transformed each room, stripping back years of old wallpaper and paint, replastering walls and ceilings and redecorating, doing the majority of the work themselves to save money. ‘I’m not sure what we would have done without all the DIY tutorials on YouTube,’ Mandy smiles.
The living room
Downstairs, they’ve removed the internal doors to create more of an open-plan feel, and swapped out the old back windows with double French doors, giving the family easier access to the garden and making the room sunnier and brighter. ‘The living room is quite big and long, so we reconfigured the space to create a dining area at one end,’ says Mandy. ‘I found a gorgeous farmhouse table and chairs for pennies on Facebook Marketplace to fit the space, which we brought back to life with a lick of paint. We also laid new oak-effect laminate flooring, which looks like the real deal for a fraction of the cost, and ripped out the old 1950s fireplace and gas fire, replacing it with a red-brick surround and free-standing, woodburning stove. This is one of my favourite projects in the house. It is so cosy and didn’t break the bank!’
Pretty floral wallpapers in combination with panelled walls painted in soft neutrals feature in every room, and have become Mandy’s signature look. ‘Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve loved visits to the countryside and that cosy, country style. The rustic, natural textures and pretty, floral patterns really appeal to me,’ she says. ‘I wanted to create that look in our home, which hasn’t been so easy in a bland 1950s ex-council property, particularly when every room in it feels blocky and there are no period features.’
The couple had to use their imagination, trying out different styles of panelling and feature wallpaper to add character and texture to the walls, then focused on sourcing affordable furniture that was the perfect fit for each room. ‘I have loved styling all the spaces over time, hunting around charity shops and vintage markets to find candlesticks, old paintings, and rustic accessories to pair with my frilly cushions and floral papers,’ says Mandy. ‘Each piece has a little story behind it, and I love that!’
Although this renovation was quite a journey, it was worth it for Mandy and her family: ‘The saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day” rings very true for us – it has taken us a long time and a lot of hard work to get our home to a place that we are happy with, but we couldn’t be more delighted with it now,’ she says. ‘We’ve come a long way and are so proud of what we’ve achieved.’
Feature and styling Marisha Taylor, Photos James French
