You can save time and money by teaching yourself DIY from scratch – that's exactly how Zoe Rich and her partner Ryan transformed their Victorian home into a stylish, calming sanctuary.
Feature and styling by Marisha Taylor. Photography by James French.
A bit about me
I’m Zoe Rich, 31, an executive assistant, and I live with my partner Ryan Ellis, 36, a senior development engineer, and our English cocker spaniel, Olive.
Where I live
A three-bedroom, late-Victorian, semi-detached house in Bexleyheath, London, which we bought in November 2020. You can see more of our home renovations on Instagram @homeatmayvilla.
What I wanted to change
It needed lots of love and attention. All the walls needed stripping back, replastering and redecorating. We also wanted to knock through the separate dining room and kitchen to create one open-plan space, with large bi-fold doors leading out to the garden.
How I made it my own
We tackled most of the work ourselves at weekends and in the evenings, watching hours of YouTube tutorials to learn how to do tiling, flooring, panelling, and built-in cabinetry. The result is a beautiful home we have put a lot of thought and hard work into, that we absolutely love.
My favourite part
I love the office room. It was the first room that I designed with built-in shelving in the alcoves, and the first room Ryan had a go at building. We get lots of compliments and are very proud of how it has turned out.
Ryan and I were living in a classic two-up two-down Victorian terrace, but we’d outgrown it and really wanted a bigger home with an office, another bedroom, and more outside space for Olive. It remained a pipe dream until the government introduced a stamp duty holiday during Covid-19, meaning we could afford a larger property, but one we would need to renovate ourselves.
We viewed a few properties locally, but nothing felt right until we walked into this house – we knew instantly it was the one! The decor was tired, with built-up paint on the woodwork, lining paper hiding badly cracked walls, and a small, outdated kitchen. However, we fell in love with all the characterful Victorian features, and it had the extra space we’d been craving.
Straight away, we saw the potential to create our dream kitchen-diner. It felt very exciting! First we decorated the living room as it didn’t need much work, before tackling our bedroom so we had somewhere to escape from the chaos. Then, we got started on the kitchen-diner.
Over the last three years we’ve replastered and redecorated the whole house, apart from the bathroom, which is our next project. We’ve saved thousands by doing the work ourselves and, although most of our spare time has been spent up a ladder and covered in dust, we’ve really enjoyed it. We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved.
Kitchen-diner
We never used the old dining room, so it made sense to knock through into the adjacent kitchen to open up the whole space. Luckily, as the footprint remained the same, we didn’t need planning permission.
The chimney breast was removed and we swapped the room layouts, so that the dining table and chairs sit in front of the bi-fold doors and we can enjoy looking out at the garden while we eat. We colour-matched the kitchen cabinetry and island from DIY Kitchens to Drop Cloth by Farrow & Ball, and chose white worktops and pretty zellige tiles to complement the look.
Ryan built the window seat to fit the bay window, and it’s one of my favourite features in the house. It’s now such a wonderful, sociable space.
Living room
Previously this room was painted blue, with a grey carpet. It had recently been replastered so just needed redecorating. We chose a warm grey with a green undertone for the walls and fitted oak-look laminate flooring.
A carpenter built the cabinets in the alcoves, but Ryan added the shelves himself with tongue-and-groove backs to add interest and texture. I spent a long time sourcing affordable furniture and fittings to create a classic look in here.
For example, the sofas from The Lounge Co and pendant light from M&S were both a fraction of the cost of similar products from other brands, but look just as sophisticated!
Office
This room used to be a family room and was painted in a bright, jarring white. We wanted to turn it into a cosy office space for Ryan, so once the room was replastered, we painted the walls in a deep olive green, which looks beautiful with the flooring.
I designed the built-in shelves and cabinets and Ryan built them, adding smart strip LEDs behind the architrave, which looks amazing lit up.
We placed the desk from Dunelm in the centre of the room, on a vintage-looking Zara rug, so it is framed either side by the shelving for symmetry, and we replaced the old radiator with a smart, black column version. We love how this room has turned out.
Main bedroom
This room was one of the first rooms we decorated when we moved in. It has the benefit of two windows, so we decorated it in a soft neutral after we’d replastered the walls, to keep it feeling light and airy.
We chose the black bed frame and large mirror from William Wood to add some drama to the space, and I layered the look with natural textures and soft furnishings. My taste has evolved since we decorated in here though, and we plan to give this space a little revamp after we’ve finished our garden.
Guest bedroom
We finished our guest room this year and it’s now a lovely room for our friends and family to stay in. We kept the decor light, choosing a chalky white for the walls and a darker shade for all the woodwork. We also fixed mouldings to the walls to add some pretty detail.
Ryan built wardrobes using IKEA Pax units as a base to give us some extra storage, which he framed with architrave and fitted with stylish bamboo handles. I love the calm palette in here and all the subtle features - it’s a very relaxing space.
Cloakroom
With a bit of planning, we managed to turn the tiny cupboard under the stairs into this handy downstairs toilet. Ryan laid the floor with beautiful herringbone-style tiles from B&Q, and then boxed in all the pipework and installed tongue-and-groove panelling from Wickes for a more period look.
We painted everything in a soft grey shade called Pigeon by Farrow & Ball, which together with the brass finishing touches gives this space a smart, boutique look.
Dressing room
This is the smallest of the bedrooms and felt like the perfect space for my dressing room. We panelled the back wall to inject some character, then painted the whole room a deep grey for a cosy feel.
To add a touch of luxury, we had a plush new carpet fitted and hung light linen curtains at the window. We also upcycled an old pine dressing table that we bought at an auction, painting it in a soft white and replacing the existing handles with a brass cup design.
We hung the bobble mirror from Dunelm above the table and chose the stool from The Pure Edit, which felt like the missing piece.
How to elevate your space with wainscoting
Add decorative panels to dial up the period charm in your home with these tips…
Wainscoting features decorative moulding installed in square or rectangular frames to break up an expanse of wall, and add visual and architectural interest.
Begin by working out how many frames you’d like to fit your area and how far apart you’d like to install them. There are no rules for the proportions of your frames, but aim to give them symmetry and space them equally across the wall.
Most large chain DIY stores sell mouldings, which come in a variety of different shapes and thicknesses. When working out how much you’ll need for your design, ensure you buy extra just in case.
Measure and mark the frame corners on your wall using a pencil, measuring tape and spirit level. Then measure the distance between the corners along the top and sides, and cut your mouldings to these lengths. You’ll need to mitre the corners, cutting them at a 45-degree angle with a mitre saw, for a neat join.
Apply wood glue to the back of your moulding and fix it to the wall, using a spirit level to ensure it is straight. Adjust if needed while the glue is still wet.
Repeat the process until you complete your frame. You can also secure the moulding using small nails, but a good wood glue should be enough.
To finish, paint the mouldings – choose the same colour as your wall for a cohesive look, or a contrasting shade so they stand out. Get creative with the inside of your frames. Try hanging artwork centrally so it is framed by the wainscoting, or wallpaper the inside section to ‘frame’ it.
What I learned
- Even with the strictest of budgeting, things inevitably always cost more than you think. So, give yourself a generous contingency, then double it! It’s so frustrating when you need to pause on a project because you’ve run out of budget.
- Although time-consuming, do the research and try and give the DIY a go yourself. It’s a great feeling when you make or do something and can say ‘I did that!’, and you can also save so much money on labour costs in the process.
- If you keep your style consistent in all the rooms of your home and don’t follow interior fads, you’ll create a cohesive feel throughout. We picked soft neutrals and earthy tones that make us feel calm, and chose classic pieces of furniture that we knew would stand the test of time.
