Amanda Davies, a woman with a passion for vibrant color and a knack for DIY, took a beige box of a 1935 council house and transformed it into a maximalist paradise. Her journey began in 2020, amidst the great house-buying scramble fueled by the pandemic lockdown. Determined to make her mark, Amanda secured the first viewing of the property and, along with her partner, submitted an offer that was promptly accepted. This was her first home purchase, and she was eager to express her creativity.
‘In the past, I hadn’t been able to do much in rentals, so this was the first place I could really get my teeth into,’ she says. The house, while offering a blank canvas, lacked any inspiring features. ‘It was a beige box,’ Amanda explains. ‘Everything was beige – every surface, cupboard, floor, you name it, some shade of beige. I’m not exaggerating.’
Maximalism, Amanda’s inherent style, was ready to take center stage. Even before the offer was accepted, she started creating Pinterest boards, envisioning the transformation she was about to undertake. As a first-time buyer, her budget was tight, but Amanda employed several money-saving hacks, managing to complete most of the work for around £2,000. She did splurge on a cozy log burner and a unique space-expanding solution – a garden pod that serves as an office, studio, and entertaining space. This clever addition likely saved her around £40,000, she estimates.
Amanda’s DIY skills, honed from helping her painter and decorator uncle as a teenager, came into play. The kitchen revamp, a true DIY masterpiece, cost a mere £300. She used clever budget-friendly hacks, like installing chequered lino flooring that looked as good as it was cost-effective. Playfulness and personality were injected into every space on a budget. In the kitchen, she painted whimsical squiggles around the doorway (inspired by the Friends apartment door), adding a splash of pistachio color. A surreal lobster clock adds a touch of whimsy to the once dreary doorway leading to the utility room.
The living room embraces a Seventies maximalist vibe. Amanda painted the walls in Valspar’s Cajun Shrimp and Twilight Afterglow, setting the stage for vintage leopard statuettes, a snug sofa, and a leopard rug. She sourced blankets from Sass and Belle and upcycled secondhand plant pots, swapping them for items she inherited with the house. The chair rail, a testament to Amanda’s DIY prowess, was installed with the help of a friend and the local hardware store. ‘The main inspiration for the living room was Seventies maximalism,’ she says. ‘It’s quite snuggly and has a really nice atmosphere. For inspiration, I love older movies, fashion shoots, things like that.’
Upstairs, in the master bedroom, Amanda took wallpapering to a new level, using it anywhere but the walls. ‘Wallpapering the ceiling was an intense day,’ she says. ‘Wallpapering a ceiling isn’t easy. I did have to get my uncle to help.’ Amanda’s secret to a colorful home? Having a cohesive palette. ‘Your house reflects your personality,’ she says. ‘You are decorating for your taste, so nothing feels out of place. You have to go for it and don’t be afraid of color – and remember you can always paint over paint. Experiment with the things that you can change.’
The main bathroom, originally clad in dark brown tiles, was transformed with white tile paint, lilac and pink walls, and a bold pink radiator. ‘I wanted it to be bold, loads of color block,’ she explains. ‘There were so many tiles I wanted it to be as colorful as possible.’
Another money-saving feat involved the staircase, which needed replacing but was riddled with nails and lead paint, making sanding impossible. Instead of the costly process of ripping it out, Amanda hired a carpenter to build a new staircase on top of the old one.
The result of Amanda’s hard work and creativity is a home bursting with color, radiating positivity to anyone who enters. ‘Even the tradespeople who came round said they loved the Barbie-pink hallway,’ she says. ‘My house is my style, and it makes me feel cosy and safe and happy. I feel like I can’t be unhappy in that house. It’s not possible.’
A £300 Kitchen Revamp
Amanda’s kitchen makeover is a shining example of what can be achieved with a little DIY. ‘We took the kitchen cupboards off ourselves and repainted everything,’ she says. ‘The kitchen had been put up in the Eighties and screwed onto the wall. When we removed it, it just lifted out at the top. I have no idea how it was even staying on the wall. We only took the cabinets off at the top and got shelves cut from MDF, and put them up with brackets.
‘For the bottom cabinets, I took the doors off and repainted them in Johnstone’s cupboard paint. I couldn’t find the pastel colours, so I mixed dark blue to get the right pale blue that I wanted.
‘The kitchen walls were the same story. I bought lilac paint from Valspar, but it was too dark so I mixed it with white. I then wrapped the countertop with vinyl wrap, a faux marble. It was fairly easy and looks great. The wrap is not difficult – just make sure surfaces are clean and dry.
‘The kitchen was so cheap to redo. I didn’t have any tradespeople in, just roped friends in. All of the paint and materials were under £300.’
Amanda’s home transformation is a testament to the power of DIY, resourcefulness, and a love for bold, vibrant color. Her story inspires us all to embrace our own creativity and personalize our spaces, no matter the budget.
