All posts tagged: makeover

My Summer Style with Primrose - Garden Makeover #UKHomeBlogHop

My Summer Style with Primrose #UKHomeBlogHop

Published by Karen Knox

Welcome welcome one and all to my small part in this summer’s #UKHomeBlogHop organised by the super sexy Kimberly Duran of Swoon Worthy. There are 27 of the UK’s best interiors and home design bloggers taking part in this  “hop” and we’re all sharing with you our summer style for 2017. Big thanks to Kate from Fabric of my Life for sending everyone my way. For those of you that are new to Making Spaces (and if you’re a nosey bugger), you can have a snoop around our house here. In the meantime, let me catch you up. We completed our loft conversion at the beginning of the year which gave us a great new second floor to our 3-bed semi. You can read all about the 17 week process over here. Oh my god, i’m so ashamed. Don’t judge me. What it didn’t leave us with, however, was a very nice outdoor space. The scaffold and building work had taken its toll on our patio, driveway and lawns. It was a complete disaster zone. So much …

The Magnetic Wall – Pt 3 – Final Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

Just over a month ago, I introduced you to a playroom re-design I was working on in collaboration with Thistle Magnetic Plaster, by British Gypsum’s “Rooms Made For You“. The plan was to transform the room overlooking the rear garden into an interactive family space. A room that connected the large, recently completed living space to the great outdoors. Part II, was all about the magnetic plaster going up on the wall, what it was like to work with, how it dried and what was next on the plan of action. Here’s a brief visual catch up… It was now time to start getting the mural i’d planned up on the walls. I’d sourced some designs for the decorator and with the help of a projector, the design went from a 2D image on a screen up onto our magnetic wall. In two days, the room was transformed from a cold white square room to a warm, light, creative space filled with colour and extra special detail. Three window blinds were fitted into the window recess by …

The Magnetic Wall – Pt 2

Published by Karen Knox

Remember the playroom re-design I introduced you to a little while ago? The one using Thistle Magnetic Plaster, by British Gypsum’s “Rooms Made For You”? Well, we’ve had a visit from the plasterer. Before – On a cold and moody Thursday in March, the room emptied and sheets down Behold. The Magnetic Plaster. The maker of magic. Both the plasterer and I sat down and watched a short video on how to use this specialist plaster. It’s pretty much the same as normal plaster, with a couple of slight variations. So definitely worth checking out before you get started. The wall was primed Plaster was mixed until “thick and creamy”. Perfect for scones. A very satisfying first coat going up. You know how I love a black wall. And first coat left to dry for a little while A steady finishing off with a plastic trowel (no water) and it was time for a trip to the sandwich shop. Nom. Preparing the second mix, ready for coat number two. My go-to plasterer, hadn’t worked with magnetic plaster before, and he’s …

Making Spaces in Print – Pt 2

Published by Karen Knox

In October last year I wrote a bit of a heart to heart giving you guys some insight into Making Spaces, who I am and how this all began. Near the end of this rather cathartic post, I let it slip I’d had some of my work photographed for a magazine feature. It was all very exciting. It was lovely to have my own home featured in print, but having your work and someone else’s home photographed, all because of you and your mad design ideas… well it felt pretty damn good.   The Blue Room, which you may be familiar with, had its very own photoshoot, AND a four page feature in the Dec/Jan edition of HomeStyle Magazine. And it looks great. Big thanks to Olly Gordon and Abbi Henderson for a great day of fab styling, photography with a smile, champion crumpet eating and Yorkshire tea drinking. I cheekily asked HomeStyle for the PDF’s so I could show you guys. So thanks to them for sending them over and letting me share on Making Spaces. Let’s have a peep. …

Midtown Magic Bedroom – Final Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

About three months ago I started redesigning our bedroom from scratch. Everything was going, apart from a chair, a light fitting and a rug. There was nothing wrong with the room, I just never really liked it. Bit boring for me and i’ve been wanting to do something more bold for ages. If you’ve been following the bedroom saga, you might have heard me mention one or two times that we couldn’t find a bed. For ages. Then we did. One from Maisons Du  Monde, a French company. One which we had to wait for nine weeks for it to be made and shipped across the English Channel. During which time we slept on the floor and counted down the nights until we could climb back into a bed, rather than roll onto a mattress. After some faffing with the shipping company who changed the delivery slot three times in two days, the bed and bedside table finally arrived and were delivered to my bedroom by two polite French men. To say I was excited is …

Sherwood Forest – Progress Report

Published by Karen Knox

So where were we? That’s right. We were here. Room all emptied and ready for the walls to get their green on. Ta-Da! The decorator is doing a sterling job. The ceiling has had its two coats of Valspar’s “Gentle Shadows” which is warm off white. It actually has a smidge of green in, so it contrast beautifully. It’s a huge space, about 5m by 12m long, so there is a lot of work to do here. Especially with the amount of woodwork that needs sanding, caulking, priming and painting. The dining room walls are now fully initiated into their new role in “Sherwood Forest.” The creams and magnolias of before actually made the space feel cold and a little soul-less. The colour’s added so much warmth and depth to the room. The wood and metal work have been primed ready for their dark green gloss finish. I decided on gloss to add a textural contrast to the room and traditionally, a gentleman’s club would have been soaked in gloss (and nicotine stains, but we’ll be …

The Blue Room – Final Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

This time last month, I had a consult for a loft bedroom. It lacked storage, colour and personality. There was some serious problem solving and creativity needed. You’ve probably caught a couple of my posts since then about how it’s been going and what I’ve been purchasing so I won’t chat too much. I shall fill your eyes with lovely visuals instead. I finally get to share with you all the finished room. And i’m so excited I could burst! **POP!** A reminder of where we started four weeks ago. Four weeks later, here is The Blue Room. The room has seen a total transformation in four weeks. Everything was taken out, the room re-designed and updated. The only things that remain are the carpets and window blinds. You can see some of the pieces from the Ikea shopping list here. Other pieces were sourced from charity shops, second hand furniture shops and Gumtree for next to nothing. The dressing table being the most expensive at £70. Plus, a couple of treat pieces to add …

A Sneaky Peak

Published by Karen Knox

Still so much to do on this project, but I managed to take this yesterday, so wanted to share quickly. The bed from UK Bed Store is now up and at ’em and is super sturdy and looks great against that dark inky blue. A great find at £143 with free delivery. And a courtesy call the following day to check all was well. How nice is that? The chest of drawers were bagged for £10 on Gumtree. I gave them a good sand to remove bits of paint and the like, and they’ve had some new drawer knobs fitted (which were left over from my recent Ikea Hemnes furniture update).  They just need a light wax now to bring the grain back out and seal the wood. They were originally destined for a paint job, but you know what, the client loves them au natural. And so do I. They looked ever so orange when I picked them up. But, after a sand to get rid of the thick varnish and against that blue wall it …

The Blue Room

Published by Karen Knox

Sorry peeps, i’ve been awol this week. But for good reason I promise! I’ve been working on a complete redesign of a client’s loft bedroom. And it’s going to be amazing once it’s done. I’m well excited. Eeeee! Here are some before photos so you can get a feel for the space. And see some of the issues. Estate agent photos. It’s easy to see there is a serious lack of colour or much personality to the room. It’s a lovely big space, but over time storage became an issue and boxes of shoes and “stuff” accumulated.  Doesn’t that always happen? The bed was rather overpowering for the space and didn’t reflect the client’s style any more. The Ikea Malm furniture purchased in later years to house some of the extra “stuff” wasn’t really floating her boat either. So what did we decide to do? The tallboy was re-homed in the living room where there was nowhere to shove paperwork, mail, magazines or DVD’s. That’s all been put away now and has really cleared that …

Copper Top

Published by Karen Knox

I’ve had this can of Rust-oleum copper spray enamel for weeks now and have been meaning to attack my Arenite table lamp from Made.com which was purchased for the living room. I bought it knowing full well that I didn’t want a white base. It had a white base. But i’ve been building up the courage to do something about it, ie. spray paint it copper. Also known as “potentially ruining it.” I’d also seen these lovely copper dipped plant pots on Not On The Highstreet which I loved, but wanted to experiment to see if I could create something similar before splashing the cash. So a little trip to the Motherland (Ikea) for some supplies. One Ingefara terracotta pot and saucer. £2 for both bits or something ridiculous. And this lovely Dracaena Marginata which must have been priced up wrong as that was only £1 too. So a total spend of £3. Not much to lose should I be crap at this spray painting lark. The saucer was going all out copper and the top …