All posts tagged: period properties

Planning a Bathroom Refurb? – Me too! New Project Time

Published by Karen Knox

My work takes me all over the place and I get to see some stunning properties on my travels. None more-so than the one i’m about to introduce you to today. A neo-gothic converted college located in the middle of nowhere. Down a long and winding path somewhere in Leeds is a property that took my breath away. On my visit the sat nav decided it would take me down an alternative route where eventually, the winding lane began to disintegrate under my wheels until I found myself driving into woods. You know, just on soil. Amongst trees and squirrels. Gave myself flipping whiplash on my first outing to find this place. After reversing backwards for what seemed like a mile (probably about 12 meters) and doing a four million point turn to escape my journey into the wilderness, I finally managed to pick up the correct route, my sat nav finally locating the property postcode. Not a tree in some woods. Upon driving into the grounds (yes I said grounds) the final destination warranted …

The Red Room – Final Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

It’s final reveal time. At last! (previous post here). I’m super excited to be able to share the photos from the Red Room project. For those of you that have been following this one, apologies, but i’m about to recap. Here is the storyline for this one: Initial consultation – The brief was to make the room work in terms of function (family room with a TV and plenty of seating), keep the red walls (hence the project name) and pull it all together. Before My plan was to block off the doorway into what was originally a room intended to be a dining room in order to give them a long run of wall to turn allow sofa seating a view to the soon to be TV. I’d already moved the sofa at this point btw and asked them to live with it like this for a few weeks to get used to the new flow around the house. Always something worth doing when you’re about to adjust layout that requires building work. The vintage …

The Multi-function Room Goes Aquamarine

Published by Karen Knox

So first off, massive thanks to everyone who took the time to feed back on my previous post. Everyone’s ideas were just what I needed for a little inspo boost. So again, thank you! And so, back to normal stuff… it’s project update time! You can catch up on the Multi Function Room here. Here’s the room on my first visit. The second bedroom which needs to become a guest room and home office in one. Here it is about a month later with the gorgeously botanical Wildacre Anagpytpa freshly papered on the walls and the ceiling painted (don’t worry, we’ve got coving and skirting boards to be fitted – i’m not starting a new “trim-less” trend). Here’s Cartman the cat inspecting the workmanship, plus a little close-up of the wallpaper pre-paint. Speaking of which, here’s the colour scheme: Little Greene Stock – Mid | Aquamarine | Invisible Green Aquamarine on the walls, Stock – Mid on the ceiling and Invisible Green, that super dark, deep green will be going on the …

The Industrial Shaker Kitchen

Published by Karen Knox

When the lovely Ally of Digital Diva fame, booked me for a day’s consultation last August at their new home, I walked into a house I wasn’t quite expecting. A stunning, Grade II listed, late Georgian, early Victorian stone built property, just three or so miles away from my own home in North Leeds. This isn’t what it looked like, don’t worry. This is a photo from 2015 before it was bought by a developer. The whole place had been refurbed to a pretty good standard and whilst the developers retained the beautiful period features, some of the fixtures and fittings were not quite cutting it for the new owners, Ally and James. This was their kitchen back in August 2016, with shaker style units, range cooker, large island unit, solid oak worktop, open shelving, original Yorkshire stone floor and built in pantry by the side of the restored fireplace. So all in all, the makings of a wonderful kitchen. The layout was great. No issues with that. But these guys weren’t feeling the space and weren’t sure how …

Upper Brook Street Project – Final Reveal of the Guest Bedroom

Published by Karen Knox

Typing typing as fast as I can…. It’s final reveal time everyone! Oh how I love a final reveal. Especially when it’s as awesomesauce as this one. Eeeee!! (If you’d like to catch up on this project, pop back a few posts to this one.) First, it’s time for before pics. A large master bedroom which was to become a guest bedroom. But not just any old guest bedroom, oh no siree. The weird recessed/built in wardrobes were going and an ensuite was coming. This is how the room looked when I started working with the homeowners: The entire house had been chopped up over time, converted into flats at some point, and then back again into a house. The walls and doors were in the strangest of places and it was time to breathe life back into this beautiful Edwardian home, and put those walls back where they were originally built over 100 years ago. This was back in January. Want to see what it looks like now? After Before It’s completely unrecognisable isn’t it? In …

My trip to Bert & May – From Salvage Yard to Show House #designupnorth

Published by Karen Knox

About 18 months ago, I introduced the hashtag #designupnorth to head up a series of posts focusing on good design being accessible north of the Watford gap. As a blogger/designer I get invited to stuff all the time (which is lovely) but every frickin design event/launch/networking opp is always down south. In fact, brands barely even put the addresses on for these events anymore, it’s just assumed we all know they’re down in Landan and we’ll just pop down there for a canpé and a Prosecco or four. Needless to say, I have yet to frequent one of these said events, a) because I work full time, in Leeds b) they’re always at rubbish times like 8am or 6pm and c) because a return trip to Kings Cross aint cheap. https://www.instagram.com/p/98ney5soCP/?taken-by=makingspacesnet But… a couple of weeks ago, I was invited to an event…. wait for it…. in North Yorkshire! 30 mins drive away from Making Spaces HQ. Yes, yes! We have a Bert & May, UP NORTH. Not in London. Well, yes in London too, but we …

The Upper Brook Street Bedroom – Pre-Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

I can’t actually speak right now. I drove over to my Upper Brook Street project this morning, first time i’ve seen it since it’s been wallpapered. I always knew it was going to be a special room, but I never quite expected it to look this good. After measuring up for some final pieces, I was given free reign to start styling the space and take some pics. I’ve just uploaded about 56 photos to my Mac and spent the last hour almost flipping crying (happy tears, don’t worry). I’m overwhelmed by how this room has turned out so far. So forgive me, i’m just going to post pictures and some details about what’s from where and then i’m going to go and buy a bottle of something cold and fizzy to celebrate this evening. Goa Four Poster Bed from Maisons Du Monde This picture makes me soooo happy. Upper Brook Street Minuit wallpaper from Little Greene This room really wouldn’t be the same without it. Hemnes Bedside Tables from Ikea updated with Brass Drawer Pulls Futurist …

The William Morris Bedroom – Pre-reveal

Published by Karen Knox

It’s been a while since i’ve written about the William Morris project. You can read the last instalment here. Let’s just say, this one has been a slow burner. What was initially going to be one bedroom redesign, quickly turned into a complete renovation of three bedrooms, the landing and staircase. So…. things have taken considerably longer, as i’m sure you’d expect. Here was the room on my very first visit. Pretty much everything needed to go. Everything apart from the William Morris wallpaper, the beautiful Deco chairs and the antique chest of drawers. The room was stripped right back to the bare bones. The overpowering built in wardrobes were ripped out, missing coving, dado and picture rails replaced…. Carpet was ripped up and floorboards repaired, sanded and varnished, radiator moved and re-plumbed, switches and sockets rewired. Walls were then re-skimmed ready for the decorator. We’ve still got a couple of bits left to sort in this room, but I thought you’d like to see where we’re at at the mo. The floorboards now revived and full …

New project. New wallpaper

Published by Karen Knox

I’m back! After a well deserved week off from all things blog, i’ve caught up with things like cleaning the house, finishing off oodles of painting at home, having conversations with my husband about things that weren’t loft related and washing my hair. Feels so good to have our home back. And a teency bit of normal life, whatever that means. So now felt about the right time to introduce a new project i’ve been working on since December. Yes, another one. If you guys remember the Drawing Room project, then you’ll know why i’m excited to introduce it… … as it’s the bedroom above this very room. So you already know these guys are going to be up for something pretty special in their “soon to be” new guest bedroom. Here’s is the room before these guys moved in. In fact, these are the estate agent piccies… “Just shove it under the bed, John. No, all of it under the bed. No, you can’t see it. No it’s fine. Honestly.” It’s a very masculine room …

The Drawing Room – Final Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

Am so excited to share the final reveal of this project with you. I’ve been working closely with the homeowners for the last five months and i’m kind of wow-ed with the final design. If you’d like to read all about the beginnings then, jump over here for a catch up. Today’s post is all about the final photos and a shopping list for any of you out there that fancy any of these pieces for yourself. Let’s go. Before Here is their large Edwardian front room at the beginning of July this year. These guys had just moved in and were wanting a formal, but statement front room fit for drinks, music and entertaining. After And here it is now. It’s just so cosy isn’t it? In fact, after doing my final hour of faffing and half way through me taking photos, I was desperate for a quick cat nap on the sofa in front of that roaring fire. So nice. Before Everything in the room was going. Apart from the two made.com Ritchie sofas and …