All posts tagged: project

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 Multi-function Room

Published by Karen Knox

It’s new project time peeps. And i’m back at a property i’ve worked in a couple of times before. Remember these projects? Sherwood Forest And this one too… The Magnetic Playroom Both in the same house with the same lovely client and i’m back again, this time for a bedroom/home office re-design. A nice chunky project indeed. It’s a good sized room at 3.5m x 4.5m, but it needs to work hard as i’ve been given a rather complicated brief. The room needs to fit double bed with storage (with space to run around easily) double wardrobe (more storage) chest of drawers (extra storage) large desk with space for two screens and closed storage for files etc. space for a TV (meaning this room will have 3 screens to try and make look good. Ack) It’s fair to say there’s not much staying in this space, so we’ve got a lot to source as well as a lot of remedial work to do before we get to any of the fun stuff. Oh I tell a …

The Red Room – Pre-reveal – Pt 2

Published by Karen Knox

Because sometimes things take a little longer than planned… here’s Pt 2 of the pre-reveal. I wasn’t planning a Pt 2, but I also wasn’t planning for one of the light fittings to be broken, for the curtains to be such a pain (why are curtains always such a pain?) or for the electrician to be quite as elusive (why are electricians always elusive?) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karen Knox – Making Spaces (@makingspacesnet) But we’re about a week away from being done. After a four hour picture framing, gallery wall hanging, plant moving, nik nak fiddling session yesterday, I couldn’t possibly wait to share some pics I snapped before I left. Mantel piece styling with pieces from Ikea, Wayfair, H&M Home and….. … this super cool, not freaky at all black and gold hand from the very talented Muck N Brass. The cinema style wall light from Rockett St George looking tip top above the home bar (still to be stocked). Still a bit more work to do here (small shelf… vinyl… more …

Charlie’s bedroom – Part 2 – The Plywood Wall

Published by Karen Knox

Charlie’s room has ended up being a much larger project that originally planned (sorry Pete). The whole design process has been bubbling away in the background for a few months now and am so excited to finally share Part 2. (Part 1 here). This kid’s bedroom is all about the plywood!! There are still plenty of pieces left to go in (carpets and single bed) but it’s the joinery that’s really transformed this room. So let’s get on with the pics shall we? Before After Before | During After I absolutely love it. It’s so mental to see an idea in your head executed so accurately. The guys from Leeds and London based Bare Joinery are mega. Give them a follow, because i’ve been bullying them to set up a proper Instagram account for months and i’m going to look like a right numpty if it’s tumbleweed. The design is a perfect marriage of function and form. I’ve finally reclaimed the living room (and several other parts of the house) and have managed to get all …

New Project – The Red Room

Published by Karen Knox

New project time everyone! Yeah yeah!! This time it’s a 1930’s house that’s recently had a lovely extension across the back. This has given them a light and airy, family friendly, open-plan kitchen-diner. And two sitting rooms. None of which they really like anymore. Including this one, which they admit they never actually use. It’s accumulated bits of furniture over the years, but now it just doesn’t work as a dining room, a living room, a study…. Let’s just say it’s lost its way. Time for a re-design, a new layout and a new purpose. Oh goodie. This room is to become the new family TV room, but in its current set up, it’s really tricky to configure the space so the seating can all get a view of a TV in one of the alcoves. After spending a good few hours playing around with potential layouts, here’s what I came up with. It’s going to be fun. The biggest change we’ve made which completely free-d up the room was to block the original entrance …

The “Brilliant” Office Redesign

Published by Karen Knox

**New project klaxon** I’m not bigging myself up with the blog post title here, it’s the name of the company i’m currently working with; Brilliant Social Media. This time last year I was working on my very first commercial sized project with Visibilis, remember the one with the geometric wall? Nearly a year later, i’m onto my second. Brilliant are based at Mabgate business centre, a very understated but pretty cool industrial building built in 1890 as a textile mill. Mabgate Business Centre The building has recently undergone four years of restoration and refurbishment, now providing affordable work spaces with “a modern work environment for young companies”. Based just on the periphery of Leeds city centre, it’s an excellent location. Mabgate Business Centre It’s all pretty nice in here. Exposed brick walls, high ceilings, large windows and lots of light. All of the office spaces have been decorated and carpeted ready for their new tenants. Here’s an example below: Mabgate Business Centre They’re great rooms, but quite formal. Brilliant who are clearly a very creative team …

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 …

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 …

Black Wednesday – Week 11

Published by Karen Knox

If you’re in or close to Leeds, you may have heard me on Wednesday last week. You might have mistaken the noise for a small pig being squeezed in a vice, but no, it was me. Screaming. I don’t remember the last time I felt so angry (it was probably the week before) but you know you’ve completely lost your shit when your husband comes home from work early. Without you having to even ask. Don’t jump! We’ve been waiting patiently for our staircase for 11 weeks now. Keep getting told, they’ll be started on it soon and it’ll be another week. Each and every time a new trade comes in to crack on with their job, I get; “When’s the staircase coming?” “Where’s the staircase? “Haven’t you got your staircase yet?” Erm, yes, don’t you like it. It’s there. We’ve had an aluminium staircase made to look just like a bloody ladder. **eye roll** The last we were told (Monday 14th November) is the staircase was being “made right now”. Factor in two weeks to make …

The Loft Extension – Wk 8/9

Published by Karen Knox

As you can see, i’ve been keeping really upbeat since my last loft post. Full of the joy of life I am. Honestly, i’m a pleasure to be around right now. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karen Knox – Making Spaces (@makingspacesnet) We’ve just finished week nine and if i’m honest, I thought we’d be done by now. Not 100% done, but I thought the actual build would have been winding down. Alas, that is not the case. Things here are continuing to move slowly, but we’re certainly moving now. And there is a teeny tiny sliver of light shining at the end of a long, dark (and snowy) tunnel. That’s me sounding positive btw. The plastering has finally commenced (hooray!) and our plasterer has been busy working his way around the bedroom and all the way down our new gable wall. Still no staircase. STILL. It’s quite bizarre, but as soon as the plaster goes on the whole place goes from looking like a building site to an actual room. Of all …