Savvy homeowner reveals how she transformed her 1920s home into a ‘maximalist’ tropical oasis for £20,000 (and it added £80,000 to the value!)
A savvy homeowner has revealed how she added £80,000 to the value of her home after ditching the white walls and wooden floors in favor of a tropical oasis-like paradise – while spending just £20,000 on the transformation.
Nicola Smith, 47, from Andover, Hampshire, bought her 1920s three-bedroom home for £560,000 in 2021, knowing this was her chance to make it the home of her dreams.
And after spending £20,000 renovating her home, interior designer Nicola says she’s added £80,000 to the value of her home.
Nearly half of the budget, £8,000, was spent on building work to make a bedroom bigger and the rest went on things like wallpaper, paint, fabric and flooring.
“The house was built in 1920, it has three bedrooms, it had four plus a storage room when we bought it, we put two bedrooms together and turned the storage room into a walk-in closet,” said Nicola.
Hampshire’s Nicola Smith bought her 1920s three-bedroom home for £560,000 in 2021, and has since spent £20,000 renovating the property (Photo: The bedroom makeover)
BEFORE AND AFTER: The kitchen has been transformed from a slightly tired space into a vibrant, stylish space
According to Nicola (pictured), all the feedback she’s had on her craft has been positive, with people loving the maximalist style
‘We bought our house in 2021 for £560,000. I have since spent £20,000 renovating it in the maximalist style.
‘We had a wall removed between two bedrooms and opened a door from a small storage room to the larger room as a walk-in closet.
‘We wallpapered every room, not always all four walls. We covered the landing ceiling with gold leaf. Lots of paint and new floors in most rooms.
“Downstairs, we removed all but one of the existing carpets and replaced the kitchen, utility room and dining rooms with parquet.
‘We repainted and wallpapered cabinets in the kitchen, tiled and wallpapered the corridor floor.
‘We painted all but one wall of the large sitting room and wallpapered the fourth wall.
‘The sitting room has two papered walls and two painted walls.
‘Upstairs in the master bedroom, after the construction work, we laid parquet floors, painted them and installed a panel of wallpaper above the bed.
BEFORE AND AFTER: A simple space before the makeover, the landing is now bustling with prints and bright colors
The house (pictured) is a three bedroom 1920s property. Nicola bought it in 2021 for £560,000
The bathroom pictured before (left) and after (right) is another vibrant room created by the talented designer
According to Nicola, she likes texture layers, says “patterns and colors are (her) jam,” and says there’s “a lot going on” in her style where everything is “thought out.”
The interior designer added that while she appreciates minimalist design, it’s not for her, and her eyes need pattern and color
‘The office doubles as a guest bedroom and in the main bathroom we still have the original cast iron bath on ball and claw feet.
‘We did most of the work in the first six months of moving in, we recently redone the kitchen and dining room.
“I’m pretty quick at decorating, so a room took three or four days for the smaller one, the larger bedroom took longer.”
‘I like layers of texture, patterns and color are my jam. I like to think that my design style is taken into account while there is a lot going on.
“I pride myself on getting colors and pattern conflicts just right.
“My eyes need pattern and color. I appreciate minimalist design, but it’s not for me.’
There were some problems along the way, but Nicola gets nothing but compliments on her daring house. “My partner would probably say the hardest part was installing the hallway tiles, they are laid diagonally,” she said.
“In general, comments on Instagram @thesmithinterior have been very positive. People love the color and depth the rooms have.
DETAILS: Nicola loves prints and colours, and the level of detail in her choices is evident, with her decor options carefully considered
According to Nicola, they completed most of the renovation work within the first six months of moving into the property
According to Nicola, she describes her style as “eclectic” and says she needs patterns and colors
MAKEOVER: Nicola says it takes her about three to four days to transform a room because she can work quickly
The house also makes their friends and family happy, and they all love it, according to Nicola, who said ‘what could be better than that?’
The house’s value has risen by £80,000 in the two years since they bought the 1920s three-bedroom property
The interior designer says her maximalist style has been well received by people so far and she has not received any negative comments
‘I would describe my decor style as eclectic, given the maximalism and people respond so well to it, I have received absolutely no negative comments so far.
‘In the two years since we bought our house, the value has increased by around £80,000.
‘My favorite part of the house is the back deck, it has a beautiful view of the yard and is great in all weathers because it’s covered.
‘My family and friends love it, I think our house just makes people happy and what could be better than that.
‘The most surprising thing about our renovation is that we are done. It feels endless when you’re in the middle of it.’