This “Old Fashioned and Tired” House Was Completely Changed From Top to Bottom

Adrienne Breaux
·6-min read
living room with orange accent wall and green velvet l-shaped couch
Bottom of the yellow staircase with black carpeting
entryway of house with green doors and molding next to the stairs
view into the green and white striped bathroom from the entryway
small white and green striped bathroom with pink tile and toilet-sink combo and gold hardware
small white and green striped bathroom with pink tile and toilet-sink combo and gold hardware
living room with orange accent wall and green velvet l-shaped couch
living room with orange accent wall and green velvet l-shaped couch
Open plan view of the dining area from the living room with a green velvet couch
Green dining area with mix of vintage brown and wooden chairs around a wood dining table
White tiled kitchen with red accent beam and black cabinets and marble laminate countertops
White tiled kitchen with red accent beam and black cabinets and marble laminate countertops
White tiled kitchen with black cabinets and marble laminate countertops
White tiled kitchen with red accent beam and black cabinets
Grey and white striped nook in the kitchen with a grey tea kettle and double toaster
view into olive green bedroom with black accent walls and queen-sized bed with decor above headboard
olive green bedroom with black accent wall and red wardrobe
olive green bedroom with black accent wall and queen sized bed with decor above the headboard

ABOUT THIS TOUR

HOME TYPE: House

LOCATION: Manchester, United Kingdom

STYLE: Colorful, Eclectic, Industrial

BEDROOMS: 3

SQUARE FEET: 1000

Originally from Ireland, Carrie Boyd moved to Manchester, England, 14 years ago, where she met her husband. Both self-employed business owners, they now have two kids and keep busy by working on their house, this 1,000-square-foot, three-bedroom home.

Large cubed storage with wooden baskets next to two plants

“We had been house hunting for just a few months when we found this property,” begins Carrie, who says they went to view the home the same day they discovered it online. “Around the time we were house hunting, the house prices in this borough had rocketed, and houses were getting snapped up within half an hour of being listed for way over asking price. We had to be quick, and we put in our offer straight away.”

Green dining area with mix of vintage brown and wooden chairs around a wood dining table

“Factors that determined our choice were the location of this property and also the fact that it has great outdoor space with plenty of room to extend which we have done.  Even after our extension we still have a very large back garden. For the 10 years prior to this house purchase, we have always rented apartments so outdoor space and car parking was extremely important to us.”

Carrie describes the house’s look before they moved in as “old-fashioned and tired!” But after completely changing the whole house from top to bottom, it’s been totally transformed into a space that reflects the family’s personality.

gold hanging mirror in green and white striped bathroom

“I have a real eclectic taste for so many different styles, so when it came to decorating I have fused it all together and I have created a mix of industrial with modern, with a dash of moodiness and a whole lot of color.”

Carrie, who owns a few different online businesses, including a gift shop that specializes in alternative wedding gifts, enjoys recording their home’s design journey on Instagram. They’ve also recently listed their home on Scouty for film and location hire.

Resources

Bottom of the yellow staircase with black carpeting

PAINT & COLORS

  • Hallway Walls — Dulux “Rich Black”

  • Hallway Woodwork — Crown “Gothic Revival 14”

  • Hallway Bannister — Crown “Tin Bath”

  • Spindles — French Chic “Black Jack”

  • Stairs — Dulux “Yellow Colour Match”

  • Red Shoe Cabinet — Lick “Ketchup Red”

  • Living Room Ceiling — Dulux “Egyptian Cotton”

  • Living Room Orange Wall — Dunelm “Butterscotch” (for those in the U.S.,  Maple Leaf by Behr is very similar)

  • Dining Room — Farrow and Ball “Green Smoke”

  • Coffee Area Stripes — Dulux “White” and “Egyptian Cotton”

  • Kitchen Steel Beam — Lick “Ketchup Red”

  • Primary Bedroom Green Walls — Farrow and Ball “Bancha”

  • Primary Bedroom Black Walls — Dulux “Rick Black”

  • Primary Bedroom Wardrobes — Lick “Ketchup Red”

  • Son’s Bedroom Ceiling — Lick “Ketchup Red”

  • Son’s Bedroom Stripes — Dulux “Tester Paints”

  • Son’s Bedroom Skirting Boards and Radiator — Rustoleum “Natural Charcoal”

  • Daughter’s Room Walls — Valspar “Ceremonial Ochre”

entryway of house with green doors and molding next to the stairs

ENTRY

  • Shoe Cabinet — IKEA

living room with orange accent wall and green velvet l-shaped couch

LIVING ROOM

Green dining area with mix of vintage brown and wooden chairs around a wood dining table

DINING ROOM

  • Table — Failsworth Vintage in Manchester

  • Dining Chairs — Facebook Marketplace

White tiled kitchen with red accent beam and black cabinets and marble laminate countertops

KITCHEN

  • Island Stools — Dunelm (Discontinued)

  • Cooker and Hood — Rangemaster

  • Kettle and Toaster — Argos

olive green bedroom with black accent wall and red wardrobe

PRIMARY BEDROOM

  • Black Drawers — IKEA

  • Leopard Lamp — George

  • Prints — Etsy

  • Cushions — Dunelm

  • Throws — HomeSense

  • Side Tables — Habitat

bedroom with black cabinets and red painted ceiling and a black, red and yellow stripe painted on the wall

SON’S BEDROOM

  • Bedding and Cushions — IKEA

  • Lamp — Argos

  • Football Light Fixture — Amazon

Child's bedroom with decor and pink scalloped design on wall

DAUGHTER’S BEDROOM

  • Bedding — Wilko

  • Blind — Argos

  • Hanging Light — Habitat

  • Wall Decor — Made by me or bought on Etsy

small white and green striped bathroom with pink tile and toilet-sink combo and gold hardware

BATHROOM

Thanks, Carrie!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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Further Reading

We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at West Elm — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need

I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It’s a Game-Changer!)

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture

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