Late last year, Wayne’s mum moved into a new flat. Well, it was new to her but not technically new. Ya see, it was a long ol’ process getting her into this flat. Wayne’s mum is a widow and an OAP and sadly, had to give up her house a few years ago after her husband died. This meant she moved into private rented accommodation which was expensive as well as rather unstable. When her last landlord decided he wanted to move into the house he was renting to Marjorie, we realised that she couldn’t keep bouncing from one rental property to another. It just wasn’t the nicest thing for her to be dealing with. She needed something that was secure, that she could relax and make herself at home in.
Thus began a 5-month process of trying to get her a flat through the council. For my readers outside of the UK, essentially the government will provide housing to those most in need and well, Marjorie was in need. After being forced to move out, she moved in with Wayne’s sister but it wasn’t an ideal situation for anyone – 3 adults, 2 kids and 3 dogs in a small 3-bed house. It was clear that she needed her own space. It took quite a while for everything to go through but eventually, with the help of the Council, we found ‘the one’. A flat not far from Wayne’s sister’s house in the perfect location in a building that was less than 10 years old that was strictly for over 55’s. It was a big flat – a lovely 2 bedroom with wonderful natural light and she could stay there as long as she wanted with no worries of ever moving again if she didn’t want to.
The only snag? The previous owners had done a number on the flat itself. It had been horribly neglected, it was stained with cigarette smoke and had not been taken care of at all – I also have NO idea what they were thinking when they chose paint colours! The previous tenants were forced out and Marjorie was able to move in but we had a lot of work to do to make the flat look appealing and cared for.
Brace yourself for the before pictures today – I can hardly believe the flat used to look like this!
All the carpets had to be ripped out because they were destroyed by previous tenants so concrete flooring was what was left!
I mean, did they decide to paint that putrid yellow and then decide against it and then just left it?! WTH?
At the time, I hadn’t realised we were going to be doing a full-blown makeover so excuse the crappy phone pics but it’s pretty bad, right?
Well, over the following few months, the whole family has pitched in to help refresh the space with fresh paint (Dulux Dusted Moss 2 – it’s what I have in my living room!) and Wayne arranged for new carpets to be put down in the living room and bedroom. I got her some lovely wallpaper to give the place a splash of colour and we replaced the light fittings with something a little more sparkly. Of course, this was just the beginning of the makeover to come.
Between us, all of the changes made by that point had cost quite a bit of time and money but we knew the place still had a lot of potential. This is where my wonderful sponsor stepped in. You may know that I’ve been writing for Oak Furnitureland‘s blog for 4 years now. They are a great client and I’ve had a lovely relationship with them for years. When they heard about our project, they happily said they’d love to work with me to supply the things that Marjorie needed. You have no idea how happy I was to hear this. Finally, Marjorie was going to be able to have some lovely furniture to finish off her flat! Needless to say, Marjorie was so excited!
So the last month or so, I’ve been pulling together a design plan for Marjorie to create a lovely soft romantic look to suit a modern 60 something woman. With a few extra touches, including artwork and a couple of smaller Ikea pieces, this is the look we’ve gone for.
The sofa and armchair are Oak Furnitureland’s best-selling Amelia range. We also went for a beautiful natural oak sideboard and a small oak dining table with 2 natural seagrass chairs to add some texture and create a small dining area. Alongside this, some soft feminine artwork and a stand for Marjorie’s many plants.
The delivery is scheduled soon and there is still a bit of finishing work to do to get the whole thing dressed but it’s coming along so nicely and I’m so excited! I’ll be sharing the final makeover with you at the end of the month so stay tuned!
In the meantime, what do you think of the design plan?
Aww it’s looking fab!! Go you! I’m looking forward to seeing it all done, as i’m sure you are too :) xx
The hummingbird wallpaper is fantastic – who is the manufacturer and do you know if it’s available in the US?
Beautiful work!
It is already better than was. But after your makeover I believe will be fab. Really looking forward to see how you will make over flat suitable for the lady not in twenties anymore.
Love it!
It’s lovely! And you don’t have to be over 60 to enjoy it. It looks cozy and comfy, and I am sure your mother in law will be very safe and comfortable in her new flat. :)
Very nice, love the color palett.
I love the looks of the plans you’ve made. It sounds and looks like the flat was in a similar state to our house when we got the keys. Our home had also been seriously neglected and was filthy, had the most awful colours on all the walls and everything was falling apart. I don’t know how people can let their homes get into such a bad way x
Jenny | LuxeStyle
It’s already a massive improvement! Can’t wait to see the end result – it’s going to be lovely! xx
Obviously it will be beautiful when complete but I just wanted to say it’s lovely of you and Wayne and other family members to do this for Marjorie. She will be living in a lovely flat but she will also be surrounded by reminders everywhere of what each person contributed and how much everyone cares about her! Wonderful!
What a kind and wonderful thing you’re doing for your MIL. The design board looks great – comfortable yet classy. Can’t wait to see the finished space!
This is such a sweet story. I’m so glad you’ve been able to help her and I bet she’ll be over the moon when it’s finished xxxx
Oh you are SO cute doing this for her! Can’t believe the previous people just left that wall half-finished haha absolutely bonkers! Just another great example how a lick of paint and fresh flooring can transform a space, even before adding in all of the homely personal touches. Well done lovely, I bet she loves it! xx
Oh it will be such an improvement, even the during photos look a hundred times better. Your scheme is so calming and cosy too, I bet she’ll love it! x
What a lovely thing to do and massive respect to Oak Furnitureland for stepping in to help Marjorie make her flat a home. And how lucky is Marjorie to have you on the case? It’s going to be such a beautiful space when you’re done with it. When I see photos of how some people live it really does boggle my mind. In fact, I sometimes browse Rightmove just to make myself feel better about my own home lol!
Bless you! What a wonderful impact you will be making on your MIL’s quality of life. Bravo. :-)
It is looking fantastic. Well done all of you!
Wow, what a transformation already! Its a shame the old owners did so much damage, but thank goodness you have such a wonderful plan and talent to refresh the whole space! The neutral tones and furniture choices are looking absolutely fabulous! I’m sure it’ll feel so much more like home once its all finished! Thanks for sharing this story!
I’m dead chuffed that she won’t have to move again it must be such a weight off her and your minds to know she is finally settled. What you have all done so far is beautiful and I’m sure she is loving it. Hats off to Oak Furniture they’ve done them selves proud xxx
What a fantastic transformation & brilliant sponsors. This is a lovely project Kimberley & Majorie is so lucky to have you as her daughter in law. She’s going to have the best flat in the block ππ» X
You have done such a wonderful job with this transformation. It’s absolutely lovable! It’s even more respectable you did it for someone else too <3