A single mum-of-two has revealed how she managed to transform her kitchen and living room with just £218.
Charli Jones, 29, from Berkshire, moved into her new home, which she rents for £630 a month from a housing association, in March 2021.
Most of the decor was "plain and boring" with grey flooring in the kitchen, along with chequered tiling and wooden cupboards.
She painted the cupboards, installed a marble effect splashback, which cost just £5 per panel, and used adhesive vinyl to cover her worktops in a bright white tone, which set her back just £18.
She shared her kitchen transformation on Instagram, which received over 36,000 views and gave her the motivation to tackle the rest of the house.
Charli, who is mum to Amelia-Grace, eight, and Rosie, four, said: “Some areas were rather plain and the living room had woodchip wallpaper which was horrendous.
“I started with the kitchen and used marble effect PVC panels to replace the council house tiles, which cost me just five pounds per tile.
“I moved on to paint the cupboards and used adhesive foils to wrap around the worktops. I believe the total cost was just £78.
"Next, I ripped down the woodchip wallpaper in the living room and documented the entire process on social media.
"I relined all of the walls with a thick super fresco wallpaper to cover the woodchip. I applied a dado rail around the whole room, and painted the top half with a Valspar paint colour matched to Farrow and Ball, because it was cheaper.
"I spent a total of £140 on the living room for all the materials.
“I think the living room by far was the most challenging room, but definitely the most rewarding."
So far, she’s spent just £218 in total on those rooms and hopes that by sharing her renovations online, that she’ll be able to inspire others to transform their home on a budget.
A single mum-of-two has revealed how she managed to transform her kitchen and living room with just £218.
Charli Jones, 29, from Berkshire, moved into her new home, which she rents for £630 a month from a housing association, in March 2021.
Most of the decor was "plain and boring" with grey flooring in the kitchen, along with chequered tiling and wooden cupboards.
The housekeeper painted the cupboards, installed a marble effect splashback, which cost just £5 per panel, and used adhesive vinyl to cover her worktops in a bright white tone, which set her back just £18.
She shared her kitchen transformation on Instagram, which received over 36,000 views and gave her the motivation to tackle the rest of the house.
Charli, who is mum to Amelia-Grace, eight, and Rosie, four, told Jam Press: “Some areas were rather plain and the living room had woodchip wallpaper which was horrendous.
“I started with the kitchen and used marble effect PVC panels to replace the council house tiles, which cost me just five pounds per tile.
“I moved on to paint the cupboards and used adhesive foils to wrap around the worktops. I believe the total cost was just £78.
"Next, I ripped down the woodchip wallpaper in the living room and documented the entire process on social media.
"I relined all of the walls with a thick super fresco wallpaper to cover the woodchip. I applied a dado rail around the whole room, and painted the top half with a Valspar paint colour matched to Farrow and Ball, because it was cheaper.
"I spent a total of £140 on the living room for all the materials.
“I think the living room by far was the most challenging room, but definitely the most rewarding."
So far, she’s spent just £218 in total on those rooms and hopes that by sharing her renovations online, that she’ll be able to inspire others to transform their home on a budget.
She used the materials she already had to decorate her hallway and stairs but spent £270 on new carpet.
She said: "It had to be done as the stairs were very nosiy without it. It was my biggest expense but I did save a little by getting a family friend to fit it so I just had to pay for the carpet itself."
It's not Charli's first DIY project having transformed her previous rented home for a total cost of £700, but she took the decision to move her family in March 2021, with the new place being closer to her mum.
She told Jam Press: "We moved into a home that was a little closer to my mum and just ten minutes away from my old house.
“I can stay forever and I can do what I like - within reason - to the property, which is great.
“I remember thinking that the house was lovely, but I saw so much potential in this one and knew I had to work my magic once again."
Charli had originally shared her previous home with her ex-partner but when they split, she desperately wanted to put her own stamp on the place.
Her budget was tight and she had never done any DIY before, but she was determined to learn, slowly transforming that home into somewhere she loved.
In her old place, she started by tackling her bedroom, where she got rid of the teal colour they had chosen together, instead wallpapering the main wall and painting the other walls light grey to match.
To add to the look, she found new furniture within her budget.
She said: "I won the highest bid on a bed on eBay for £52 and drove an hour to collect it.
"I was given a pine chest of drawers from a friend and I upcycled it and painted it white. Over a few months, I brought small accessories and curtains."
After this, she moved onto the living room where she stripped off the dark black wallpaper, switching it for a light grey, which opened up her living space.
Next, she sold her dark black furniture so she could buy second-hand white pieces and a grey sofa to help brighten up the room and transform the area.
Despite advice from friends and family telling Charli to hire a professional to complete her renovation, she was set on doing it by herself.
She went on to paint the tiles in her bathroom and laid new flooring, which she repeated in her kitchen and completed for just £109.
She said: "My DIY transformation began in my previous home, after a break up with my children’s father.
“I really needed change and to make the house feel more ‘me’ - so redecorated every single room.
“I had never done any DIY previously, but I had a huge sense of pride come over me after I completed the first room which was my bedroom.
“I started working on the living room where I changed up the dull black wallpaper for a grey tone instead.
“I hung the wallpaper myself, painted the other walls and changed all of the soft furnishings. I had to sell my old furniture to enable me to buy new ‘second-hand’ items which would fit in with my new decor - but it was worth it.
“I was going against what everyone had told me and started painting the tiles in the bathroom, whilst also ripping up and laying down new flooring all by myself.
“I repeated this in the kitchen, but also painted the cupboards and walls as well as applying worktop vinyl to freshen up the space.”
Charli has been documenting both projects on her Instagram @no.42ourhappyhome to inspire others on a budget.
She said: “I created my Instagram to show people that you really can do things on a small budget.
"I’m a single mother with two daughters and work as a housekeeper, so I don’t usually have much money to spare.
“However, I like to put my money towards the house and do each room in stages.
“I’ve loved completing each room by myself, as it’s so rewarding and shows that you can do anything you put your mind to.”
Breakdown of costs
Kitchen:
£50 for 10 splashback panels - £5 each
£18 for vinyl
Paint she already had
Living room:
Wallpaper - £70 for 7 rolls - £10 each
Paint - £28
Dado rail - £36
Other equipment - £6
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