Mum turns unloved townhouse into colourful dream home for £1,500

PIC BY MERCURY PRESS (PICTURED Kitchen before floor finished) A single mum once so ashamed of her unloved townhouse she refused to invite friends round has transformed it into her colourful dream home completely unaided. DIY-mad Mandy Charlton, 46, felt she couldnt express her personality while in her 15-year marriage and, after getting divorced five years ago, dreamed of updating her drab and uninspiring home to reflect her newfound confidence as a single woman. The mum-of-two and photographer, moved into her three-storey townhouse on the outskirts of Newcastle more than a decade ago but the demands of family life meant shed never had the time or confidence to renovate it. But Mandy longed for a home where she could entertain friends and has now spent ?1,500 turning the space into a riot of colour completely single-handedly - putting the finishing touches to her kitchen this week. SEE MERCURY PRESS.
Mum-of-three Mandy wanted her home to reflect her newfound freedom as a single woman (Picture: Mercury Press & Media)

When mum-of-three Mandy Charlton, 46, ended her 15-year marriage, she relished the chance to create a home that felt entirely her own.

The DIY-mad photographer had often felt she wasn’t able to express herself through her living space, and the demands of family life meant she never had the time or confidence to renovate the three-storey townhouse she’d moved into more than a decade ago.

But a trip to Spain sparked inspiration, giving Mandy the boost she needed to embrace maximalism and turn her house into a colourful dream home.

Over the course of a few months, Mandy set about a major DIY overhaul for her Newcastle home, doing all the work herself and spending just £1,500.

She put the finishing touches to her handiwork this week.

PIC BY MERCURY PRESS (PICTURED Mandys new transformed garden) A single mum once so ashamed of her unloved townhouse she refused to invite friends round has transformed it into her colourful dream home completely unaided. DIY-mad Mandy Charlton, 46, felt she couldnt express her personality while in her 15-year marriage and, after getting divorced five years ago, dreamed of updating her drab and uninspiring home to reflect her newfound confidence as a single woman. The mum-of-two and photographer, moved into her three-storey townhouse on the outskirts of Newcastle more than a decade ago but the demands of family life meant shed never had the time or confidence to renovate it. But Mandy longed for a home where she could entertain friends and has now spent ?1,500 turning the space into a riot of colour completely single-handedly - putting the finishing touches to her kitchen this week. SEE MERCURY PRESS.
Mandy spent years too ashamed of her home to bring people round (Picture: Mercury Press & Media)

Mandy said: ‘I wanted my house to be a haven.

‘I wanted it to be somewhere that I didn’t want to run away from, that I didn’t want to escape from.

‘For so long I didn’t have the confidence to do anything and because I work so much, I didn’t have the time to redecorate.

PIC BY MERCURY PRESS (PICTURED Mandys new transformed garden) A single mum once so ashamed of her unloved townhouse she refused to invite friends round has transformed it into her colourful dream home completely unaided. DIY-mad Mandy Charlton, 46, felt she couldnt express her personality while in her 15-year marriage and, after getting divorced five years ago, dreamed of updating her drab and uninspiring home to reflect her newfound confidence as a single woman. The mum-of-two and photographer, moved into her three-storey townhouse on the outskirts of Newcastle more than a decade ago but the demands of family life meant shed never had the time or confidence to renovate it. But Mandy longed for a home where she could entertain friends and has now spent ?1,500 turning the space into a riot of colour completely single-handedly - putting the finishing touches to her kitchen this week. SEE MERCURY PRESS.
Now she feels like her colourful home perfectly reflects who she is (Picture: Mercury Press & Media)
PIC BY MERCURY PRESS (PICTURED Arbour in the Garden) A single mum once so ashamed of her unloved townhouse she refused to invite friends round has transformed it into her colourful dream home completely unaided. DIY-mad Mandy Charlton, 46, felt she couldnt express her personality while in her 15-year marriage and, after getting divorced five years ago, dreamed of updating her drab and uninspiring home to reflect her newfound confidence as a single woman. The mum-of-two and photographer, moved into her three-storey townhouse on the outskirts of Newcastle more than a decade ago but the demands of family life meant shed never had the time or confidence to renovate it. But Mandy longed for a home where she could entertain friends and has now spent ?1,500 turning the space into a riot of colour completely single-handedly - putting the finishing touches to her kitchen this week. SEE MERCURY PRESS.
She did all the work herself (Picture: Mercury Press & Media)

‘Now I have freedom about what I can do. I don’t have to ask anyone’s permission.

‘When there’s nobody to say no that’s going to look bad, it all comes down to you.

‘If it had looked bad it would have been my fault. It’s the power of personal responsibility.

‘I wanted a place where I could have friends around. I love entertaining, but I wouldn’t let anyone in my home for seven years.

PIC BY MERCURY PRESS (PICTURED Mandy Charlton ) A single mum once so ashamed of her unloved townhouse she refused to invite friends round has transformed it into her colourful dream home completely unaided. DIY-mad Mandy Charlton, 46, felt she couldnt express her personality while in her 15-year marriage and, after getting divorced five years ago, dreamed of updating her drab and uninspiring home to reflect her newfound confidence as a single woman. The mum-of-two and photographer, moved into her three-storey townhouse on the outskirts of Newcastle more than a decade ago but the demands of family life meant shed never had the time or confidence to renovate it. But Mandy longed for a home where she could entertain friends and has now spent ?1,500 turning the space into a riot of colour completely single-handedly - putting the finishing touches to her kitchen this week. SEE MERCURY PRESS.
The transformation cost Mandy a total of £1,500 (Picture: Mercury Press & Media)

‘Now I have got a place that I can show them that I’m not ashamed about. It’s magical.’

The transformation took a lot of hard work and dedication. Mandy learned how to paint from a friend and taught herself how to put together furniture, only enlisting extra help when it came to installing colourful vinyl wraps on her kitchen cupboard doors.

The inspiration for her interiors came from Instagram and a trip to Barcelona.

‘I started searching words like maximalism and phrases like “my colourful interiors”,’ says Mandy.

PIC BY MERCURY PRESS (PICTURED Mandys new living room) A single mum once so ashamed of her unloved townhouse she refused to invite friends round has transformed it into her colourful dream home completely unaided. DIY-mad Mandy Charlton, 46, felt she couldnt express her personality while in her 15-year marriage and, after getting divorced five years ago, dreamed of updating her drab and uninspiring home to reflect her newfound confidence as a single woman. The mum-of-two and photographer, moved into her three-storey townhouse on the outskirts of Newcastle more than a decade ago but the demands of family life meant shed never had the time or confidence to renovate it. But Mandy longed for a home where she could entertain friends and has now spent ?1,500 turning the space into a riot of colour completely single-handedly - putting the finishing touches to her kitchen this week. SEE MERCURY PRESS.
She admits the decor might be too much for some, but she loves it (Picture: Mercury Press & Media)

‘I wanted to find people like me. I am not Mrs Hinch: I am not grey – it’s not for me.

‘Spain was big influence on my colour scheme with the yellow and the red and the tiles on the stairs.

‘I used to have blue walls in the kitchen and magnolia walls in the hallway because I thought that they were cheaper, but I found that it doesn’t cost much more for colour.’

PIC BY MERCURY PRESS (PICTURED Kitchen finished ) A single mum once so ashamed of her unloved townhouse she refused to invite friends round has transformed it into her colourful dream home completely unaided. DIY-mad Mandy Charlton, 46, felt she couldnt express her personality while in her 15-year marriage and, after getting divorced five years ago, dreamed of updating her drab and uninspiring home to reflect her newfound confidence as a single woman. The mum-of-two and photographer, moved into her three-storey townhouse on the outskirts of Newcastle more than a decade ago but the demands of family life meant shed never had the time or confidence to renovate it. But Mandy longed for a home where she could entertain friends and has now spent ?1,500 turning the space into a riot of colour completely single-handedly - putting the finishing touches to her kitchen this week. SEE MERCURY PRESS.
Vinyl applied to the kitchen cupboards added plenty of colour (Picture: Mercury Press & Media)

Mandy kept costs down by hunting around for bargains and doing the work herself, picking up paint from high street stores such as Wilko and furnishings from Homesense.

She managed to buy the pergola for her garden with Amazon vouchers, spent £350 on the vinyl wrap for her kitchen cupboards and fridge doors, got a hallway sofa for £200, and sorted the flooring in the kitchen and hallway for £290.

Her total spend was just £1,500 and she absolutely loves the results.

PIC BY MERCURY PRESS (PICTURED Stairs finished) A single mum once so ashamed of her unloved townhouse she refused to invite friends round has transformed it into her colourful dream home completely unaided. DIY-mad Mandy Charlton, 46, felt she couldnt express her personality while in her 15-year marriage and, after getting divorced five years ago, dreamed of updating her drab and uninspiring home to reflect her newfound confidence as a single woman. The mum-of-two and photographer, moved into her three-storey townhouse on the outskirts of Newcastle more than a decade ago but the demands of family life meant shed never had the time or confidence to renovate it. But Mandy longed for a home where she could entertain friends and has now spent ?1,500 turning the space into a riot of colour completely single-handedly - putting the finishing touches to her kitchen this week. SEE MERCURY PRESS.
And a lick of paint worked wonders (Picture: Mercury Press & Media)
PIC BY MERCURY PRESS (PICTURED Hallway finished) A single mum once so ashamed of her unloved townhouse she refused to invite friends round has transformed it into her colourful dream home completely unaided. DIY-mad Mandy Charlton, 46, felt she couldnt express her personality while in her 15-year marriage and, after getting divorced five years ago, dreamed of updating her drab and uninspiring home to reflect her newfound confidence as a single woman. The mum-of-two and photographer, moved into her three-storey townhouse on the outskirts of Newcastle more than a decade ago but the demands of family life meant shed never had the time or confidence to renovate it. But Mandy longed for a home where she could entertain friends and has now spent ?1,500 turning the space into a riot of colour completely single-handedly - putting the finishing touches to her kitchen this week. SEE MERCURY PRESS.
Just look at that dreamy hallway (Picture: Mercury Press & Media)

‘When I posted the kitchen on social media, not all the reactions were positive because those colours are going to create a reaction,’ Mandy said.

‘There are some people who think it’s a migraine in my kitchen, but it’s me.

‘I have only had real freedom in the last years. It’s amazing.

‘I am an all or nothing person. I spent nearly all my income on my house – I come to everything I do with lots of energy.’

Have you completed an amazing DIY project you fancy showing off? Get in touch to share it by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/22/mum-turns-unloved-townhouse-colourful-dream-home-1500-12283934/
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