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AT HOME WITH



                                                                                            and brass theme in their glamorous downstairs   home. We will have to move at some point –
                                                                                            shower room, while a complementary scheme   this is a terraced two-bed, and we’d love to
                                                                                            creates a glossy look in the new kitchen/diner.   have a detached house with more bedrooms
                                                                                                                                  one day. We absolutely love the house and the
                                                                                            “I don’t know if I have a ‘style’ exactly,” says   street,  so  we  wouldn’t  move  for  a  good  few
                                                                                            Nicole. “If I see something I like, I just try to   years yet, but I will most likely be devastated
                                                                                            imagine how I could make it work in my space.   when the time does come!”.
                                                                                            I think your first home isn’t supposed to be big
                                                                                            and grand and ‘out of this world’, it’s supposed   And two years down the line, Nicole has
                                                                                            to be homely and imperfect, and something to   some sage advice for buyers setting out on
                                                                                            look back on fondly.”                 their own property journey: “It’s so important
                                                                                                                                  to not compare yourself to anyone else or
                                                                                            Renovation  complete,  the  couple  happily   put yourself in a tricky situation trying to get
                                                                                            settled into their home, in an area they adore.   something that is out of your reach. Your
                                                                                            “We love that you can walk anywhere, and   home doesn’t have to be perfect; it just must
                                                                                            we’re also on a bus and tram route. We can   be perfect for you.”
                                                                                            walk into the village in ten minutes, and we’re
                                                                                            very close to a supermarket, with great schools   Wise words indeed.
                                                                                            nearby. It’s quiet, peaceful, safe and it feels like


       13 weeks after getting the keys, which is   and give more of an indoor-outdoor feel.
       almost unheard of but shows how important   We renovated the bathroom and decorated
       your tradespeople are in making everything   everywhere, removing old carpets and painting
       run smoothly. We did, however, learn that   every room to bring it in line with our tastes.”
       whatever you think the cost will be, add at least
       £500 to that. We underestimated the price of   Speaking of taste, Nicole and Jamie’s new
       materials, especially since Covid and Brexit.”  home was speedily brought up to modern
                                            standards, with the couple opting for a relaxing,
       As part of the renovation, Nicole and Jamie   neutral theme throughout the property, using
       made major changes to the property, which   warm shades of taupe and beige, including the
       had great bones but needed updates, with   shade Chiapas by GoodHome, along with soft
       faded interiors that the couple couldn’t wait   textures and dark wooden floors to create a
       to modernise.                        streamlined yet cosy finish.

       “Basically, we stripped the whole house back   “I know everyone has their opinions on a beige
       to brick walls and bare floorboards and started   aesthetic,” laughs Nicole. “But everything
       again! That included boring things like moving   about my life is colourful and fun and busy, so
       the boiler, rewiring and updating the plumbing,   I think that there’s nothing better than coming
       but we also made some big changes to the   home to a relaxing, calm environment. It also
       layout. We moved the kitchen from its original   leaves a lot of room to play with decor, without
       location into the extension, and then divided   worrying about clashing colours or prints, or   Corstorphine Hill
       the old kitchen space to make a utility and a   making the space too busy.”
       downstairs shower room. We also took away a
       wall of windows in the extension and replaced   The interiors aren’t completely beige; the pair
       them with bifold doors, to open up the space   went for a luxurious grey marble, matte black   To see more of Nicole and Jamie’s renovation, check out their Instagram @overthegateof38.

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