Since we moved in to our property in the winter of ’18, we have done quite a fair amount of work to it; it’s been quite the ‘Labour or Love’. The main changes have been to the living room. 

We started by ripping out the dated fireplace & it’s surround and replacing with a more modern burner with a wider, more open area for the larger log burner to sit in. 

We also hired an industrial sander (the size of a lawnmower!) to take the varnish off the floor and followed that with painting the floor with a matt varnish to stop the pine floorboards turning yellow (over time, Pine takes on a yellow-orange tone after exposure to sunlight). In addition, we painted the walls white; as two of the walls were dark red, it was no easy feat!

The large mirror we have put above the fireplace really helps to open up the room as it reflects light and makes the room feel more bright and airy, two things which make a room feel larger. We have since installed plantation blinds to the windows each end, which weren’t exactly cheap but they really do make the world of difference to the aesthetic of the room.

Below, I have shared the before and after shots of our living room with a summary list of key changes which have been made: