A savvyy family have transformed their terraced home with second-hand items, and it cost them less than £1.000.
Sonia Bhanot, 46, created bespoke pieces and found unusual items in second-hand shops as she shared the home's makeover on Instagram.
The mum-of-two and her family moved into the 1930s home more than 10 years ago.
Sonia, an alternative therapist and husband Chris, a musician, had decided once their sons were older it was time to show off their individuality in their home.
The couple, from Coventry, filled the four-bed property with artwork, stylish patterns and bold designs - avoiding the cliche 'light and airy' look of many minimalist makeovers.
They went for darker colours and insist it does not make the house smaller, but provides a cosy home that "comes alive" in the winter.
Sonia said: "We moved here in 2009 and it was all beige walls. It was very bland with nothing about it really.
"But we had two young kids and we didn't really know what our style was when the boys were little.
"We never liked the way it was decorated, but when you have young children, it's sometimes hard to show your personality at home.
"We looked into what we wanted our home to be like for us and we ripped up the laminate to find floorboards and found original tiles in the hallway.
"We started to find quirky features in the house and embraced them."
The couple started their top-to-bottom transformation in 2019. Their sons Evan, 14, and Cassius, 13, still live in the house.
Sonia said: "I decorate with my feelings and for us, our home has such a cosy and comforting feel to it.
"I feel like the lounge hugs you as you walk in. We encompass the darkness and embrace it.
"I adore the open fire, that sold the house to me and it brings the house alive in winter."
Sonia admits friends and family were unsure when they revealed their decorating style but the couple insists using darker colours doesn't cramp the space.
She said: "It's not a massive house, no high ceilings and when we said we wanted to go dark with our design ideas people said it will make the room smaller, but honestly that's rubbish."
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She added: " People either love it or it's too dark for them to live in. But for me it's not too much.
"I love that it's not an empty shell and instead it is filled with things we love."
Sonia says she loves to make things or buy from charity shops.
She said: "A lot of the things in this house I have made, the red tassel lampshade and some artwork.
"The mannequin heads I found on eBay and turned them into wall planters. I like pieces that are unique and not something you can buy in every shop."
Sonia has shared her transformation on her Instagram account @Itsonlytaken10years.
She added: "My favourite room has to be the living room and one of my favourite features in the house is the fireplace."
"Our little dining area in the kitchen is so cosy. I hand stencilled the gold stars and I gold leafed the tiles in the kitchen.
"The kitchen cupboards were fine, but not to our taste so we just changed the handles and painted the front of them.
"In our dining area, I like to repurpose everything so we repainted our table and chairs.
"It cost around £30 to transform the bathroom and most of that was buying a new toilet seat."
Sonia painted the lounge and dining room the same colour to create a flow between the rooms but painted the hallway a light pink and used a grey carpet.
She said: "Paint was our main expense - and I do like to buy a lot of plants. I like the original 1930s door with glass and wanted to keep the hallway lighter to not lose the feature of the door.
"We wanted to have lots of artwork on the walls and you can be resourceful, you don't have to buy new."
Sonia added: "Your house has to make you smile and feel good that you live there.
"I made the red and black fringe lamp and yes things do attract dust but that's part of it."
Sonia continued: "I'd encourage anyone to go dark with their d cor. Get confident about what you're doing with your home and do it if you want to, don't worry about what other people think."
