A mum-of-two who transformed her family's home into their very own pink palace has shared how she saved around £10k in the process, thanks to her savvy DIY approach.
Sophia Ferrari-Wills, 35, bought her 1960s cottage with her husband, Chris, 42, a sales manager, back in October 2019. But it wasn't long before the mum set to work transforming the home - painting every room pink.
In March 2020, Sophia started sharing photos of the pastel paradise on Instagram, and she was able to leave her full-time job as a midwife in April 2021 to pursue a career as an interior influencer after gaining over 300,000 followers.
Now, the home is a pink wonderland, complete with a mermaid bathroom, forest playroom, ice cream office and tree house for her daughters, Clemmie, four and Minnie, 20 months, and the creative mum is not done yet.
Explaining her inspiration, Sophia, a content creator, from Cambridge, said: "I'm a magpie for pastel and candy-style things.
"I am a girlie girl and pink always ties in with other colours as a neutral. I use it in every single room and layer it with other shades.
"I've always been creative, but lockdown gave me the chance to completely overhaul. I am a midwife health visitor and I used to take inspiration from other people's homes.
"I had a complete career change and still do the odd bank shift but at the moment I'm focusing on decorating and content creating."
But it is not just Sophia and Chris who love her candy-floss vision. The mum explained: "When I first met Chris, he was wearing a pink jumper, he loves the happy vibe and encourages me to explore my creativity.
"Delivery drivers have asked to come in and have a look at the home because they're intrigued by the colourful shutters and pink front door.
"People who visit are always very complimentary and amazed. Even some of Chris' friends can't believe he's on board with the lilac kitchen but also that they like it too. Someone has said to me my home is a mature pink barbie cottage."
Before Sophia set to work, the kitchen was orange and oak with terracotta tiles and dark granite tiles. She painted it lilac, and added a scalloped edge and pink tiles.
In the hallway, the walls are green and the shutters and pink, and it is accessorised with a wavy mirror and side table. "The living room is a vast space with a yellow corner sofa and a baby pink one," Sophia said.
"The wallpaper is strawberry themed, and the walls are painted calamine pink. There is a gallery wall with neon lights, and I always try and have natural flowers where I can. We painted the log burner pink and added a yellow scallop detail around the fireplace."
The magic continues in the downstairs bathroom with a mystical mermaid theme. Meanwhile, the playroom is forest themed, and the bedrooms each have their own special finishing touches, like in Minnie's mountain-themed room, which is completed with a feature wall Sophia painted herself.
Sophia's office is ice cream themed and it's fun outside too, where the family has created their dream garden with a tree house painted pink and green.
Next, they plan on building an extension outdoors and renovating the upstairs bathroom.
The interior enthusiast has an eye for a bargain and estimates the family's saved £10,000 so far with their DIY work. For instance, Sophia bought an ex-display bright pink Ferne Cotton for Very sofa for £250 off eBay - saving hundreds of pounds. She also bagged two scallop armchairs for just £100 each from HomeSense.
"I have relics left from grandparents that I've upcycled, such as a bureau I've painted lilac," added the style guru. "I think we have saved £5k to £10k by doing everything ourselves."
Her tips for decorators include using testers on the wall when painting, as colours can look different depending on where the light hits, and not being afraid.
Instead, she recommends getting stuck in, since you can strip back wallpaper if you don't like it. She adds that she's a fan of Sainsbury's homeware.
But colour lovers should be warned the passion is catching. Sophia's daughter, Clemmie, shares her mum's love of all things pink, to the extent she thinks everything should be in the colour.
"Clemmie expects everything to be pink, and if it's not, she is really disappointed," said Sophia.
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