We excitedly set off mid Friday afternoon to visit our friend up t’north near Leeds. As a recent first time buyer I thought it a genius idea to, with his permission of course, feature his progress and battles in my blog!
Meet the home owner Pat Doig, a Wealth Manager working in Leeds, lives in the idyllic Ilkley town.
Property A 5 bedroom, 1 bathroom terraced house.
So, when did you move in and what made you choose this area?
I moved in May 2014, after renting in Leeds city centre for a few years. I decided on Ilkley due to the fantastic connections into the city and our growing soft spot for the idyllic town. I had considered Harrogate and York previously as they are both so beautiful, however affordability and practicality ruled over in the end.
What was your first job to tackle?
There was about a month period before I was able to physically move into the property so thought I’d use that time to my advantage. I re-wired the whole house and replaced the boiler. I also made the decision to completely strip out the bathroom, as the original arrangement did not work for me practically. So this was the first room in the house to be transformed. I decided to use Morland Bathrooms who are an independent show room in Leeds. They were extremely helpful in giving advice as we didn’t really have a clue what we were doing!
Towels, Jasper Conran and Lindsay Lang. Basin, Morland Bathrooms.
Pat: “The shower makes me happy every day!”
Shower fittings, Morland Bathrooms.
What was the most laborious task?
Sanding all the floors, walls and skirting down was tough. I hired a belt sander for the floor which was a huge help but is still a very labour intensive task. I wasted a lot of time filling in holes and sanding back walls before realising that getting someone in to skim over and re-plaster was not a lot of money and less fuss. Wallpapering was a new skill to master. I used google tutorials for help- using a string and plumb to get a straight line…! The previous home owners very kindly left a good amount of wood chip on the walls which wasn’t a pleasant job to tackle either! Removing two fire places was a new challenge too.
What would you describe your style as?
Pat: “I’d say we have drawn on influences from the Scandi style, with the painted white floorboards and grey walls. I do enjoy a geometric pattern and a few pops of colour. I think it’s inoffensive. Simple and fresh.”
Wallpaper, John Lewis £12 per roll (January sale!) Bicycle print bedding, Primark. Pendant, John Lewis.
Watch tutorials on how to hang wallpaper like Pat did below.
Next project/challenge?
The kitchen is the next project on the list. I’m looking into concrete panels as a backsplash with oak work tops. I feel this will compliment each other well. For the floor I’d like to try something quite colourful but are undecided on the finish! Also, the hall, stairs and landing need finishing off. I would really like the traditional stair runners with the brass rods, but might look at painting one on for the time being to cut costs. As well as this, there’s two extra rooms upstairs in the eaves of the house. In time I want to convert this space into a master suite, however that is most definitely a long term goal!
Why not give them your opinion and ideas on flooring finishes? Vote on the form below.
And finally, what is your favourite part of the house?
Pat: “The shower makes me happy every day! And I really love the navy blue in our bedroom. They’re Little Greene colours but we had the master bedroom mixed by the specialists Johnstone’s for a really good price. I also love the wood burner; when I’ve actually gone to the trouble of getting some wood!”
Bedding, Marks and Spencers. Lighting, bought from Stokholm, Lagerhaus. Paint, Little Greene.
Wood-burner, Charnwood. Fireplace tiles, Plan-It Earth an independent tile shop in Addingham. Rug, Ikea. Floor lamp, Made.com.
the lipscomb way 
You could have a look at the beautiful staircases that Danielle has shown us previously, lots of lovely ideas there 🙂
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Great idea Helen- and lovely to hear from you! I hope you’re well? thanks for commenting 🙂
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What a beautiful house! Love the style x
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