Old Soul, New Life: Blending History with Modern Comfort
I recently renovated several rooms in a building, including the kitchen, hallway, and living area. The process began with dismantling an old, outdated interior — for instance, the plug sockets were no longer up to modern standards. In the kitchen especially, I more or less started from scratch. Every surface needed attention: the floor, ceiling, and walls all had to be redone.
The kitchen was the most demanding part of the project. It was fully rewired, a new fitted kitchen was installed, and the back wall required significant repair. I also renovated the extraction pipe fixtures to improve their function. For the ceiling, I installed a slatted tongue-and-groove board, which helped to conceal various unsightly features and added warmth to the space. It’s made the kitchen feel much cosier.
There’s now a small writing table tucked to one side, which adds function without taking up much room — the space feels noticeably more open. Overall, it was a challenging but rewarding project, and I’m really pleased with how it turned out.
I worked solo for the majority of the project, consulting with my partner near the end on design details. Professional electricians, plumbers, and carpenters were brought in where expertise was essential
Although much of the interior was out-of-date, I’m passionate about recycling and reusing materials wherever possible. I like to preserve elements with historical value, so I restored the original radiators, giving them a fresh coat of paint to bring them back to life.
The living area began as an empty, damaged space with visible cracks and panel gaps along the ceiling and walls. I filled and repaired these areas, commissioned the rewiring of the electrics to add extra sockets with proper earthing, and had installed a stronger, sound-resistant wall. A mounted TV required deep anchoring into the original block wall, and the ceiling was re-panelled with an improved curtain rail system.
Furniture was mostly second-hand or inherited, carefully arranged to keep the room spacious yet cosy. Round mirrors — including a backlit moon mirror — soften the space, while floor-length blackout and net curtains were tailored for both function and aesthetic. Outside, the terrace was repainted, and side walls were rebuilt for a clean, open feel.
Almost all the work was hands-on — a personal project that transformed the space into a peaceful, homely living room I’m proud of.
