A CREATIVE couple have turned their family home into a stylish dark mansion for less than £1,000.
Mum-of-two, Sonia Bhanot and her husband Chris have transformed their 1930s terraced home in Coventry using a daring dark décor and unique second-hand pieces.
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The 46-year-old mum has shared how she managed to create a stunning family home on a budget and said the biggest expense was plants and paint.
She admitted there is only one drawback in using dark colours- dust- but said it is worth it.
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.
“A lot of the things in this house I have made, the red tassel lampshade and some artwork.
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“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.
“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.”
“Paint was our main expense – and I do like to buy a lot of plants.
“I made the red and black fringe lamp and yes things do attract dust but that’s part of it.”
The pair who moved into the property over ten years ago decided to transform the four-bed home once their sons Evan and Cassius were no longer little.
The project saw them fill the property with artwork, stylish patterns and bold designs.
Sonia added: “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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Your house has to make you smile and feel good that you live there.
“I’d encourage anyone to go dark with their décor. 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.”
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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
