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Our tower block transformation has set us back less than \u00a3500 over the course of a year (Picture: Mollie Quirk)Having lived in rented homes with my mum since I was three-years-old, magnolia is a colour I am well-accustomed to.
\nMagnolia walls and beige carpet are a staple of rentals \u2013 and eight out of the eight ones we lived in served as proof of this.
\nMy mum and I would pin throws to the walls for non-permanent decoration and make things as homely as we could, but although our homes never lacked character, they certainly lacked colour.\u00a0
\nThen when I was 17, after two years of living in our seaside apartment in East Sussex, everything changed. My mum and I faced homelessness when our landlord served us a Section 21 notice of eviction \u2013 the company owned multiple properties and were selling the most valuable, including our home.
\nThis left us with nowhere to go and had detrimental effects on mine and my mum\u2019s mental health. We were scared and worried about our situation, and I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder and clinical depression, which both still linger to this day.<\/p>\n
Before the transformation: \u2018We were so excited that a beautiful flat overlooking the London skyline was now our blank canvas\u2019 (Picture: Mollie Quirk)At the time, the rental scene was very dry. Nothing suitable came on the market and my mum and I feared we would have to go into temporary accommodation.
\nAfter months of hell, including court cases, council meetings and tears, we were one week away from moving into a hostel, before the council phoned us say we had successfully bid on a property \u2013 a home that would be ours indefinitely, with no fear of eviction and a free rein to decorate.
\nBut a few weeks after had we moved in and transformed it to our liking, we started having disagreements with our neighbours. My mum and I couldn\u2019t handle the constant abuse we were receiving on an almost daily basis, so we signed up to a site called Homeswapper that allows council tenants to exchange homes.<\/p>\n
My mum and I have always had a passion for interior design and home d\u00e9cor (Picture: Mollie Quirk)It took four years until we were able to find the right place and swap our flat for the one we\u2019re in now. Although we were initially wary of it being in a tower block due to the bad rep they get, its large size \u2013 it has two spacious bedrooms and a big balcony \u2013 and location in London, where I could pursue my career in journalism, meant it had a lot going for it.
\nMoving into our flat last year coincided with lockdown, but at least we had a brilliant new project to work on.\u00a0My mum and I have always had a passion for interior design and home d\u00e9cor, and were so excited that a beautiful flat overlooking the London skyline was now our blank canvas.
\nLuckily we have exactly the same taste, even down to our matching pyjamas and sandals. We like a bit of everything, but especially boho, bright, quirky and vintage styles \u2013 all rolled into one! <\/p>\n
We\u2019ve used stencils to brighten up the walls, cupboards and bath panel (Picture: Mollie Quirk)We are also very thrifty and all in all, our tower block transformation has set us back less than \u00a3500 over the course of a year. As a journalist and blogger, I was very lucky to receive some PR samples, such as the living room rug, a few art prints and accessories. But apart from that, almost everything is second-hand from charity shops and up-cycled \u2013 even our sofa, which we have dyed fuchsia pink.
\nI\u2019ve painted bright funky flowers on the second-hand pine table, and bees, sunflowers and hydrangeas on the dining chairs; our coffee table has been lacquered gold; and we have chalkboard walls in the living room and kitchen, brightly illustrated with quotes and flowers.
\nWe\u2019ve also used stencils to brighten up the walls, cupboards and bath panel; the windows above the doors have been painted with acrylic to mimic stained glass; and we\u2019ve used tile stickers in the bathroom and kitchen to save us retiling or painting them.<\/p>\n
We created a feature wall in our living room by cutting 200 diamond shapes out of wallpaper samples and scraps from charity shops (Picture: Mollie Quirk)Inspired by the renovation docu-series Escape to the Chateau, we created a feature wall in our living room by cutting 200 diamond shapes out of wallpaper samples and scraps from charity shops, then pasted them onto the wall. It took around two days to complete and cost just \u00a34 for the paste, plus the very little we spent on the charity shop samples.
\nIt was so very satisfying to see our vision become a reality and we ended up repeating this technique in the hallway and our bedrooms.\u00a0
\nBecause we weren\u2019t able to afford a carpet straightaway and the pandemic made it difficult to book fitters, we decided to create a faux floorboard using the matte emulsion we had leftover from the living room and bits of furniture. We painted over the boring black vinyl floor tiles, deciding on a pink and yellow marble effect for the living room, and a cream and bronze floorboard look for the bedrooms and hallway.<\/p>\n
We decided to create a faux floorboard using the matte emulsion we had leftover from the living room and bits of furniture (Picture: Mollie Quirk)Initially I had no idea what I was doing, but to our surprise it worked beautifully. I painted the floor with emulsion before using a brown acrylic paint pen and a yardstick to draw lines that mimicked wooden planks. Then I used a dry brush and roughly painted over this with a \u00a34 bronze metallic colour from Wilko. Finally, I covered everything in three tins of quick dry tough satin varnish at a cost of \u00a310 each.\u00a0
\nThe floors are durable, tough and can withstand so much, including moving furniture and general wear and tear. Not only that, but they look incredible \u2013 funky, unique and much nicer than a beige carpet that might have set us back \u00a31,000.
\nOur home is our happy place and has been such a saviour for us during the pandemic.\u00a0Having something to focus on \u2013 like sewing doily curtains or designing illustrations \u2013 helps both of us with our mental health and even my mum with her arthritis. <\/p>\n
I repeated our flooring technique outside and painted our patio furniture in bright colours (Picture: Mollie Quirk)Just the other day I feared that there was little left to do in our flat, but as I looked out onto our grey and dreary balcony, I decided it needed a boost for spring. So I repeated our flooring technique outside and painted our patio furniture in bright colours.\u00a0
\nLots of people on social media love what we\u2019ve done with our home. Whenever I post photos on Instagram or Twitter, they receive so much attention. I\u2019m really glad my happy place can bring joy to others!
\nMore: UK<\/p>\n
I\u2019m hoping that when we\u2019ve completely finished our flat, it will coincide with life getting back to normal post-lockdown so I can finish my masters and get a full-time journalism job. But I doubt I\u2019ll ever be completely finished with decorating and re-vamping \u2013 there\u2019s always a project to be found!
\nPeople have many assumptions about tower blocks \u2013 the main one being that they\u2019re run down and rough. Before moving in I was wary, but after living here for over a year, I can confirm that all of my assumptions were just that.
\nTower blocks can be community-led, incredibly spacious and not-all-bad.
\nI love my home and I wouldn\u2019t change anything \u2013 except the d\u00e9cor \u2013 for the world!
\nDo you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing angela.pearson@metro.co.uk.\u00a0
\nShare your views in the comments below.
\nMORE: What I Rent: Michelle and Christian, \u00a3910 a month for a three-bedroom house in Stockton Heath, Cheshire
\nMORE: Put some zest in your decor with these home and garden accessories
\nMORE: How to decorate a home when you and your partner have different tastes<\/p>\n