Savvy homeowner reveals how she transformed her 1920s home into a ‘maximalist’ tropical oasis for £20,000 (and it’s added £80,000 to the value!)

A savvy homeowner has revealed how she added £80,000 to the value of her house after she ditched its white walls and wooden floors in favour of a tropical oasis-style paradise – spending just £20,000 on the transformation.

Nicola Smith, 47, from Andover, Hampshire, bought her three-bedroom 1920s property for £560,000 in 2021, knowing this was her opportunity to turn it into the home of her dreams.

And after spending £20,000 on her home renovations, interior designer Nicola says she has added £80,000 to the value of her home.

Almost half of the budget, £8,000, was spent on building work to make a bedroom bigger and the rest was on a variety of things such as wallpaper, paint, fabric and flooring.

‘The house was built in 1920, has three bedrooms, it had four plus a box room when we bought it, we knocked two bedrooms together and made the box room a walk-in wardrobe,’ said Nicola.

BEFORE AND AFTER: The kitchen has been transformed from a slightly tired space into a vibrant, stylish room

According to Nicola (pictured) all the feedback she has had on her handiwork has been positive, with people loving the maximalist style

‘We bought our house in 2021 for £560,000. Since then I have spent £20,000 renovating it in the maximalist style.

‘We had a wall removed between two bedrooms and opened a doorway up from a tiny box room into the bigger room as a walk-in wardrobe.

‘We wallpapered every room, not always all four walls. We gold-leafed the landing ceiling. Painted lots and put new flooring down in most rooms.

‘Downstairs we took up all but one of the existing carpets, replacing the kitchen, utility and dining rooms with parquet.

‘In the kitchen we repainted cupboards and wallpapered, the hallway floor was tiled and we papered.

‘The big sitting room we painted all but one wall and hung wallpaper on the fourth wall.

‘The little sitting room has two wallpapered walls and two painted walls.

‘Upstairs in the main bedroom once the building work was done we laid engineered wood flooring, painted and put a panel of wallpaper above the bed.

BEFORE AND AFTER: The landing was a plain space before the makeover, and now is bustling with prints and bright colours

The house (pictured) is a three-bedroom 1920s property. Nicola bought it for £560,000 in 2021

The bathroom pictured before (left) and after (right) is another vibrant room created by the talented designer

According to Nicola, she loves layers of texture, saying ‘patterns and colour are [her] jam’, and says her style has ‘a lot going on’ which is all ‘considered’

The interior designer added that while she appreciates minimalist design, it is not for her, and her eyes need pattern and colour

‘The office also doubles as a guest room and in the main bathroom we still have the original ball and claw foot cast iron bath.

‘We did most of the work in the first six months after we moved in, we have recently redone the kitchen and dining room.

‘I’m quite quick at decorating so a room would take three or four days for the smaller ones, the larger bedroom took longer.’

‘I love layers of texture, patterns and colour are my jam. I like to think my design style, whilst there’s a lot going on, is considered.

‘I pride myself on getting colours and pattern clashes just right.

‘My eyes need pattern and colour. I appreciate minimalist design but it’s not for me.’

There were some struggles along the way but Nicola receives nothing but compliments on her bold home.’My partner would probably say the hardest part was installing the hallway tiles, they’re laid diagonally,’ she said.

‘Generally comments on Instagram @thesmithinterior have been really positive. People love the colour and depth the rooms have.

DETAILS: Nicola loves prints and colours, and the level of detail in her picks is clear, with her decor options carefully considered

According to Nicola, they did the majority of the renovation work within the first six months of moving into the property

According to Nicola, she defines her style as ‘eclectic’, and she says she needs patterns and colours

MAKEOVER: Nicola says it takes her around three to four days to transform a room, as she is able to work quickly

The home makes their friends and family happy too, and they all love it, according to Nicola, who said ‘what could be better than that?’

The home’s valuation has increased by £80,000 in the two years since they bought the 1920s three-bedroom property

The interior designer says her maximalist style has had a good response from people so far, and she has not received any negative comments

‘I would define my decor style as eclectic, considering maximalism and people respond to it so well, I have received absolutely no negative comments, so far.

‘In the two years since we bought our home’s valuation has increased by about £80,000.

‘My favourite area of the home is the back deck, it has a lovely view of the garden and is great in all weathers as it’s covered.

‘My family and friends love it, I think our home just makes people happy and what could be better than that.

‘The most surprising thing about our renovation is that we finished. It feels never-ending when you’re in the middle of it.’