A PENNY pinching couple have told how they spent just £8,000 renovating their entire home into a tropical paradise.
Charlotte Violet, 29, and partner Dave Sharpe, 33, turned their drab and dreary abode into their own little piece of heaven as part of a lockdown project.
The pair from Brighton have spent the last two years on the makeover – and the result is astonishing.
The two-bed property – which used to be plain white – is now an eye catching bright yellow.
But stepping inside is when you are hit with a tropical punch of bright greens, pinks and yellows from all directions.
The hallway is bright and airy with natural wooden tables on top of a geometric floor.
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While in the kitchen glum furnishings have been replaced with smooth wooden fittings which would not look out of place in the Caribbean.
Discussing the massive makeover, Charlotte said she opted for a tropical paradise theme “to remind us of our globe trotting travels”.
The pair have even renovated the former dusty attic into a “Hobbit themed space” with an inbuilt cinema and hanging chair.
While endearing bedrooms offer unending comfort with calming interiors and soft shades of pink and green.
Outside the former uninspiring courtyard is now a sanctuary with new paving stones and a covered decking to sit in peace.
Large potted plants, a rope swing, hammock and a fire pit also inject those longed-for tropical vibes into the home.
While an outdoor cinema means the pair can kick back and enjoy a film on their own or with lucky guests.
And if that is not enough to complete this Brighton paradise – there is even an outdoor shower surrounded by bamboo they built from scratch.
The cost of the build:
• Attic renovation (wood pieces, insulation, sanders, workmen): £4000
• Kitchen: £800
• Living and dining room: £1000
• Tools: £1000
• Furniture (estimate): £2000
• Annie Sloan paint: £23.95 per litre
• Hammock: £15 from eBay
• Guatemalan hanging chair: £40
• Amazon hanging chair: £20
• Loft net: £60 from eBay
• Cat loft net: £10 from eBay
• Swings: Free using materials found around the house like rope and spare slabs of wood
• White cabinet: Free from Facebook Marketplace
• Bookshop ladder: £10
• Loft ladder: £8 – DIY using spare piece of birch tree
Charlotte, a politics student, said: “When the pandemic hit, we both got really bored, and thought back to how we wanted to decorate and realised that we could actually do it on a smaller scale.
“We gradually started on each room and decided that each room should have a different theme.”
She added: “The attic was the main bulk of the cost, as we had to get workmen to come and re-plaster after a botched job. That one room alone was £4k.”
Whilst the renovation cost a considerable amount, the pair tried to keep their budget low by upcycling furniture and buying second hand.
Tools like sanders and drills added £1000 to the final bill – but the pair admitted they did not want to buy cheap tools that would break.
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Charlotte said: “I just love how colourful and pretty the space has become, it really matches my personality.
“It’s amazing what you can do with such a small space.”
