Couple transform family home into stylish dark villa for under £1,000

A CREATIVE couple turned their family home into a stylish dark mansion for less than £1,000.

Mother-of-two Sonia Bhanot and husband Chris transformed their 1930s terraced home in Coventry with bold dark decor and unique second-hand pieces.

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The 46-year-old mother shared how she managed to create a stunning family home on a frugal budget, and said the biggest expenses were the trees and paint.

She admits there’s only one downside to using dark colors – dust – but says it’s worth it.

Sonia said: “We moved here in 2009 and it was all just beige walls. It was very bland and there was nothing about it really.

“But we have two young children and we didn’t really know our style when the boys were young.

“We never liked the way it was decorated but when you have young children it is sometimes difficult to show your personality at home.

“We considered what we wanted our house to be like for us and we tore the wood paneling to find the flooring and found the original tile in the hallway.

“We started to find oddities in the house and embraced them.

“A lot of things in this house I did, red tassel lampshades and some artwork.

“Mannequin heads that I found on eBay and turned them into planters on the wall.

“I like things that are unique and not something you can buy in every store.

“My favorite room has to be the living room and one of my favorite features in the house is the fireplace.”

“Our little dining area in the kitchen was cozy. I hand-made the gold stars and I gilded the kitchen tiles.

“The kitchen cabinets were fine, but not to our taste so we just changed the handles and painted their fronts.

“In our dining area, I like to reuse things so we repainted the tables and chairs.

“It costs around £30 to convert the bathroom and most of that is buying a new toilet seat.”

“Paint is our main expense – and I love buying a lot of plants.

“I did the red and black rim lamp and yes there is a lot of vacuuming but that is part of it.”

The couple who moved to the property more than ten years ago decided to convert the four-bed home when their two sons, Evan and Cassius, were no longer young.

The project saw them fill the property with artwork, stylish patterns and bold designs.

Sonia added: “I decorate with my emotions and for us our home has a cozy and comfortable feel to it.

“I feel like the lounge hugs you when you walk in.

“We embrace the darkness and embrace it.

“I adore the open fire, sold the house to me and it brings life to the house in the winter.”

“It’s not a massive house, it doesn’t have high ceilings and when we said we wanted to darken with our design concept, people said it would make the room smaller, but honestly it’s trash.”

“People love it or it’s too dark for them to live. But for me, that’s not so much.

“I like that it’s not an empty shell, but instead it’s filled with the things we love.”

“Your home should make you smile and feel content when you live there.

“I encourage everyone to go dark with their decor. Be confident about what you’re doing with your home and do it if you want, don’t worry about what other people think.”

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