With no major renovation work to undertake, Blaise and Jonny could concentrate on decorative changes that make a big impact, without the price tag
FeatureKaren Wilson PhotographyKatie Lee
COLOUR-POP REFRESH
My story
'After spending a couple of years travelling around Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Jonny and I moved in with my mum in The Wirral so we could save up for our next trip. When we came home from our five-month jaunt around South America, we knew it was time to start saving for a deposit on our first home. I love Victorian and Edwardian houses, but we could only afford a flat near my mum in West Kirby. An estate agent encouraged us to look 10 minutes away in Hoylake, where we could get a four-bedroom house for the same money.
We only viewed one property and were hooked straight away. It had high ceilings, coving and all the Victorian features I was after, and luckily it didn’t need masses of renovation work, just decorative changes.
To start with we painted the whole house white just to freshen it up. I knew as time went on and our style evolved, we would add colour to each room. It’s gone from very minimal to the other end of the scale. Being part of the Instagram community has definitely swayed me into doing things I probably would never have done before, like painting ceilings.
I don't think this is our forever home, but I can see us staying here for another five or 10 years as it’s got the space if we want to start a family. One day I’d like to have a house with a driveway and a bigger garden, so I’d happily lose a bedroom to have those.'
Welcome to my home
ABOUT ME
I’m Blaise Venus, 29, a civil servant, and I live with my partner Jonny, 30, a retail manager.
WHERE I LIVE
A Victorian four-bedroom terrace in Hoylake, The Wirral. We bought it in September 2018. You can see more of my home journey on Instagram@our_townhou
