VICTORIAN TERRACE
Having created abold, eclectic home with her late husband Pete, Mel’s passion for interiors is central to her healing journey
FEATURE KAREN WILSON
IDEA TO STEAL
‘Painting a fire surround the same as the walls will make accessories pop ’
After 10 years of living in London, I got the opportunity to move back to Manchester at just the right time,’ says Mel.
‘It was 2010 and I’d been working as cabin crew for Virgin Atlantic Airways when I met my future husband, Pete, in Ibiza. He was DJ-ing at Space nightclub and it was love at first sight. Our worlds collided and we knew we were supposed to be together.
My dad had just evicted yet another bad tenant from a property he rented out in Sale, and offered us the house. He’d had some terrible tenants over the years, so he’d had enough of being a landlord. Faced with the choice of struggling in London where house prices were so high or going back to Manchester, it was an easy decision for us to make.
All change
The house was in a real state, so we had it replastered before decorating. With no savings, everything went on a credit card and we put up with the tiny kitchen at the back. Although we made it look nice, our budget makeover didn’t last long, and when our daughter Elbie was born we realised we needed more space.
Everything changed in 2017 when Pete was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Elbie was only two and he was determined to live life to the fullest. To make the house work better for family life, we decided to knock the two reception rooms together and create an open-plan space with the kitchen in the back half. Pete’s best friend and his dad did all the work. They fitted parquet flooring, installed a £4,000 Ikea kitchen and made the banquette seating.
Co
