Real home: a family apartment renovation in Brighton

living room in victorian property in brighton

published 4 January 2019

When Debbie Statham moved from Wolverhampton in the Midlands to Brighton in East Sussex, she hadn’t planned on tackling a major property restoration – or on beginning a new business from home.

‘All my friends had moved to Brighton over the years and they’d say, “Come on, you’re the last piece of the jigsaw,”’ explains Debbie. ‘In 2005, I decided the time was right to make the change. I was running four hair salons in the Midlands but I also had my daughter Lola, who was only three. So I started property hunting in Brighton at weekends.’

Find out how she got on, then browse more of our gorgeous real home transformations. Read our guide on renovating a house, too, for more guidance.

Apartment renovation staircase with mirrors above

Fact file

The owner: Debbie Statham, who runs a hairdressing business from her basement, lives here with her two children, Lola, 13, and four-year-old Oscar

The property: A two-storey, three-bedroom apartment in a Victorian house in Brighton, East Sussex

Project cost: The project, including the basement construction and new kitchen and bathroom cost £64,000

Apartment renovation blue kitchen with homeowner — *Debbie updated the pine units, painting them in Fog from Neptune, and adding a new worksurface from Kitchen Worktops Direct. Wood-effect porcelain floor tiles, Master Tiles*

The property Debbie chose was a three-bedroom ground-floor flat in a Victorian house that had been converted into apartments. There was an obvious problem with mice, mushrooms growing in a damp corner of one of the bedrooms, and many of the original features were falling apart.

Apartment renovation colourful kitchen in yellow, blue, orange — *The vintage haberdasher’s cabinet is from Swag in Brighton, and the table is by B&B Italia, which Debbie has covered with a Bluebelle & Co cloth. Pendant light, The Conservatory*

‘It scared the life out of me because I could see how much work it needed and I’d never done anything like it before,’ she recalls. ‘But I also felt I couldn’t let this opportunity to create my dream home pass me by.’

Apartment renovation grey living room after — The eclectic living room is filled with treasures. The sofa is from a house clearance, a client’s mother made the curtains, and the Chinese cabinet was bought from a friend; for similar, try Orchid Furniture. Cushions and tripod lamp, Bluebelle & Co. Mirror, Berry & Son. Walls painted in Suede, Dulux

The purchase was completed in March 2006, and Redman Developments began working on it immediately. She also got planning permission to turn the cellar below into a basement living space, adding a further 25 square metres to the flat.

Apartment renovation home salon in basement conversion — *Once a dark cellar, the converted basement is now home to Debbie’s hairdressing business. Metro tiles, Master Tiles. Wooden flooring, The Wood Store*

To stay within budget, she put plans to fit a sauna and a wine cellar in the new basement on hold, opting to use those rooms for storage. She made the main space into a playroom for Lola and added a utility. The next step was to connect the two floors with a new staircase.

Apartment renovation white master bedroom — Debbie removed the modern fire and replaced it with a cast-iron surround. This and the screen, used as a headboard, were found at a car boot sale. The mirror is from local store Berry & Son. Bedspread, Anthropologie

In 2013, Debbie had her son, Oscar. It was the trigger for her to rethink her career and launch Debbie Statham Hair from home, converting the playroom into a salon. A year later, she had saved enough to make over the kitchen.

Apartment renovation roll top feature bath bathroom — Rather than create an en suite to the master bedroom, Debbie had a freestanding bath from Parker Bathrooms put in the window. The white-painted floorboards give it a fresh look, while travel finds add a boutique-hotel feel. Rug, Urban Outfitters. Vintage lace curtains, Powell Craft

The two floors are connected by a new staircase. ‘I wanted it to look as if it had been here forever, so I found reproduction Victorian banisters and waxed them to make them look old,’ Debbie explains.

Apartment renovation childs room blue — *Oscar’s bedroom is a bright, fun space with its vibrant textiles and paintwork. Pendant light, BHS. Duvet cover, Bluebelle & Co*

Rather than spending money on buying art, Debbie uses mirrors as an inexpensive way to fill the walls, picking them up cheaply at car boot sales and junk shops. She sanded back the floorboards, which were originally varnished.