Designing for DIY SOS in Carbis Bay

DIY SOS: The Big Build is BBC1’s BAFTA award winning home makeover programme. The programme is presented by Nick Knowles who, with his team of builders, a designer and hundreds of local volunteers, transform the homes of families across the country who have gone through difficult life-changing situations. I have worked on DIY SOS on and off for 7 years, including tonight’s episode in Carbis Bay, Cornwall.

Stephen and Lynn Smedley spent 15 years fostering a total of 103 children and were ready for a well deserved retirement in their two bedroom bungalow by the sea. Unfortunately, tragedy struck in April 2017 when their daughter, Carrie, died suddenly leaving behind her 3 sons. With no dad on the scene, Stephen and Lynn brought their three grandsons home to live with them. When I visited the Smedleys’ home, the three boys were sleeping in a triple bunkbed in the same room, there was only one bathroom for the 5 of them and Lynn was doing all of her washing and ironing in the garden shed. It was obvious that they needed more space for everyone to be able to grieve and grow together. 

The most crucial part of the design was the new layout of the bungalow. We had to create two new bedrooms and a new bathroom. Also, we wanted to have two communal spaces in the form of a living room and a kitchen diner. Having this was important to the family as it would allow the boys to play their video games in one room whilst Stephen and Lynn could sit elsewhere. Many hours were spent drawing and redrawing the plans for the house - it really was a tight squeeze!

Working with Gabrielle Blackman is always a joy and this house was no different. We felt that the house needed to feel bright and spacious so we used an off white colour as the main colour throughout the house to reflect the light into the rooms, making them feel bigger. Also, with Carbis Bay being right on the Cornish coast, we wanted to use this image and incorporate the blue and green palette that you associate with the ocean into the scheme, so the majority of the rooms have those colours in them.

The living area needed to have enough space to fit all 5 members of the family, plus room for any friends they may have over if they were entertaining. We had New Concept Interiors make a bespoke armchair and sofa, so that we could get the seating to fit the room perfectly. We also incorporated a bench within the built-in TV unit to create that extra bit of seating. 

There was a lot of built-in furniture installed so that we could make the most of every nook and cranny that was available. The two younger boys also had built-in beds installed to maximise the floor space of their bedrooms. They were both also keen to be able to have their friends stay over so we designed their beds to have a pull-out bed under them too. Another design team tactic was to install sliding doors, creating more useable floor space.

The kitchen diner was located in the new extension and was definitely my favourite room. As a design team we had begged the build team to allow us to do an internal pitched ceiling and we had finally been granted permission. It was worth the wait! Again, with our maximising of space at the forefront of the design, we incorporated a banquette to allow more people to sit around the table. Although the room was painted white, it still felt cosy because of the warm timber floor and the beautiful copper accents in the lighting and kitchen handles. 

Working on DIY SOS is such a treat and this project was definitely one of my favourites. We had a wonderful, talented production team and amazing trades and suppliers working on the Smedley’s home. To catch up click here. For a list of the products used on DIY SOS: Carbis Bay click here

All photography by Elliott White Photography

Timeless Interiors: Timber Panelling

Timber panelling has gone in and out of style many times throughout the centuries and today it is back. Not only is it popular in the home, it is also popular in commercial settings, such as restaurants, offices and schools. Panelling has an amazing ability to add character and texture to a space and it can also visually change the proportion of a room.

Image From: Rock My Style

Panelling wasn’t always used to create an atmosphere or an aesthetic of a space. For example, initially, timber panels were installed to provide insulation to cold stone walls. The Tudors lined their walls with timber from the floor to the ceiling to show their wealth. They made their wooden panelled walls decorative and so the aesthetic became more important.

Image From: Shevy Vision

There are many different ways that you could include panelling in your home and here are a few ideas for inspiration:

1. Traditional

If your home is an older property, for example Elizabethan, and you wanted to add some character to it, you could reinstate some of the old panels that may have been in the original design of the house. It is worth researching what was around during the time period to make sure you aren’t installing something that was designed 200 years later. For an Elizabethan property, from the 16th century, the decorative Tudor style was replaced with a rectangular style with mitre moulding. This plainer style panelling would have been made of exposed oak which you could install if you wanted to replicate the traditional style. However, if you wanted a more modern look you could install painted rectangular panelling like the one shown below.

Image From: Rock My Style

2. Create Pattern

Tongue and groove boards are really good for creating patterns. Traditionally they are used horizontally or vertically but if you want something a bit different you could install them diagonally or in a basket weave arrangement.

Image From: Pinterest

MDF boards are a great material to use to create panelling as you can cut it to any size you require and arrange it as you would like. You could put the panels only millimetres apart to create beautiful shadow gaps.

Image From: Pinterest

3. Protect Walls

In the Georgian period it was popular to place all your dining chairs against the walls instead of around the dining table. It, therefore, became popular to panel from floor level to dado height (which was originally 600mm from the floor) so that the Georgians could protect their walls from any wear and tear from the chairs. Today it is common to see half panelled walls in areas that might have a lot of traffic, for example the hallway in a home is often panelled and in a commercial space you might also see half height panelling such as in parts of a shopping centre or a hospital.

Image From: Real Homes

4. Proportions 

You can play with the proportions of a room with panelling and trick the eye to make it feel bigger than it actually is. If you want a room to feel wider, install vertical panelling from the floor to the ceiling. If you have a high ceiling and want to make the room feel a bit more enclosed and cosy, panel up to picture rail height (approximately 300-500mm below the ceiling) and paint the area above the same colour as the ceiling. This will help to make the ceiling feel that 300-500mm lower than it actually is.

Image From: A Beautiful Mess

5. Exposed Timber

It has been proven that having plants, flowers and timber inside a commercial or residential space make a room feel calmer. It is also better for our mental health. Reclaimed timber can be used to create exposed panelling which gives a room more character because of the different shades of recycled wood. Examples of reclaimed timber are old floorboards, scaffolding boards and timber pallets. These, as well as being cheaper, are better for your carbon footprint.

Image From: Stephanie Williams Designs

There are so many benefits to panelling - why wouldn’t you want to include it in your home? It’s even perfect for that small box room or in your hallway to protect the walls. Panelling will make any home look unique and add character and style.