UK Before & After: An Unused, Chilly Garden Room Gets a Cosy Look
The budget to redo this room tacked onto the exterior of a UK farmhouse was small, but the result is anything but
This garden room was originally destined to be knocked down as part of a bigger project to extend the adjacent kitchen in this farmhouse in North Yorkshire, UK. However, when the budget ran out and there were issues with gaining planning permission, the owners enlisted the help of interior designer Karen Knox of Making Spaces to see how the room’s look and functionality could be boosted without any big or expensive changes.
“This project was done on a total budget,” says Knox. “It’s got no foundations and was – and still is – a bit falling-down, but we made good as much as we could.”
The room is a key space for the family, since it doubles as the reception for the business they run offering holiday accommodation and courses, so it needed to feel welcoming and to work well.
“This project was done on a total budget,” says Knox. “It’s got no foundations and was – and still is – a bit falling-down, but we made good as much as we could.”
The room is a key space for the family, since it doubles as the reception for the business they run offering holiday accommodation and courses, so it needed to feel welcoming and to work well.
Images by Karen Knox
Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with two teenage children, two dogs and lots of chickens, all called Barbara and collectively known as ‘the Barbaras’
Location: North Yorkshire, UK
Property type: A Victorian cottage attached to what was once an old forge
Room dimensions: Approximately 6.3 metres x 3.4 metres
Designer: Karen Knox of Making Spaces
This part of the house wasn’t put to much good use before Karen worked her magic. “It was a bit of a storage area for surplus chairs and other furniture,” says Knox. It also functioned as a big hallway leading to and from the downstairs toilet, which is off what is now the mudroom.
“It’s single-glazed and cold in there, so it’s not quite solid or warm enough to be used as a full-time living space,” says Knox. However, as it’s directly off the carpark, it’s perfect as a reception area for visitors and guests.
The space is split loosely into two parts and the non-reception room is now a very generous mudroom where the family’s shoes and coats can live.
Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with two teenage children, two dogs and lots of chickens, all called Barbara and collectively known as ‘the Barbaras’
Location: North Yorkshire, UK
Property type: A Victorian cottage attached to what was once an old forge
Room dimensions: Approximately 6.3 metres x 3.4 metres
Designer: Karen Knox of Making Spaces
This part of the house wasn’t put to much good use before Karen worked her magic. “It was a bit of a storage area for surplus chairs and other furniture,” says Knox. It also functioned as a big hallway leading to and from the downstairs toilet, which is off what is now the mudroom.
“It’s single-glazed and cold in there, so it’s not quite solid or warm enough to be used as a full-time living space,” says Knox. However, as it’s directly off the carpark, it’s perfect as a reception area for visitors and guests.
The space is split loosely into two parts and the non-reception room is now a very generous mudroom where the family’s shoes and coats can live.
The newly painted, almost-black wall is the exterior of the cottage kitchen. “I would never have painted over this if it had been exposed brick,” says Knox, “but it had already been painted cream. I always find that if you have loads of things you don’t want to see, paint them black.”
There was plenty to hide: in the before photo (below) you can see lots of messy cables and pipework, including a waste pipe that couldn’t be moved.
Find an interior designer near you on Houzz to get the home you’ve dreamt of
There was plenty to hide: in the before photo (below) you can see lots of messy cables and pipework, including a waste pipe that couldn’t be moved.
Find an interior designer near you on Houzz to get the home you’ve dreamt of
The painted-brick kitchen wall before works
“We got rid of anything not used and most of the boxing-in,” says Knox. The boxed-in section above the door had to remain, so Karen ran a big shelf underneath it and filled it with attractive terracotta pots. “We painted all the cables black, too,” she adds. “This disguises a million bits of wire.”
The vertical cable that runs to the light switch by the door was previously exposed, but Karen covered it with a proper conduit to make it look deliberate and fit with the loose industrial theme. “We painted all of the window frames and ceiling beams black, too, to give it an industrial look.”
“We got rid of anything not used and most of the boxing-in,” says Knox. The boxed-in section above the door had to remain, so Karen ran a big shelf underneath it and filled it with attractive terracotta pots. “We painted all the cables black, too,” she adds. “This disguises a million bits of wire.”
The vertical cable that runs to the light switch by the door was previously exposed, but Karen covered it with a proper conduit to make it look deliberate and fit with the loose industrial theme. “We painted all of the window frames and ceiling beams black, too, to give it an industrial look.”
Knox also painted the radiator heater black and hung an artwork above it that references the owner’s love of ‘the Barbaras’. “She always has a leaf or something from the garden in her hair and wanted something that clients would see when they first arrived to represent her. When I showed her this, she was like, ‘Yes!’”
As the exposed brick on this wall was original, Knox left it unpainted. “Brick is too pretty to paint over,” she says.
The vintage-look sofa is from Ikea. “It was cheap as chips!” says Knox. “It’s really chintzy, but also a bit acid punk-y.”
Ektorp sofa: Ikea; ‘Ofelia’ artwork: Sofia Bonati
As the exposed brick on this wall was original, Knox left it unpainted. “Brick is too pretty to paint over,” she says.
The vintage-look sofa is from Ikea. “It was cheap as chips!” says Knox. “It’s really chintzy, but also a bit acid punk-y.”
Ektorp sofa: Ikea; ‘Ofelia’ artwork: Sofia Bonati
The view across the room, with the newly renovated kitchen glimpsed through the open door
This is roughly the same view before the refresh. “It was meant to be a dining room,” says Knox, “but it hardly got used because, I think, it just wasn’t very nice to be in.”
Turning around and facing the other windows reveals what is now an extremely functional mudroom.
The terracotta tiles were already there and Knox warmed up the floor with a large, hardwearing rug.
“I wanted something that could get hammered,” she says. “So we went for a massive jute rug; mud and dog hair can just be vacuumed up and the rug just ‘takes it’.”
Rug: La Redoute
The terracotta tiles were already there and Knox warmed up the floor with a large, hardwearing rug.
“I wanted something that could get hammered,” she says. “So we went for a massive jute rug; mud and dog hair can just be vacuumed up and the rug just ‘takes it’.”
Rug: La Redoute
The window on the farmhouse side of the mudroom was previously overshadowed by pipework. As this could not easily or cheaply be moved, Knox chose to create a large boxed-in area to frame the entire window, then painted it all black.
Here’s the result – a dramatic transformation even before you consider the modest budget.
Knox decided to turn the boxed-in section into a little gallery. “We put up the artwork so it wasn’t just like looking at a big, boxed-in wall,” she says. “The pictures are charity shop finds the owners and I found. We collected lots and had a bit of a gallery-hanging session.”
Knox decided to turn the boxed-in section into a little gallery. “We put up the artwork so it wasn’t just like looking at a big, boxed-in wall,” she says. “The pictures are charity shop finds the owners and I found. We collected lots and had a bit of a gallery-hanging session.”
The family already owned this sheepskin, which Bobbi the dog loves lounging on. Knox added a rocking chair she sourced from a vintage dealer. Again, what is now painted black was originally cream. “There’s lots of glass, so although we’ve effectively painted almost the whole room black, it isn’t overwhelming,” she says.
The front windows before works
The frames are now painted smart black.
“The owner also hosts outdoor cooking events, foraging classes and gin tasting in her garden. That’s why there are loads of blankets to store, so the guests can just come and take them,” says Knox.
“We found the bench they’re in, plus the shoe rack, in one of the outbuildings. We cut the bench legs down to make it seat height – 45 centimetres.”
“The owner also hosts outdoor cooking events, foraging classes and gin tasting in her garden. That’s why there are loads of blankets to store, so the guests can just come and take them,” says Knox.
“We found the bench they’re in, plus the shoe rack, in one of the outbuildings. We cut the bench legs down to make it seat height – 45 centimetres.”
The mudroom in its original bare state
The salvaged shoe rack in all its glory in the mudroom
The window looks into the cellar and the door to the right of the shoe rack leads to the downstairs toilet.
“This is the reason the space used to be a bit of a corridor,” says Knox. “But it’s great for visiting guests, as there’s no need to go into the main house.”
The window looks into the cellar and the door to the right of the shoe rack leads to the downstairs toilet.
“This is the reason the space used to be a bit of a corridor,” says Knox. “But it’s great for visiting guests, as there’s no need to go into the main house.”
Your turn
What’s inspired you about this budget project? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see another interior design makeover? Check out this Before & After: A Kitchen That Combines Mixed Materials & Shapes
What’s inspired you about this budget project? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see another interior design makeover? Check out this Before & After: A Kitchen That Combines Mixed Materials & Shapes
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Sharon Daly