This is how a Sheffield couple transformed a tired-looking house into their amazing dream home

Katy and Tony Middleton’s renovation journey began when the couple fell in love with a street in Chapeltown, and began to dream of living there one day.

"We’ve always loved it. We used to walk down and think: ‘We’d love to live here’. I think there were few people would do the same thing,” said Katy, 41.

Fortunately, a detached house on the street came on the market soon enough, and the couple bought it and completed the sale in April 2017 – just a few weeks before the birth of their second son, George.

Katy and 42-year-old Tony knew the house would need to have a few cosmetic changes made to it, but one job continued to lead to another and before long they had spent more than three years converting a the late-Victorian house in desperate need of some tender loving care into the home they had always dreamed of.

"It’s been a challenge at times but it’s definitely been worth it. The house that we have now has been made to meet our, and our family’s, needs exactly. It was really hard but I feel like we’ve got the home we wanted and could live here forever,” explained Katy.

The final piece of the puzzle slotted into place this August, when an extension, transforming a galley kitchen, dining room and play room into an utterly stunning kitchen/diner, was completed.

The partition walls were knocked through to create a sizeable family kitchen, and the patio doors were replaced with crittall-style doors that have helped to flood the room with light.

The addition of a five-foot sky box has also assisted in that endeavour.

It’s easy to see why it is now Katy’s favourite room in the house.

She said: “It’s lovely to see the boys in there, and to cook. I’ve always loved cooking but I couldn’t really do that when all the work was going on so I felt like I lost that part of me. The other day I baked a chocolate cake and they seemed surprised that I could bake because the kitchen wasn’t really set up for that before.”

George was just a few weeks old when the family moved into the house, and their older son, Jacob, was only one, so the family had taking care of two young children to contend with while the renovation was taking place.

And now, the youngsters love their newly-finished home.

“My youngest son has said that he wants to live here forever. We’ll see whether he still feels like that when he’s a teenager,” joked Katy, who previously worked as a probation officer.

Katy and Tony have altered every single room in the house, which was built in 1901, with the work beginning in the six-weeks prior to them moving in, when they replaced the stairs and knocked down the downstairs bathroom to restore the front door. The previous owners had been using a side door to enter the property instead.

The pair decided they want to restore many of the property’s original features such as its doors and its brickwork, and for the latter they had to remove “layers upon layers of wallpaper,” including woodchip wallpaper, as well as woodboards which were pulled off the walls before replastering work was carried out.

The property’s ceilings had been lowered over the years, and with Katy standing at 5”11 and Tony at 6”3, restoring them to their original height was a must.

And Katy and Tony, who runs the company Office Compliance Management, also replaced all of the carpets and had Project Floors – which emulate the look of herringbone parquet floors - installed in the kitchen/diner.

They have also had their bathroom re-done, a new, hidden utility room and new bathroom built downstairs, as well as work to their loft.

Katy said it was important for them to use Sheffield businesses for the renovation, and enlisted the services of builders Simon Register, architects DK Designs FPT Ltd; Liz Wolfe and Wolfe Interior Design for the extension; Concept Interiors for their kitchen and LM Hill Carpets for their flooring.

The mum-of-two has enjoyed documenting each stage of their renovation to her thousands of followers on her Instagram page.

Katy and Tony’s renovation was done in stages to allow them to save money for the next job, and was not always easy with two young children in tow.

They also spent the first national lockdown without the back of their house while work on the extension was carried out.

Katy has shared her advice for families looking to do a renovation. She said: “Don't sweat the small stuff and clean etcetera (etc) when kids have gone to bed.

"Be organised with kids snacks, meals etc, I always have them prepared the night before. Look on Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration. There are always ways to achieve the look you want it doesn't matter your budget if you do lots of research you can always find cheaper versions if needed.

"And try not to let things get on top of you, it soon becomes a distant memory and you wonder why you worried so much!”

Katy and the family are now looking forward to spending their first Christmas in their dream home – even if it will be a smaller affair than they had hoped for due to coronavirus restrictions.

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