Reader home built from scratch

Reader home makeover

This enterprising family decided the only way to get the home they wanted was to build it themselves. Click through to see the fantastic results...

Property Details

 
Type of house

Four-bedroom detached
self build

Location

Totnes, Devon

Purchase price

Cost of plot £81,500

Money spent

£96,000

What it\'s worth now

£445,000

Family affair

 
Caroline Mudge, 40, and her husband Chris, 44, both teachers, live in Totnes with their children, Fredrick, six, and Elsa, three. Caroline explains how they built their home.

White wash

 
The interior of the house is painted white throughout, which keeps it feeling bright and airy. Caroline added colour with red and green accessories and soft furnishings.

Armchair delights

 
Caroline found the two wingback chairs, placed either side of the fireplace, advertised free in a local paper. She then had them re-covered in fabric she had stored away. The large vase in the fireplace came from Mounts Bay Trading Company in Exeter.

Kitchen wonder

 
Caroline chose hardwearing granite worktops from a stonemason in Newton Abbot for the kitchen. Its dark tone contrasts well with the aqua bespoke units designed by Caroline Moxley, which were sealed with Diamond Glaze Satin by Dulux.

Red is the colour

Red accessories continue into the master bedroom. Caroline\'s sister made the runner on the bed and her mum made the tapestry cushion. 

Scandinavian florals

 
Scandinavian-style florals teamed with red gingham give Caroline\'s daughter Elsa\'s bedroom a cheerful feel.

Tidy toys

Hanging storage keeps toys tidied away.

Bathroom bliss

The family bathroom is kept clean and simple, with bright white walls, a classic bath and a large pine mirror to give the illusion of more space.

Let in the light

French doors and glass panels in the roof let in lots of light. With views over the countryside, the south-facing front of the house has a large garden, which the kitchen and breakfast room opens out onto.

To get the look of the Mudge\'s beautiful home click here