DIY-enthusiast reveals how she transformed her rundown Victorian kitchen into a chic and expensive-looking space for just £2,500 (including making an island from bookshelves!)

Emily Barratt, 41, moved into the Victorian property in September 2023
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A mother-of-three has revealed how she transformed her rundown Victorian five-bed's kitchen into a stunning feature of her period property for just £2,500 - using her DIY skills and building an island out of bookshelves.

Emily Barratt, 41, made her own 'wood' panelling and roamed nearby charity shops to decorate the Lancashire home, originally built in 1830.

When she moved in, in 2023, with her husband Paul - as well as their two children Minnie, 13, Rory, 11 - the thrifty interiors enthusiast was also heavily pregnant with youngest son George, now two.

However, they got straight to work on the three-floor build, which was severely dated and lacked central heating, ceiling lighting and functioning electricity.

'There were no three-pin sockets or ceiling lights upstairs so we couldn't plug anything in,' Emily shared.

Then, the family discovered the kitchen was unsafe after experts tested the aga and branded it dangerous.

Living out of the dining room with an air fryer and a single hob, Emily charted their makeover journey on Instagram at @our_big_renovation - and it led to her being nominated for the 2026 uFurnish.com Home Awards in the Best on a Budget category.

Now, the previously desolate kitchen has been curated into a charming vintage space with solid oak units, wood panelled walls, wooden kitchen island and a log burner.

A mother-of-two transformed her rundown Victorian five-bed into a stunning period property for just £2,500 - using her DIY skills and building an island out of bookshelves. Pictured before the transformation

Emily Barratt, 41, made her own 'wood' panelling and roamed nearby charity shops to decorate the the Lancashire home, originally built in 1830. Pictured after

Just five days after having a C-section, Emily had an interiors breakthrough.

'I saw that an oak furniture shop near us was closing down,' she revealed.

'Because everything was so cheap, I knew they'd sell fast so without even measuring the kitchen, I picked out several solid oak pieces - dressers, two bookshelves and two sideboards - for £1,000.'

When it came to the walls, she got even more creative.

'The electricians did the rewiring, but I couldn't afford plastering - and I couldn't face it,' Emily admitted.

'So I put lining paper over the walls to cover the worst holes, and then bought MDF and cut them into strips myself to create the appearance of wooden shiplap panelling.'

She wallpapered the top of the room, sprayed the panelling beneath and cleaned the original flagstones before putting the oak units in to create a freestanding kitchen.

'One sideboard became the sink unit once I added a basin from VidaXL, which was £40, with a tap at the same price. A smaller sideboard is now a coffee station, with IKEA shelves above,' she added.

'I also found a £100 plate rack in a clearance for £30 and our double-range oven was £400 on Facebook Marketplace.'

Rather than buy a kitchen island, Emily put her DIY skills to the test and constructed one out of the bookshelves and an old tabletop that she found for £30 on Gumtree.

She explained that she calculates the budget for each room as she goes.

When she moved in, in 2023, with her husband Paul - as well as their two children Minnie, 13, Rory, 11 - the thrifty interiors enthusiast was also heavily pregnant with youngest son George, now two. The family pictured together

She explained that she calculates the budget for each room as she goes

Now, the previously desolate kitchen has been curated into a charming vintage space with solid oak units, double range, wood panelled walls, wooden kitchen island and log burner

DIY-savvy Emily relied on her own skills for the renovation

When it came to the walls, she got even more creative. 'The electricians did the rewiring, but I couldn't afford plastering - and I couldn't face it,' Emily admitted

Emily then hunts for bargains and relies on her considerable DIY skills to keep costs down, finding furniture on Facebook Marketplace and charity shops too - while Temu can be handy for cheap accessories

Rather than buy a kitchen island, Emily put her DIY skills to the test and constructed one out of the bookshelves and an old tabletop that she found for £30 on Gumtree

'When we first move in, I'll go, "right we've got £50k to do this up and that will include a rewire and the bathroom and so on", but things always pop up that you don't expect,' the mother advised.

'Our roof was quoted at £10,000 before we moved in but it ended up costing us £15,000. So it can mean that each month, I think, "what can we afford this month?"

'Say we have £300 to renovate, I'll decide, "ok, this month we're doing the dressing room". And that's where the budget for each project comes from.'

She also funds the renovation by selling off old furniture. Recently, the interiors enthusiast sold their sofas for £200 and bought a new one for £30 - making a profit.

Her other cost-saving tip is to shop for raw materials at a builder's merchant or timber yard.

Emily explained: 'It's cheaper for MDF or bookshelves, and particularly for mouldings, such as the ones you'd use for panelling, shelf edges, picture frames. They're half the price of the usual DIY stores.'

It can feel 'a bit intimidating' initially, she admitted.

'As it's all builders and the second time I went in, another customer actually complained to the manager that too many staff were helping me because they were looking at my bum rather than working,' she continued.

'That was a while ago though and the staff know me well now and are very respectful - it's more the odd customer.'

The ultimate hack, however, is doing all the building work yourself. Emily, a former accountant and pottery cafe owner, is now a dab-hand at bricklaying, joinery, laying wood floors and carpets, painting, wallpapering and tiling. The only trades she doesn't touch are the electrics, plumbing and the roof.

She finds out what to do on YouTube, 'but half the time she just wings it'.

'I learn from my mistakes. I'm not afraid to do a room and think 'that needs redoing,' she shared.

In the three years they've been living there, the Barratts have converted the seven-bedroom home into a five-bed, turning one room into a utility room and the other into a glamorous dressing room on a budget of just £300.

'I reused some old IKEA wardrobes and Billy bookcases and then used chess pieces to make them look like brass fixings with rods which I found on Amazon,' she added.

'I made my own island in the middle using a set of drawers and some sticky-back plastic to look like marble.

'The beams were another hack - they're not real wood, half of them are plaster, but I painted them with cream paint and then put brown wax over the top and it looks like natural wood.'

However - things do go wrong.

'I ripped out a 1930s Art Deco fireplace in our master bedroom that didn't fit the Victorian style,' she shared. 'It nearly came through the ceiling when I took it out with a crowbar - I didn't realise how heavy it was.

'It made the whole floor shake - thankfully it didn't come through into the ornate chandelier below. We had to break it up with pneumatic drills just to get it down the stairs.'

Emily says the house is far from finished - she still needs to complete the utility room and she admits that she's already redecorated several rooms and is already considering a different look in others.

'I think I went too traditional in some rooms, so I'm pulling some of that back.'

The winners of the uFurnish.com Home Awards 2026 will be announced on October 19.