Welcome
Hi, I’m Claire…
…the creator behind Claire Douglas Styling, where I share affordable interiors, DIY, travel, family days out and lifestyle inspiration through my “bespoke on a budget” approach to life.
I live in Tunbridge Wells with my husband, our two boys and an ever-growing list of renovation projects in our three-bedroom detached house that we’ve been slowly transforming for almost a decade.
But long before social media and content creation, I was always obsessed with homes, interiors and finding creative ways to make money stretch further.
As a university student in the early 2000s, I became slightly obsessed with property renovation programmes like Sarah Beeny and Property Ladder. I loved the idea of transforming tired spaces into beautiful homes and finding clever ways to create a more aspirational lifestyle without endless money behind it.
That mindset became the foundation for everything I do now.
How it all started
Before claire Douglas Styling was even a thing and pre blogging and content creation, I spent 15 years working in corporate London life, initiall as a project coordinator then moving up to project management.
At the same time, I was constantly running side hustles and finding creative ways to build towards property ownership. I used to spend weekends going to boot fairs hunting for vintage handbags and shoes to resell on eBay, and those little side businesses eventually helped me save the deposit for my very first flat.
At 23, I bought my first property in Tunbridge Wells during the lead-up to the credit crunch. The flat needed huge amounts of work and, after stretching everything financially just to buy it, there was no budget left for tradespeople.
So I learned how to do it myself. That first home taught me everything from tiling and wallpapering to fitting skirting boards and tackling DIY projects on a tight budget. Looking back now, those years probably shaped my entire design style and approach to interiors far more than I realised at the time.
What started as necessity slowly became a genuine passion.
Renovating homes over nearly 20 years
Since then, we’ve renovated multiple properties across Tunbridge Wells, including a two-bedroom house near Dunorlan Park before moving into our current family home.
Over the years, I’ve developed a style that blends:
- affordable finds
- DIY upgrades
- high street interiors
- vintage pieces
- creative styling
- practical family living
- and making homes feel far more expensive than they really are
I genuinely believe beautiful homes do not need unlimited budgets.
Bespoke on a budget
“Bespoke on a budget” is not just a slogan for me. It is honestly how I’ve approached almost every life decision for the last 25 years.
I’ve always loved finding ways to maximise value:
- loyalty schemes
- Tesco Clubcard rewards
- cashback offers
- side hustles
- bank switching deals
- travel savings
- restaurant apps
- affordable luxury hotels
- clever DIY alternatives
One of my favourite examples is probably our wedding rings.
Years ago, Goldsmiths accepted Tesco Clubcard vouchers at three times their value, so after years of carefully collecting Tesco rewards points through everyday spending and credit card use, I actually bought my own engagement and wedding rings entirely using Tesco vouchers.
That story probably explains my entire philosophy better than anything else.
I’ve never believed you need to spend recklessly to create a beautiful life.
From corporate life to content creation
After the pandemic, I made a huge career change and accidentally fell into content creation while sharing our home renovations, styling ideas and DIY projects online.
What started as a creative outlet quickly grew into a full-time business and community of people who also love:
- interiors
- affordable travel
- DIY
- home styling
- money-saving ideas
- family-friendly experiences
- Amazon finds
- and creating aspirational lifestyles more affordably
Today, I share everything from hotel reviews and free things to do in London through to DIY tutorials, budget-friendly styling ideas and honest product reviews. Claire Douglas Styling is a hub of bespoke on a budget advice and inspo for life.
On Claire Douglas Styling you’ll find:
- affordable interiors
- DIY tutorials
- Amazon home finds
- family travel on a budget
- honest hotel reviews
- London and UK days out
- styling ideas
- renovation inspiration
- money-saving tips
Everything I share on Claire Douglas Styling is based on real lived experience, genuine opinions and years of learning through trial and error.
Because for me, the best homes, trips and experiences are not always the most expensive ones.
Sometimes they are simply the most thoughtfully put together.
My most popular projects
Below are a selection of my most viewed projects; let me know what you think!
These projects fix a common home issue or bugbear in an achievable and affordable way, saving time booking expensive tradespeople.
Save money on your home today…
Join my Daily Deals community
I’m so committed to saving you money on your home, in every category from DIY tools and materials to home storage and organisation, right down to toilet rolls and washing up liquid! Join my daily deals broadcast channel to get access to my curated daily deals and discounts. I also run free giveaways to my lovely community in there too.