Vote for me in the ufurnish home awards!
Eeek! I just received an email advising that I’ve been shortlisted in some (6 – whoop!) categories of the forthcoming Ufurnish Home Awards. The public vote makes a big impact on who makes it from the shortlist to the finals, and I’m up against some HUGE accounts / blogs / journalists with literally hundreds of thousands of followers, so I would be EXTREMELY grateful for your help if you have two minutes to vote for me!
I’ll pop the voting links below…
1. Best DIY Creation – DIY kitchen
“I’m really proud of my DIY kitchen project. I microcemented over the existing worktops and backsplash to create a modern, textured concrete finish and added a huge fluted mdf sheet to the side of the peninsula to give the unique fluted texture. I built a DIY breakfast bar and microcemented it to look like a continuous, flowing part of the worktops. This made much better use of the space and added a focal point to a previously uninspiring area. I removed the wall units and built a thin ledge shelf by upcycling picture shelves and microcemented them too. This opened the space up, allowing light to bounce around and provided opportunities for styling and storage. I built a DIY built-in fridge surround for our freestanding fridge freezer, this added storage and also made the area feel considered and connected to the rest of the kitchen. I created some open shelving for a stylish tea and coffee station, this was another IKEA hack and microcement project which I softened by adding a DIY skirted curtain under the worktop to finish the space. I saved thousands and created a space that makes my heart sing every day and is super functional too.”
2. Best Interior Blog
“Started as a passion project in 2021, where I could share all the details that I couldn’t squeeze into the captions on social media. Over time, I realised how much I enjoyed the process of writing on my blog and documenting creative home improvement projects. Traffic grew, people began subscribing and my posts were featured in the press and online magazines, spurring me on to write more. I love receiving positive feedback from readers who have been encouraged to try a new DIY skill or upcycle a piece of furniture after reading one of my tutorials. I realised that if I worked hard enough, I could turn this hobby into my dream job! Now, I have over 200 blog posts covering DIY, interior styling, upcycling, florals & foraging, home repairs & maintenance and over 100,000 page views each month and growing fast. It’s just me behind the scenes, with no IT department, no web or graphic designer, so I’ve had to teach myself EVERYTHING from SEO to web design and photo editing & I’ve loved every second. I have big plans for this little interiors blog and am bursting with excitement to see how far I can take it!”
3. Best on a budget
“I specialise in DIY and creative home styling on a budget – I eat, sleep and breathe it! I’m passionate about affordable interior design -not the off-the-shelf, mass-produced kind. I love creating ‘bespoke on a budget’ interiors which are personal, unique & creative whilst functional creating a connection with your home. I share budget-friendly inspiration on my Instagram, blog and the articles I write for magazines and I even have an online course dedicated to it. I have hundreds of projects, so I found it hard to pick just 5 examples! Photo 1: DIY microcement kitchen. I transformed a tired, uninspiring kitchen for under £1000 by upcycling, thrifting, savvy sourcing, creative DIY and microcement. Photo 2:DIY mountain mural spanning 3 walls in a bedroom for £25 using tester pots of paint. This was the ultimate escape in lockdown. Photo 3:Budget sofa styled with Facebook Marketplace finds, foraged branches and charity shop buys showing home styling on a shoestring budget doesn’t need to be boring. Photo 4: This wall of built-in shelving is actually an IKEA BILLY bookcase hack DIY’ed for £350. Photo 5:Marble side table from upcycled tiles – cost… free! There’s a glimpse of my microcement coffee table too.”
4. Best Journalist
“Started as a passion project in 2021, where I could share all the details that I couldn’t squeeze into the captions on social media. Over time, I realised how much I enjoyed the process of writing on my blog and documenting creative home improvement projects. Traffic grew, people began subscribing and my posts were featured in the press and online magazines, spurring me on to write more. I love receiving positive feedback from readers who have been encouraged to try a new DIY skill or upcycle a piece of furniture after reading one of my tutorials. I realised that if I worked hard enough, I could turn this hobby into my dream job! Now, I have over 200 blog posts covering DIY, interior styling, upcycling, florals & foraging, home repairs & maintenance and over 100,000 page views each month and growing fast. It’s just me behind the scenes, with no IT department, no web or graphic designer, so I’ve had to teach myself EVERYTHING from SEO to web design and photo editing & I’ve loved every second. I have big plans for this little interiors blog and am bursting with excitement to see how far I can take it!”
5. Best Interiors Instagram
“My Instagram started as a secret, faceless account to share my home reno updates back in 2019. As I developed creatively, I became braver and more experimental with the tools and materials for DIY & styling projects and these bold and unique ideas helped me carve
out a niche with my ‘bespoke on a budget’ approach. There weren’t many other interior stylists and content creators using microcement and postal tubes for their makeover projects! I still find it crazy that people tune in to see what I’m up to! I’m not your typical home account as we don’t have a grand home or lavish lifestyle. Still, all the time there’s an interest in my money-saving hacks and hands-on approach, I’ll keep sharing what me & Mr D (he often makes an appearance!) are up to as I think it’s really important to normalise modest-sized homes and budgets because we all know what social media can be like sometimes and comparison is the thief of joy. Far better, I believe, to focus on creative ways to build a connection with your home and create interesting and personal spaces that spark joy and work perfectly for your lifestyle.”
6. Best before and after transformation
“Although probably less impressive than some of the entries you’ll receive, I wanted to demonstrate an important point that you don’t have to have a tonne of money to spend to be able to transform your home into a personal and unique space that makes your heart sing. This boring 60’s house was dark, small and boxy with no features, character or charm. Add to that hideous artex ceilings and you’ve got a pretty uninspiring starting point! I added wall panelling, a faux chimney breast and cast iron fireplace and mantlepiece (both upcycled from facebook marketplace) to the living room. I skimmed the ceilings myself, painted, replaced the skirting boards and styled with pieces that I customised, DIYed and upcycled and you wouldn’t believe it was the same space. I DIY’ed the kitchen with microcement worktops and open shelving, Completed IKEA hack built-in shelves and tester pot wall murals to save money without sacrificing style. I shared all the progress on my Instagram account and blog hoping to help and inspire others to have a go.”
The next step is moving to Public Voting which opens on Friday 30th August and closes on Friday 13th September. If you have a couple of minutes to vote on any of the above categories I’d be so so grateful. Thank you!
Right, back to the DIY…
I voted for you Claire – best of luck! Becky @SurreyHouseDIY
Gosh – that’s so kind thank you!