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HAYLEY | DIY • COLOUR • HOME

@howells_home_

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🏡 Renovating our forever home
🎨 DIY, colour + home ideas
🔨 Mistakes, costs & what we’d do differently
👇 Shop our home
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Don’t hate me for saying this, but…
colour drenching everything is exactly why so many rooms end up feeling wrong a few months later.

I see this all the time. People want a calm, expensive-looking space, so they paint the walls, skirting, doors and ceilings all one colour, thinking it’ll make everything feel seamless.

At first, it does.

Then the light changes. The season shifts. Or your taste moves on.
And suddenly the room feels heavy, flat, or dated - and you’re stuck with it.

This isn’t because colour drenching is bad.
It’s because most homes aren’t styled for trends - they’re lived in.

Keeping trim white isn’t boring or “playing it safe”.
It’s how you give colour room to breathe and protect yourself when you want a change.

If colour drenching was easy to undo, I wouldn’t still be dealing with chips showing duck-egg, lime green and chocolate brown from previous owners 😬

If you’re about to paint everything - pause.
This page is for people who want a calm, beautiful home without creating work for themselves later.

👉 Follow if you want real-life colour and DIY advice that actually holds up.

#reallifecolourdrenchstory #paintingmistakes #reallifes #practicalhouses #interiorinspo by @howells_home_

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8 months ago

🚫 Bathroom design mistakes we won’t make again!

When you’re designing a bathroom, it’s easy to focus on looks and forget what really matters day to day.

1️⃣ Comfort height toilet – sounded great in theory, but honestly… it’s too high for us. Try before you buy! They cost more - and we don’t actually need it. You may want/need this though so this info below may be useful info for you 👇🏼:

Comfort height toilets (also called chair height or right height toilets) are slightly taller than standard ones - usually around 17–19 inches from the floor to the seat, compared to 15 inches for a standard toilet.

They’re designed to make sitting down and standing up easier - especially for:
🚶‍♀️ Older adults or people with limited mobility
🦵 Taller individuals
💪 Anyone recovering from surgery or joint issues (like hip or knee pain)

The idea is that the extra height reduces strain on the knees and back, as it mimics the height of a regular dining chair.

However…
For shorter adults, children, or petite users, they can actually feel too high, making your feet dangle slightly and causing discomfort over time. That’s why “comfort height” doesn’t always mean “comfortable for everyone.”

Like I say - TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! A toilet isn’t just a toilet 😜

2️⃣ Niches on the back wall only – they look beautiful, but we wish we’d added one inside the shower for bottles and bits we use every day. Trust me, picking bottles up and down gets on your nerves! This is a bathroom planning essential next time!

Sometimes you only realise what you’d change once you’ve lived with it for a while!

✨ Want to see what we did get right?
👉 Watch our next bathroom video (coming this week) for all the essential must-haves before you start designing your bathroom. Trust me, there’s a lot more positives than negatives! 2 in the grand scheme of things isn’t bad but 0 mistakes would have been better 😌 📌 Save this for when you plan your next bathroom makeover so that you don’t make any mistakes!!

#bathroomdesıgn #homerenovation #bathroomremodel #interiordesigntips #bathroomgoals #renovationmistakes #homeinspo #bathroomideas #interiorsuk #renovationjourney #designmistakes #bathroomrenovation by @howells_home_

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a year ago

Can’t decide between grey or beige?
This shade is the perfect middle ground. 🤍

Warm, soft and goes with everything.
Would you choose this over grey? Comment YES or NO 👇

#HomeDecor #NeutralHome #DIYHome #InteriorInspo #HomeRenovation by @howells_home_

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4 months ago

I’m undoing months of work 😭

I loved our staircase transformation, but the finish just hasn’t aged how I hoped, so I’m stripping it ALL back to get the light, natural oak I originally wanted.

And I’m already questioning my life choices 😂

Would you have left it alone or stripped it back? 👇

Follow to see if I can actually pull this off 🤞

#staircaserenovation #diyhome #homerenovation #staircasemakeover #diyrenovation by @howells_home_

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3 hours ago

GREEN + ORANGE?
TRUST ME. 👀 👇🏼

If I was designing a living room this week, this is exactly what I’d choose 👀

Deep Studio Green, warm rust, creamy neutrals + lots of texture. And YES ~ green and orange work together. Don’t believe me? Have a look around my home 😂

The best bit? The rug, lamp, cushions + throw are all Amazon finds.

Want to recreate the look?

Comment ROOM and I’ll send you all 5 links straight to your DMs 🔗 making shopping easy and taking away the decision fatigue instantly!

Save this for your next room refresh 🤎

#livingroomideas #amazonhomefinds #livingroomdecor #interiorinspiration #colourfulhome by @howells_home_

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a day ago

I thought getting this wall smooth meant paying someone to reskim it. Then I tried doing it myself with a £30 product.

I applied it, let it dry, added a second coat and lightly sanded it before painting. I’m so pleased with how it turned out!

Comment PRODUCTS and I’ll DM you the product and tools I used.

💾 Save this for your next DIY project.

#diywallskimming #WallSmoothingDIY #plasteredwalls #reskimwalls #homediy by @howells_home_

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4 days ago

Hate your kitchen but can’t afford to replace it? That was us.

We kept our existing units and worked through the things that made the biggest visual difference:

1. Prepped and painted the cupboards
2. Changed the handles
3. Took off the old tiles
4. Brought the finishes together with the rest of the room

It wasn’t an overnight transformation, but we now have a kitchen that feels like ours without buying a whole new one.

We have a few more furniture tweaks to make, and then we’ll be done with this room! I feel chuffed with it - what do you think?!

Save this if you’re planning a kitchen refresh. Which part of yours do you need help with?
@paintyourkitchencabinets #kitchenpaint #kitchentransformation #interiorinspo by @howells_home_

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5 days ago

Overwhelmed by paint colours? I’m going to make choosing one easier 🎨

Every Wednesday I’m breaking down ONE paint colour: what it actually looks like, its undertones, where I’d use it and what I’d pair it with.

Why Wednesday? So if you’re planning a weekend decorating project, you’ve got time to test it, order it and get your paint ready. 👏🏼

THIS WEEK: COAT Tuesday’s Child

Tuesday’s Child is a very soft, muted off-white with a subtle green undertone. It’s one of those colours that gives you more interest than white, without your room necessarily feeling “green”.

Where would I use it?
I’d consider it for a bedroom, living room or home office where you want a calm, soft backdrop. I also think it could work beautifully in a hallway if you want something light but less stark than brilliant white.

Pair it with warm whites, natural oak and other warm woods, soft neutrals or deeper greens for more contrast.

One important thing: test it in YOUR room before buying the tin. Green undertones can shift enormously depending on the direction of the room, natural light and your artificial lighting. Look at your sample morning, afternoon and evening before deciding.

🎨 SAVE this if Tuesday’s Child is on your shortlist.

And FOLLOW @howells_home_ for a new colour breakdown every Wednesday, taking some of the guesswork out of choosing paint before your weekend DIY.

What room are you stuck on? Tell me below and I’ll choose one of your rooms and give you a colour suggestion next Wednesday 👇🏼

#paintcolours #paintideas #interiordesign #diyhome #colourinspiration by @howells_home_

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7 days ago

I thought I could simply paint over my kitchen cupboards as they had chipped, but one tiny chip revealed that the paint hadn’t bonded properly at all 😭

So this is exactly how I fixed it:

1. I removed every piece of loose and peeling paint. (You cannot secure loose paint by covering it with primer!)
2. I thoroughly degreased and cleaned the surface. Kitchen cupboards collect grease even when they look clean, and paint will not bond properly over it.
3. I sanded the surface, peeled off most of the paint and feathered out the edges where the old paint had peeled away. I then removed all the dust (hoovered and wiped down) and allowed it to dry completely.
4. I applied a coat of Zinsser B-I-N shellac-based primer. This creates a strong surface for the new paint to grip to and helps seal stains and grease underneath.

A warning from me: it dries incredibly quickly and isn’t particularly nice to paint with 😂 Work quickly, ventilate the room properly and use methylated spirits, not white spirit, to clean your brush afterwards… or - as I do - use an old paint brush and chuck it after! I gave it two coats (I wasn’t taking any chances!!) and lightly sanded inbetween coats.

5. Once the primer was ready to recoat, I applied my cupboard colour in thin coats, allowing the correct drying time between each one. I lightly sanded in between coats with 180-grit sandpaper to help create a smoother finish, then removed the dust before applying the next coat.
6. Finally, I left the paint to cure properly before sealing it with Rustoleum paint lacquer (in clear Matt!).

Products I used:

• Zinsser B-I-N shellac-based primer
• Degreaser
• 180-grit sandpaper
• Paint scraper
• Small brush and mini roller
• Valspar paint - colour: Arrowhead
• Rustoleum paint lacquer - in ‘clear Matt’

Painting your kitchen? Don’t skip the prep. Save this so you know exactly what products to use.

Everything I used is linked in my bio 🔗

Follow along for honest DIY, colour ideas and all the things we’re learning while renovating our forever home.

#kitchenmakeover #paintedkitchen #kitchendiy #diytips kitchencabinet by @howells_home_

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9 days ago

IF I WAS DESIGNING A GUEST BEDROOM… this is exactly what I’d buy 🤍

I wanted to create a guest bedroom that feels timeless, warm and expensive, but using pieces that are actually accessible.

My starting point would always be the colour palette. I’d use Farrow & Ball Skimming Stone for the main walls, then bring in Railings on the half height shaker panelling and dado rail to add depth and contrast.

Then I’d layer in warm neutrals, texture and a few darker details to tie everything together. An upholstered bed, linen look curtains, a soft patterned rug, chunky knit throw, cushions, oversized gold mirror, warm lighting and an end of bed storage bench.

Nothing overly complicated. Just pieces that work together and make a guest bedroom feel properly considered.

And the best bit? I found the whole look on Amazon.

I’ve linked everything I’d use, from the bed and rug right down to the panelling, paint, cushions and accessories.

🤍 Comment GUEST and I’ll send you the full shopping list + links.

Save this if you’ve got a spare bedroom you’ve been meaning to tackle and follow @howells_home_ for more room formulas, DIY and affordable home ideas.

Affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.

#GuestBedroomIdeas #AmazonHomeFinds #BedroomInspiration #AffordableInteriors #HowellsHome by @howells_home_

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10 days ago

I genuinely didn’t realise how much difference the RIGHT roller makes. 👀

I used to think paint coverage was all about the paint, but your tools make such a difference too.

A decent roller holds more paint, gives me much better coverage and helps me get that smoother finish without going backwards and forwards over the same bit of wall 400 times 😂

One of those tiny DIY changes I wish I’d made sooner.

Comment ROLLER and I’ll send you the link to the one I use 🔗

Follow for the DIY tips, products and lessons I’m learning while renovating our home 🤍

#diytips #paintingtips #homerenovation #diyhome #homeimprovement by @howells_home_

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11 days ago

BLACK DOORS 🖤 Save this if you’ve been thinking about doing yours.

Painting our internal doors black is genuinely one of the easiest changes we’ve made that made our home feel more expensive.

I used Frenchic Blackjack and LOOK at that finish 👀 No spray gun, just painted by hand.

But the thing that really pulled it all together? Antique brass handles. Black + warm brass + neutral walls = 👌🏼

Such a simple change, but it completely changed how our hallway feels.

Want the exact paint + handles I used?

Comment BLACK and I’ll send you everything 🔗

Follow for DIY, colour and simple changes that make a big difference to your home 🤍

#blackdoors #diyhome #homerenovation #interiorideas #homeimprovement by @howells_home_

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12 days ago