I wanted a home which catches my eye

A plain, uninteresting flat gave Sharon Young the excuse she needed to put her many artistic talents and creative DIY skills to fantastic use

Welcome to my home

A bit about me

I’m Sharon Young and I live with my 17-yearold son, Dean, and Gabe, our Spaniel-Staffordshire dog.

Where I live

My two-bedroom home is a ground floor flat in a 1930s villa in Selkirk, Scottish Borders. We’ve lived here since 2012.

What I wanted to change

The whole house had been painted magnolia and was in desperate need of colour and pattern.

How I made it my own

I was inspired by individual pieces I found in thrift and second-hand shops, and I’ve customised nearly every piece of furniture that I own.

My favourite part

I really like the architraves that run around the doors. I made and added them myself and they’ve made the flat feel really finished and elegant.

‘I try to avoid buying anything new, but I did buy the sofa and cabinet from Ikea because their prices are so good,’ says Sharon. The armchair is from a thrift shop, while the coffee table is one she already had that she painted white

Making Create your own rag rug with our easy guide over on page 62

The wood panelling that Sharon has made sets out the proportions of the walls, creating space for her beautiful collection of curved mirrors and pictures

Good idea

Use suitcases as a dual-purpose storage unit and side table

My story..

I knew this could be our next home as soon as I walked into the wide hallway and saw the garden. All I could hear were the birds. It was so quiet compared to Edinburgh, which is where we were living at the time. But what really swung it for me was that I could fit a table and chairs into the kitchen!