Wendy Gilmour knew exactly how she wanted her home to look; the question was whether she could achieve it on a realistic budget. Undertaking hours of research to find solutions, she upcycled vintage furniture, took on DIY tasks and learned new skills from scratch. The result is a home shaped both by her eye for design and the many hours she and her husband Scott have spent in bringing their vision to life.
Sitting on a tree-lined street in a village just outside Glasgow, the house’s traditional exterior gives little hint of the contemporary space within. The couple moved here in 2017, when their son was a baby, and lived with the existing layout for a few years until lockdown nudged them into their first major project: the back garden.
Scott took a week off work and they built a raised patio, outdoor seating, a pergola and even a treehouse made using old floorboards found in the loft. It was a steep learning curve. ‘Scott hadn’t even changed a lightbulb before that,’ Wendy says.
When they later explored plans for an extension, the quotes they received were far beyond their budget. ‘We realised a turnkey project wasn’t an option, so we looked at what we could take on ourselves,’ Wendy explains. A quote for insulation came in at more than £10,000, but by buying the materials direct and fitting them themselves, the couple reduced that cost to around £1,500. From that point on, they employed a builder simply to make the new extension watertight.
Demolition began in October 2022 and the family moved in with Wendy’s mum for what they expected to be a short stay. Supply issues delayed the glazing, so Wendy and Scott stepped in from April 2023 – earlier than planned – to begin their share of the DIY. For six months they worked on the house most evenings, arriving once the children were asleep.
Weekends were spent on site too, while the children stayed with Scott’s parents. ‘Once winter set in, it was freezing, there was no heating and it was very dark, but doing it together made it fun,’ Wendy recalls. ‘We had a playlist and would often take a picnic and gin and tonics with us.’
They insulated all the walls and ceilings before the builders returned to install the glazing and begin the landscaping. By August, the builders were finished and the remaining trades completed their work in early autumn, then the couple laid the underfloor heating and painted. The kitchen was fitted in December, and Wendy laid the flooring and added skirting boards and architraves. Finally, on Christmas Eve 2023, they were finished. It had taken far longer than the four months they’d hoped, but the sense of achievement was worth it. ‘We actually enjoyed it in the end,’ Wendy admits.
Throughout the project, Wendy’s design instinct kept them on track. ‘Maybe it’s the curse of Instagram and Pinterest, but I often get inspired by amazing looks created by interior designers that come with a high price ticket,’ Wendy says. ‘But once I get a vision of how I want a room to look, I can’t let go, so I keep researching and working on the moodboards and plans until I find a solution that works within our budget.’
Her love of vintage is evident in every room. ‘I think a family home should feel warm and have a sense of history,’ she continues. Junk-shop finds, secondhand bargains and inherited pieces appear throughout, often transformed by Wendy. In the children’s rooms, she transformed Ikea beds found on Facebook Marketplace, repainted and papered a hand-me-down wardrobe and revamped a toy chest she acquired for free from a local upcycling group.
One of her most ambitious DIY projects is the sofa in the new extension. Taking their cue from Irish designer Roisin Lafferty’s built-in seating and conversation pits, Wendy and Scott decided to design and build their own. With nothing but some timber and Micaela Sharp’s book, Modern Upholstery, to hand, Scott built the frame while Wendy handled the upholstery.
She fitted the springs, jute, wadding and fabric herself, messaging Micaela on Instagram for advice when needed, before having the cushion covers professionally made. At around £2,000 (with the fabric gifted), it wasn’t cheap. ‘But compared with the £10,000 it would have cost us to get it made bespoke to fit the irregular space, it was absolutely worth doing ourselves,’ Wendy says.
Wendy’s eclectic style, informed by travel and featuring vintage finds and favourite artworks, links all of the spaces in the house. And it is her vision, teamed with the couple’s determination and resourcefulness, that has enabled them to prove that when creativity and planning lead the way, it’s entirely possible to achieve a high-end look without breaking the bank.
Keep scrolling for more rooms
