MY FIRST FLAT_APARTMENT TOUR _ Before & Afters, & Designing my apartment on a budget _ JV HOME

A year ago today I had gone on holiday to Marrakesh with my boyfriend and on the day that we got back I ran straight to the estate agents and picked up my keys to my very own home. I'm getting emotional. I got all of the stuff that I had packed up while I was packing for my holiday and I never looked back. I began transforming this place and I began a whole new journey, not just the fact that I own my home, it also marks a year of transformation, a testimony in itself. I've grown, I've built, I have walked through new doors, new opportunities have come my way all within the space of this exact year. So with that being said I do always go on about the fact that my flat is not complete. I feel like I owe it to myself to just sort of be grateful and really be proud of what I have accomplished, whether it's completed, whether it's perfect or not. I've done this all myself on my own salary with my own very, very limited budget in a year and I know people who have had a property for a year and have barely done anything due to finances. Somehow, somehow God has allowed me to do this so I'm gonna show gratitude for what I have done so far in this year just because I feel inspired to and I'm gonna show you clips of what each space looks like when I moved in, when I first saw it and gradually throughout the process. This is the entry hallway when you come into my door here. This was a wall that I was not happy with because it's that sort of grainy texture but once I made it white it looks a lot better than what it was before. This is what you see when you come in. You see my storage cupboard down here where I keep my hoover and all my candles. So this feature actually drew me to the property. A year ago it did not look anything like this but again I saw the potential of what it could possibly be and one thing that I absolutely love about this area is that it brings in so much light. Obviously today is not the best day but usually as you guys will see in my vlog there's so much sun in my property. Actually it looks like it might rain today. This curtain would always be down because there was a horrible horrible old frosting on it that was peeling away and I didn't actually know that it was really easy to get the frosting off but I did eventually do it. The top was actually brown wood and that was actually the first thing I painted before the walls because I hated it. The whole flat is going to be repainted again in the next two weeks just so that it has a nice freshen up and of course I will be doing it. I recently installed some new lights so you'll see that in my other hallway I have a matching light and these two lights were £10.50 each which I shared in my previous vlog. What else is left to do to this area? The first thing is I'm going to get a new front door. The second thing is I would like to put a rug on the floor. Now the floors were like this when I got here and I did want to take out these towels just for this hallway but I was told by my dad and my uncle who do this stuff. Rather than go through all the hassle of pulling these towels up I would just get a nice rug so I'm planning to get a fluffy false fur rug, a long one, a grey one for this area. I think that would look really really nice and then the last thing I'm doing to this area is I'm going to have a wall mirror. I want a huge one that really fills up all of this space. It will look something like this but it will actually be on the wall rather than laying on the floor because obviously that's dangerous behind the front door. I don't even want a pretty one I'd rather just a really plain one with no frame and I just want it to just take up that whole wall but you see the vision and you know mirrors make places look bigger so that's why I am going to have mirrors everywhere. That is my beautiful balcony which we'll get to you later. Now going to go into the kitchen. I don't know if you guys saw what it looked like before but it has gone through leaps and bounds to get to where it is today. It's not completed, still very dark because I have got the original lights in here which are horrendous but I am on the hunt now because now that the hallway is nice and bright you really really do see the difference when you turn around and why hide a cute kitchen like this? Quite a big kitchen. It's very very rare to get a property with a kitchen of this size like a you know a flat that's able to fit a dining table and chairs. I finally was able to put up my pineapple or my dad did. I'm not going to show you what's behind this there are about five holes from me trying to put this up. I tried to do everything myself but then I realised I really couldn't do this without a drill. Next council homes the buildings are built very very strongly so you cannot just knock through a wall you need a full-on drill. This is a picture from Decino. The pineapple is copper so it blends in perfectly with the rest of my copper kitchen. So you can see I've got like a copper vase here. I've also got all of my copper utensils that you guys always ask about. That is from Homesense and all of the utensils are either Homesense or TK Maxx from the bargain shop this jar but these two are from TK Maxx. And then we have my bar area which I actually had collated way before I even found my property. I knew that I really wanted some copper in my kitchen. Everything in this area is from either Homesense or TK Maxx minus the champagne and the two wine glasses which were just given to me from my stepmom. They're from Marks and Spencer. I never know what to call this but I guess it's like a water keg of some sort. I did actually end up buying a fridge that has a water dispenser so this gets used all the time. This would be really really good for say a party of some sort. I can make some rum punch. This copper thing is also from Homesense. I needed something to just thaw away my hand cream and my fairy washing up liquid and sponges. This is not sponsored. This little fake plant from IKEA and the pot and I've got these two copper candles from my friend which I think you would have seen in a haul video. Dish strainer is also copper and this was given to me by Next along with some other kitchen things that I adore. That's actually my pantry and I'm not going in there because I cannot wait to organize it up and then do a pantry organization video. I watch those all the time and love them so I'm on the hunt now looking for some nice baskets and containers and jars to put all of my stuff neatly so stay tuned for that. So when it comes to this kitchen what is left over? Well first of all two chairs because I feel why waste the space when there's so much space and I want to be able to entertain guests properly. I will be ordering those very shortly and the website is called Atlantic Shopping for all of you guys have been asking on all of my social medias. The chairs are stunning and what I loved about these is the fact that the grey legs blend beautifully. I also think I need something on this wall. I know it's beautiful having plain walls sometimes however I just think this looks really bare so I think I might get a clock. Not the big kind that I have in my living room but like a chunkier classic kind. This plug really upsets me and annoys me so I'm actually gonna get my dad to move it down towards the floor. My dad's an electrician so he said that was an easy job for him. This little wall here I want to get a small blackboard put up there, write down any things I need to buy like groceries, household things and it's just a great reminder and the funny thing is there is actually a little hole in the wall already. The last thing is just to put the door back on. When I bought it the door was never on here and I actually didn't even think about the door until I went through my storage cupboard which is downstairs and realised I had a white door identical to this one. These are the kind of doors I love. It's sitting in my storage so I'll probably have to repaint that make sure it's nice and fresh. That's a washing machine and a dishwasher right and they are not the quietest of things so when I'm in my living room which is just here I hear it all so I need to be able to close that. So now we are going to move on to my beloved living room. This is like my pride and joy. This is an area that really came together in terms of what I wanted and what I visioned before even having this property. The kind of decor etc that I wanted, this sums it up perfectly. I wanted greys, whites and silvers. I wanted it to be girly but not overly girly and glitzy. Also have a classic traditional feel but also be quite modern at the same time. My side table which is from HomeSense. You guys may have seen this in a haul. This is my new coffee table that I recently got and shared with you in my last video from HomeSense. My rug is from eBay and I have shared that loads but for all of you newcomers I know you're going to ask because I get asked on every picture that I post and every video that is seen in so I'm gonna just tell you now. eBay is your friend and it's a trellis rug. My sofa is from a company called Furniture For You which I came across on Instagram and the great thing about them is that they often have pop-ups in like local shopping centers so you can always go and have a chat with them and really see what the sofas look like. I always recommend them because for the price a sofa is amazing quality and looks stunning and you guys tell me all the time let's not look at that throw because it's actually stressing me out. So if we look over to this corner you'll see my TV area. I upscaled it, upcycled it. I have a video DIYing this but this was actually you could say it was made by me and this is my TV which is the perfect size for it. This is one of the first pieces of furniture I actually bought for the property. Again I've seen so many bloggers and people with this piece of furniture it's from Ikea and it's I think it's like a bookshelf of some sort and I did a vlog on me buying it so you guys can go back and see that. Now when we turn to this corner you'll see there are actually some more curtains here. It's not a window it's a balcony. The same balcony you guys saw from my entryway. So when you come out this is my pretty balcony this is what you see. My main inspiration was just to have an extension of my living room out here. It is a good size it's not tiny and the amazing thing about it is that it actually has a like ceiling so it's I don't know if it's even called a balcony because it has a ceiling. So if it rains I never feel the rain I can eat out here entertain have a wine. The reason you guys are not seeing my bathroom is because these are my bathroom towels. This is the view that I go on and on about every single day. This was a selling point for me. Partly the reason why I moved to Essex was to just get some more fresh air, open spaces and greenery. Now I'm just gonna pan over here. This clock I actually got as a gift so I don't know where it's from but I've seen some similar ones in like Dunelm and Next. Homesense even. So you can get similar ones there. I thought this would be perfect for that wall. I am in this mirror every single day. This mirror is not here permanently. This is not its permanent home but for now it's doing the job. Even though the background does look very nice I have to say. I think this mirror is probably going to be a floater though because I like to move it in different rooms and take pictures and it's not too heavy either. I would also like to add that my beautiful light was gifted to me by Lightcraft. Let's talk about what I am going to do and add to this room. The first thing which I think will make a huge difference. I'm going to get three identical rectangular mirrors and I'm going to put them on that wall and they'll give the illusion of more space in the room and also reflect more light. What I will be doing is moving this into my office. I will actually be putting an accent chair here. So I have been seeing a lot but I've just not been pulling the plunge to buy any yet. Maybe one or two floating shelves on this wall and then I'm going to have a standing lamp just by the chair because it's kind of going to be my little sort of accent reading corner. On this wall here I will be putting a console table. I have seen the console table that matches my coffee table also in Home Sense. I don't know if I want to do matchy matchy. Going towards a mirrored one. That's going to go there along with like nice pretty things, flowers, candles etc. Now we're gonna move on not to the bathroom. This is my second hallway. This mirror here which was also a gift and was the first mirror I had in my home. There is the identical light to the first hallway light that was also £10.50 from Dunelm. This area feels so much different to what it once was. Let's move on. My office slash storage room has the illusion to be small but it's really not a small room. It's actually a double room just so you guys can get an idea of what this place is doing. This was actually left by the previous owners. Thank you because I wanted them to leave this because these things are not cheap. Frames and mirrors and stuff like that that need to find homes but they're there for now and I'm not getting rid of them. I've got my desk here temporarily because I have the area that my desk was once in but it is filled with clothes I need to get rid of. This corner has actually now kind of become my deliveries, blogger mail and purchases that I'm not sure whether I'm keeping them yet corner. So as you can see there's a H&M bag and a Home Sense bag there. Not sure if they're staying. These pictures are from Decenio and I shared them with you in previous videos. Leaning mirror over here and then I have my rail here. This just makes it easier for me to reach for them when I need to rush and get out of my home. We have my famous pink chair with a very very special bag over there. I have this chest of drawers and I didn't want the chest of drawers to look boring so I just sort of put a few cute things up there. I have my graduation pictures which actually need new frames that's why they're not on the walls yet. And that's my desk there so it's not gonna stay here because my shelving unit in my living room that I said is not staying there is going to go here. Imagine walking in and you see the shelving unit perfectly fitted in there. Pretty things so like nice designer shoes and bags and boxes. I have built-in wardrobes in both of the bedrooms in my flat and I just changed the handles. These big crystal ones are from Danelle. So what's left to do in this office? Well first of all that's moving and getting changed. I will need an office chair. I may or may not get like a rug. I'm thinking like one of those fake skins like a zebra one or something. Curtains just some white light airy ones that allow the light to still shine through. I want to make this place more of an office so my desk is gonna go back in this original corner. I'm going to put some floating shelves on that wall because I need to pack some storage in here. Invoicing, paperwork, contracts and things like that that I need to store away. And then I also have other businesses and ventures that I'm working on so I need a hub to be able to work and then obviously I need a light which is a common theme in the whole flat. Let's move on to my bedroom. Now we are back in hallway number two. My bedroom which is the main bedroom I guess of the flat. You walk in and you are greeted by my beautiful bed that I actually just want to jump into right now. Everyone asks where my headboard is from. It's from eBay. eBay is live and I just got a divan bed with storage. The storage drawer is actually down here. Bedsheets are from Dunelm. Cushions are from Homesense and TK Maxx. Throws, don't know where that one's from that was a gift. This cute cute cushion is from Next and this throw also a gift and I know that it was from Homesense. And my bedside tables were half price from Dunelm which was in my first moving in vlog. My lamps are from Homesense. The cute picture frames on both sides are from my mummy. I think they're from TK Maxx or Homesense because we are both obsessed with that place. That is my other built-in wardrobe and you guys will not be seeing those until they are organised. Got this cute dressing table. I changed the handles of it and we've got a store and I just put this cushion on it. It did not come with it. You guys are familiar with my channel would have seen this cushion. Adds a lot of luxury to the area. I am keeping it very minimal. This drawer might look small but it's got a lot of things, makeup and everything in there. This was from a company on Amazon called SongMix and I will leave the link down below but I did do a video on me building it, on me putting it here and a good detailed review. Moving on then we have my curtains from Dunelm and I knew I always wanted this sort of silky vibe curtain in my room. The ones in the living room, I didn't add, they're also from Dunelm. Dunelm is just amazing. Everyone asks me where they're from. I don't know guys. I actually bought them from the home show in Excel a year or so ago. I'm on the hunt to find some identical ones and I think I've seen some similar and I'll just add like two more bunches to the bag. The silver bucket is from Dunelm. I really wanted like a champagne bucket vibe. I think that what this room now needs is just some more luxe vibes to it. I'll insert a picture of the inspo. What I'm going to do is add the mirrors that I told you guys about maybe a year ago. Add the two rectangular mirrors on either side above the bedside tables and then add three silver chrome frames. I think I will be getting an ottoman and I've seen the one I want. There's a lot of space here and I don't want to do the chest of drawers anymore like I planned to. Just going to have the TV on the wall. Other than that I need a light. I've decided I'm going to get a nice crystal chandelier. I just want to get more bedding. That's my room. I want my room to be very effective and detailed and have that luxurious hotel vibe going on. I'm so grateful that you guys have followed me on this journey. I hope that it inspires someone out there to look beyond decor and just look at what they can do and have vision and faith that somehow God will provide you with something. There's a story behind every piece of furniture that I have. Nothing in this property has come easy to me without saving for or you know looking at and window shopping on for months or years in advance like this coffee table behind me. It's not been easy and I hope that you guys can see the progress and I'm just excited for what I am going to do next in this property and in other people's properties because guys I have my first client and I'm going to interior style decorate her new home and I feel so blessed to be put in this position just by doing my own place. Other people would like me to help them so if you are one of those people that would like me to help you send me an email and I will be more than happy to help you. Love you guys so much and thank you, thank you, thank you.