A mother-of-three whose work in the hospitality sector dried up during the pandemic has launched an interior design business after sharing snaps of her £50 bedroom makeover.
Haylie Hammill, 33, from Cheltenham, was furloughed from her job when the UK went into lockdown in March and threw herself into home DIY projects.
She mastered the art of wall panelling – a trend that’s seen a resurgence over the past year – and started up an Instagram page to showcase her designs, which now boasts more than 10,500 followers.
When she shared photos of her impressive room renovations, friends and family members urged her to start taking commissions – and she’s now booked up until April.
Haylie Hammill, 33, from Cheltenham, was furloughed from her job when the UK went into lockdown in March and threw herself into home DIY projects
Haylie has mastered the art of wall panelling – a trend that’s seen a resurgence over the past year – and started up an Instagram page to showcase her designs, which now boasts more than 10,500 followers. Pictured: her £50 bedroom makeover, left before and right after
Speaking about her impressive bedroom renovation, Haylie said: ‘This project cost me £50 and I think the result is brilliant’
When Haylie shared photos of her impressive room renovations, friends and family members urged her to start taking commissions – and she’s now booked up until April. Pictured: one of her children’s bedroom renovations
Haylie told FEMAIL: ‘I’m truly overwhelmed by how well received my work has been from my customers and the speed at which my new business seems to be taking off.
‘I have a real passion for attention to detail as well as listening to what my customers want. Transforming peoples homes isn’t just a job to me, it’s something I love doing and take great pride in doing.
‘The reaction when they see the final changes gives me a real buzz and makes me feel very lucky to have such a rewarding job!
‘I’m now booked up two to four months in advance depending on the job and location. Panelling is the highest in demand.’
Having always had a passion for DIY, Haylie has completed various interior design ‘hobby’ projects over the past decade and spent four years working in the paint section at B&Q
Haylie said: ‘Transforming peoples homes isn’t just a job to me, it’s something I love doing and take great pride in doing.’ Pictured: a lounge with Haylie’s panelling
Haylie decided to add wood panelling to her bedroom after seeing other people do it on Instagram
The mother-of-three said wall panelling ‘gives a lot of character to a room and looks expensive, even though it’s not’
Having always had a passion for DIY, Haylie has completed various interior design ‘hobby’ projects over the past decade and spent four years working in the paint section at B&Q.
‘I learned a lot from that – it’s how I discovered that I’m really good at picking colours,’ she told LatestDeals.co.uk.
‘Before the pandemic I used to work in hospitality but, of course, 2020 wasn’t the greatest year for it.’
Haylie decided to add wood panelling to her bedroom after seeing other people do it on Instagram.
Haylie said she’s truly overwhelmed by how well received her work has been from her customers and the speed at which her new business is taking off
‘It gives a lot of character to a room and looks expensive, even though it’s not,’ she explained.
‘Due to my experience of working at B&Q, I knew what sort of materials I would need, but I still did my research to ensure I was making the right choices.’
The wall panelling cost her just £47.94, which included £20 for the MDF, £6.94 for the pine quadrant moulding, £5 for No More Nails glue and £16 for the paint.
Speaking about her impressive bedroom renovation, Haylie said: ‘This project cost me £50 and I think the result is brilliant – especially if you consider the amount you would spend if you chose wallpaper instead.
Haylie is now booked up two to four months in advance depending on the job and location. Pictured: a dining room with Haylie’s panelling
Haylie said her experience of working in the paint section at B&Q helped her refine her eye for colour palettes. Pictured: a hallway with panelling
The positive feedback Haylie received helped her to work up the confidence to branch out on her own and pursue her passion for interior design as a job
Haylie, pictured with her daughters, said the reaction when her customers see the final changes gives her a real buzz and makes her feel very lucky to have such a rewarding job
‘Wall panelling looks so much more expensive than it is. I’ve had so many compliments on it and lots of people asking for it.
‘It’s the easiest type of panelling to do, so if you did want to have a go yourself this is a great place to start.
‘The positive feedback I received helped me to work up the confidence to branch out on my own and pursue my passion for interior design.’
If you do fancy taking on your own wall panelling project, Haylie recommended watching some videos online first, or on her Instagram.
‘That’s where I get all my inspiration,’ she explained. ‘You can see some videos on my account, too. The two main things you need to get right are the core measurements and the straight lines using a spirit level.’
Haylie’s tips for DIY wood panelling
Haylie bought a sheet of MDF from B&Q and had it cut into 8cm-wide strips
Haylie bought a sheet of MDF from B&Q and had it cut into 8cm-wide strips.
‘Currently, this service is limited but if you ask really nicely you may find they’ll do it for you if they’re not very busy,’ she said.
‘Generally speaking, a thickness of between 6mm to 18mm works well for this kind of project, but I picked 12mm for my look.
‘I like the slightly thicker look it gives, as it casts a slight shadow on the wall and makes the design stand out a bit more.’
Once she had her strips, Haylie measured her wall, adding that two thirds of the way up for her is the most visually attractive height.
She then used a timber saw to cut them with the aid of a mitre box for guidance, but has since bought an electric saw which she said makes it easier.
Haylie recommended priming the wood before it goes on the wall. She used some from a large tin that was leftover from another project, but you can pick up a small one for £11.
She then used No More Nails to fix it in place – though panel pins will also work. She used a spirit level to make sure the strips were perfectly straight.
To make the shelf, Haylie bought a piece of 27mm pine quadrant moulding to create a sloping ledge effect. For the top part, she used some more MDF, cut into a 5cm-wide strip.
Haylie recommended priming the wood before it goes on the wall. She used some from a large tin that was leftover from another project, but you can pick up a small one for £11
She then caulked the edges to get rid of any gaps to give it a better finish.
Haylie chose a sophisticated shade of pink paint from the B&Q Goodhome range called Kyoto to paint over the strips and the wall area.
She used a 1.5inch paintbrush to go around the edges and then a small roller in-between the MDF strips for a high-quality finish.
‘Right at the end, once it’s all dry, I do any touch-ups that are needed,’ she said.
‘I use a fine paintbrush, which makes it easy to get into all those nooks and crannies.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
