A home can tell a thousand stories about its owners' personalities, from the colours used on the walls to the way things are organised, with some choosing to be more bold than others.
In our Where I Live series, the ECHO will explore one house from across the region each week, with the owner giving us an insight into the buying process, how they managed to get on the property ladder, and how they plan to make it their own in a cost of living crisis.
Chloe and Jake are both 24 and bought their south Liverpool home for £115,000 in April 2021. Chloe loves the area, which she said is 'underrated': "It’s got great character and really suits our lifestyle. It’s close to pubs, bars and restaurants, local businesses, top takeaways and not far from the city centre. We really couldn’t ask for much more."
READ MORE: Quirky 'hidden gem' home with leopard print walls and snake wallpaper
Lucy would describe her interior style as "modern, maximalist, and not afraid of daring colours or animal print".
She added: "We were really lucky with the house that it didn’t need much renovation work doing, it came as a blank canvas with light coloured walls. We have really made it into our own by painting feature walls and using a contrast of colours and prints.
"We love a gallery wall and have hung pictures on most of them, they tell a story of our style." Lucy told the ECHO she was initially inspired by a zebra print sofa they "fell in love with".
She said: "We bought it on a whim and found that people either love it or hate it – we love it. Jake was actually a minimalist, but I’ve managed to convert him."
The couple's interior styling has gained some attention on social media, with Lucy setting up her @zebraterrace Instagram page and gaining hundreds of followers.
The account also has a special guest star; a local cat who "came with the house". Lucy said: "He has his own Facebook page and is such a character. He comes and goes as he pleases into most houses on the street and the road wouldn’t be the same without him."
You can follow Lucy and Jake at @zebraterrace
As well as standing out in the style stakes, Lucy and Jake's house actually has some interesting links to Liverpool's history, both in real life and on TV.
The couple regularly use the Herculaneum Steps, or 'Dockers Steps' as they're known locally. To access the waterfront. The stone steps were built in 1866 to give workers access to the Herculaneum Dock before closing in the 1970s.
They also live on the street that put Liverpool on the map in the 1980s, albeit perhaps not for the right reasons. Lucy told the ECHO: "Although Jake and I were a bit too young to remember, we were told that the street was in the place where ‘Bread’ was filmed – where the Boswell family resided. We thought that was cool and is our claim to fame."
Would you like to be included in the ECHO's Where I Live feature?
We'll be taking a look inside a different property each week. If you're splurging on a renovation, trying your hand at DIY to save money, or have a passion for interiors, let us know.
Please email your name and details to storm.newton@reachplc.com
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