Older properties are sometimes full to the brim with strange quirks that give them a sense of individuality and set them apart from their more modern counterparts.
Laura Gibson, 35, from the Wirral, has always loved older houses and knew when she was house hunting that she wanted to live in a period property. She told the ECHO: "I love all the character and original features that come with period properties - you just can’t get that with new builds."
The ECHO's Where I Live series explores one property from across the region each week, with its owner giving us an insight into what makes a house a home.
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The main thing that attracted Laura to her Victorian home was its age and uniqueness. She added: "Everything is slightly wonky, which I love."
"The kitchen floor slopes downward slightly and every time we’ve had a workman in, they always tell us the walls aren’t straight, but it all just adds to the character and warmth of the house which makes it feel like home."
When Laura bought the property with her partner, she said it was "liveable" but not to their taste. "Everything was very magnolia as it had apparently been rented out before we bought it. I knew I wanted to inject colour and life into it."
"Luckily we still had lots of amazing original features to restore - Minton tiles in the hall, four fireplaces, a stained glass vestibule and original doors to name a few."
The property was originally built in 1895 and Laura has since uncovered some of its history. She said: "When we first moved in I looked at previous censuses to see who had lived here in the past. My favourite was from the 1901 census - there were two rich spinster sisters living here with their housekeeper.
"They were originally from London and living off their ‘own means’ - they then went on to move round the corner, buying the bigger house behind us."
Since taking possession of the house, Laura has decorated "almost every room" including doing a full bathroom overhaul and redesigning the garden.
She added: "We’ve done a lot of the work ourselves, not only to save money but because we enjoy the satisfaction of DIY."
"We’ve stripped years of gloss from the original cast iron fireplaces, we’ve reinstalled coving in the kitchen, had all the internal doors stripped and had the Minton tiles professionally cleaned and resealed - it’s so important for us to protect and restore these features as custodians of the house.
"I’ve added bold colours to most rooms, which really suits the house. I’ve also painted our kitchen cupboards to modernise the room and make it feel much fresher - doing this instead of getting a new kitchen has made a huge impact on a small budget."
Laura would describe her interiors style as "bold and creative". She said: "I’m not afraid to experiment with strong colours and paint.
"At the end of the day, if something doesn’t work, you can always paint over it! I also like to be sympathetic to the style and age of the house whilst adding more modern furnishings."
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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