A young couple have completely transformed their drab ex-council flat into an Insta-worthy show home.
Moving into the flat in 2020 - just before the pandemic -Shen Outar, 26, and partner Nico Harvey, 28, knew they had to give their sad looking flat a bit of a sparkle.
They say their home looked completely outdated - with laced curtains, industrial style lights, a stainless steel sink and a kitchen that was crying out for a revamp.
Shen, who works as a photographer, and her real estate partner said they always wanted to get hands on and decorate their home to a high standard - without breaking the bank.
Savvy Shen then decided to search high and low for the best deals around.
Despite originally being quoted £7,000 from a company to just refit their shelving and cupboards without any new appliances, paint, tiles and flooring included, the couple put their skills to good use.
And, with a little help from friends and family, the couple managed to spend just £5,000 on a compete top to bottom makeover.
Shen explained: "For £5K we managed to replace the sink, worktops, floor, tiles, appliances, shelving and lights. From searching for alternatives rather than going with a company who would do it all for us, we managed to save around £10,000 in total.
"Looking online at places such as eBay and etsy, I was able to find cheaper alternatives. I also love second hand shops so would look at local shops and find ornaments.
"We installed all of the shelving ourselves and did all of the painting of the units and walls ourselves too. Not having to pay a painter and decorator saved us a lot of money, as that would have cost over £1,000."
She continued: "We also saved thousands by keeping the shell of all of the cupboards and shelving and just replacing the doors and handles. instead of ripping it all out and starting again, we kept the shell of it and just gave it a makeover. If we were to replace them altogether it would have been way over £1,000 as well.
"For the countertops, instead of getting marble which would have been way over budget, I found a laminate one online that was only £350.
"I wouldn’t say I'm the best at DIY as I'm scared of doing it but I will give it a go. Definitely not one of those DIY instagrammable women, but I have the ideas and make it work with people who I know can do it."
Given that the whole flat was apparently ready for a revamp when the couple moved in in 2020, they decided to start with the kitchen.
Shen and Nico's kitchen is now completely unrecognisable.
The photographer who works in South London said: "We replaced all of the doors and cupboard doors. We took them out and replaced with MDF.
"We also have a pantry cupboard, so we installed shelving in it which matched the new worktops for glassware and cooking equipment. When replacing the door handles I found a local seller on Etsy for them which was a lot cheaper.
"We also built boiler cover as I hate the way boilers look and it was first thing you saw when entering the kitchen so we built cupboards around to hide it away.
"Then we changed flooring to herringbone laminate flooring.
"For the colours, we went for a lime wash paint to give it that old school painted look and to mix up modern and traditional styles.
"I think now you can see modern aspects coming through as the kitchen is navy, marble and gold.
"The brass sink was an amazing addition that I also found online, it was a little more expensive at £300, but because we had saved so much on the cupboards and shelving it worked out fine.
"I have always had an interest in interior design, the space isn’t huge but wanted to make it look amazing.
"Now that the kitchen is done we have moved onto working on the toilet next."
