A MUM has shown off her kids’ incredible she created for next to nothing, using the “dumping ground” cupboard under the stairs.
Lauren Libin, 37, a PR director from Brighton, transformed the space into a wendy house for just £20 – after blagging bits from friends and family.
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With Amanda Holden and Rochelle Humes forking out £10,000 on bespoke luxury wendy houses, Lauren’s DIY job seems like even more of a bargain.
Lauren, who’s mum to daughter Summer, five, and son Ozzy, 21 months, told Fabulous: “I noticed the under stairs cupboard was a lot more spacious than it looked – it was being used as a shoe and coat storage and a dumping ground.
“We used a paint sample we ordered a while ago from Farrow and Ball, off-cuts of our carpet, my mum gave us one of the lights she’d bought in the sales, and my best friend gave us the material left over from curtains.
“We bought the other two lights with our weekly shop. They’re from Argos and were on offer. The whole thing cost £20 and a little bit of time and TLC.
“We’ve popped in the play kitchen and some toys and the kids love it and spend so much time in here, it changes daily from a kitchen and café for my son to a babies play house for my daughter.
“It is the best £20 we’ve spent this year.”
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Once all of the clutter was re-housed, the empty space was cleaned, an off-cut of the hallway carpet was laid down and the walls were painted.
To make it feel cosy, material with stars on it was stapled to the ceiling and walls, creating a starry night feel.
A neon ‘love’ sign from Argos, a birthday present for one of the children, was hung in the centre of the wall to give light.
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Meanwhile, two space themed lights were hung on the other wall – the only new purchases.
The doors were cleaned and two new knobs, leftover from an old renovation, were added to them.
Lauren added: “With two children under six, we are constantly looking for new ways to entertain them, and stop our front room looking like a soft play centre 24-7.
“But with limited DIY skills and space, this was our ongoing challenge – until now.”
We previously reported on a DIY fanatic who transformed her kitchen for under £100 by painting EVERYTHING – including tiles, floors and worktops.
