{"id":21855,"date":"2023-06-21T13:02:32","date_gmt":"2023-06-21T12:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodhomesmagazine.com\/?p=21855"},"modified":"2023-06-21T15:49:29","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T14:49:29","slug":"holiday-rental-renovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodhomesmagazine.com\/uncategorized\/holiday-rental-renovation\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I have so many more memories to make here’"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Kate Glynn, (@claremont_bythesea<\/a>), inherited her parents\u2019 home in North Wales back in 2018, selling the seven bedroom, four-storey Victorian property was never on the cards \u2013 instead they turned it into an impressive holiday rental renovation. With its stunning sea views towards Anglesey and Puffin Island, Kate, who works in a museum in Manchester, and husband Joe could imagine their children, Florence, Pearl and Jude enjoying the same weekends on the beach she\u2019d enjoyed as a child.<\/p>\n

\"Farrow

Chosen to suit the era of the house, Kate has carried Johnstone\u2019s colour match of Farrow & Ball\u2019s Stiffkey Blue through from the kitchen, with the dining table and chairs, a lucky find in John Lewis & Partners\u2019 clearance section, paired with a rug from Next Home. Photo: Katie Lee<\/p><\/div>\n

A family affair<\/h3>\n

The house has been in Kate’s\u00a0 family for over 80 years – in the early 1980s her parents bought it from her grandad. ‘My mum was an art teacher in Liverpool, and we stayed in Wales at weekends. ‘She decorated the whole place with a creative eye. After she died when I was in my early twenties, my dad lived there on his own for many years and the house was never updated.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"There's

Patterned encaustic tiles from Ca\u2019 Pietra elevate the scheme, while Polyflor light oak herringbone LVT flooring is super-practical for holiday lets. Photos: Katie Lee<\/p><\/div>\n

After Kate\u2019s dad passed away, she inherited a house that needed a complete renovation. \u2018I was always going to keep it, as all my childhood memories are wrapped up here,\u2019 she says. \u2018But it needed everything doing \u2013 new windows, roofing, rendering, plumbing, electrics and replastering, as well as a new kitchen and bathrooms.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Liberty

One of the first things Kate bought for the house was this Liberty wallpaper, which she\u2019s paired with Johnstone\u2019s Romantic Evening paint. \u2018The print is discontinued now, but I found three precious rolls on Ebay, and it\u2019s influenced my style elsewhere.\u2019 The velvet sofas was also an Ebay purchase, with the coffee table from Swoon. Photo Katie Lee<\/p><\/div>\n

The best of both worlds<\/h3>\n

The plan was to create a holiday rental renovation that sleeps eight in four king-size rooms and reserve the three top floor rooms for Kate and her family to enjoy holidays when there are no bookings. \u2018It works really well as we can lock away our stuff up there and we don\u2019t have to worry about bedroom changeovers,\u2019 she says.<\/p>

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\"The

Left: Two velvet chairs from Homesense are perfect for this spot and the Mori Navy Roman blinds by Margo Selby at Hillarys create continuity between floors. Right: This vintage sideboard was a present for Kate\u2019s 40th birthday. Photos: Katie Lee<\/p><\/div>\n

Changing the layout<\/h3>\n

One of the biggest alterations was knocking through the two ground-floor rooms to create an open-plan kitchen diner. At the same time, the old kitchen on the first floor was turned into a bedroom, while a small kitchenette became an additional shower room. \u2018When you have eight people in a house, you need that bigger, more social space for cooking and chatting,\u2019 says Kate.<\/p>\n

\"To

Left: When Kate found the floor tiles at Al-Murad, she knew they\u2019d be perfect for the house. The staircase has been painted in Farrow & Ball\u2019s Down Pipe and the coat rack was an Amazon bargain at just \u00a350. Right: The striking tiles from Ca\u2019 Pietra were the starting point for the shower room, a former kitchenette. Photos: Katie Lee<\/p><\/div>\n

Managing the budget in a holiday rental renovation<\/h3>\n

Throughout the project, Kate and her husband Joe have been careful to preserve the character of the house, but to its size, the work cost over \u00a3100,000, so the couple remortgaged their home in Manchester to pay for it. However, undertaking a holiday rental renovation from a distance during a pandemic was challenging to say the least. \u2018People definitely took advantage of our situation, and we made some bad decisions,\u2019 admits Kate. \u2018Some trades were good, but others were unreliable and difficult to pin down.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Kate

Kate has created a calm and peaceful retreat in this rear bedroom with a cane headboard from La Redoute Outlet, a duck-egg blue throw from George Home and classic Pooky lamps. Photo: Katie Lee<\/p><\/div>\n

Looking to the future<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s also potential to make more of the basement rooms, which have been rewired and plastered, with plumbing in place for a future kitchen and bathroom. \u2019It would make an ideal games or play room,\u2019 says Kate. \u2018I\u2019ve already designed it in my head; I just need a budget and to convince Joe.\u2019<\/p>\n

D\u00e9cor-wise, Kate found Instagram and Pinterest a great source of inspiration but was very much influenced by her late mum. \u2018She loved art, William Morris and bold colours, so it\u2019s a bit of a tribute to her but with a few modern twists,\u2019 she says.<\/p>

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\"Pattern

\u2018After painting this room, I felt it lacked the personality and pattern of the rest of the house,\u2019 says Kate. \u2018So putting up this William Morris wallpaper has given it the lift it needed and sets off the fireplace and Habitat dressing table.’ Photos: Katie Lee<\/p><\/div>\n

Mixing old and new<\/h3>\n

With the budget swallowed up by the holiday rental renovation, Kate had to be quite savvy when furnishing an entire house. She sourced items on Ebay, discovered ex-catalogue sites and shopped at John Lewis & Partners and Homesense for beautiful yet affordable items that would make each room shine. \u2018Some pieces were already in the house, and I\u2019ve added a few vintage pieces of furniture, as well as bargains from discount websites and Facebook Marketplace,\u2019 she explains.<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s hard work has certainly paid off as the house has been attracting some lovely families. \u2018We have had some amazing reviews from guests,\u2019 says Kate. \u2018Everyone really\u00a0appreciates the d\u00e9cor, the space, the view and the local sights.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"The

Photos: Katie Lee<\/p><\/div>\n

And although Kate is happy in Manchester, there\u2019s always a strong pull towards their seaside retreat. \u2018The house is very special to me, and we use it quite a lot,\u2019 she says. \u2018I\u2019d like to think that one day we might return to live here.\u2019<\/p>\n

For information on renting Claremont, visit boltholesandhideaways.co.uk<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>

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