A couple put their DIY skills to the test to craft the ultimate Downtown Abbey-style hallway.
Bryony Wilson and Tom Bown wanted to add shaker-style panelling in the hallway after moving into their home in November 2019.
But the couple, from Hampshire, were stunned to see a professional quote would cost them a whopping £17,995.
Instead of splashing that amount of cash on the renovation, the pair opted to do it themselves – saving a fortune along the way.
Speaking to LatestDeals.co.uk, Bryony, 29, said: "We searched, but struggled to find any companies offering hallway panelling services.
"So when we did eventually find a company, they knew they could charge whatever they liked for it."
After talking through the project together, Bryony and Tom decided to begin the task on their own.
She added: "We knew that we could do it for a more affordable price but it's staggering how much we've been able to save.
"I can't quite believe it. We've all felt the pinch so we're over the moon that we've been able to save where we can.
"We both really love period properties and the opulence that period features bring to homes."
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In total, the couple spent £750 on the entire project by making their shaker-style panelling while using a flat sheet MDF backboard.
Then they added wooden heading to the inside edges of the MDF strips for a softer look after watching a number of YouTube videos.
The pair viewed plenty of step-by-step clips to help them to work with MDF and build wall panels.
Bryony added: "A lot of DIY is guesswork, but the YouTube videos did really help."
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She continued: "I quickly learnt that it isn't that hard to achieve an overall professional finish.
"After getting our heads around the basics, we bought sheets of MDF from B&Q so that we could have a practice run at cutting it.
"Working with MDF is low risk with high reward.
"Firstly, we measured the entire hallway by running a measuring table along the walls to ensure we knew how much MDF we needed."
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However, measuring up became slightly tricker on the stairs and the couple had to use a digital angle finder to complete the job.
Bryony said: "First we had sussed out the length and height of the MDF panels we needed.
"Then we bought the MDF online via a website called Cut My Plastic, which cuts the MDF to size for you.
"This meant we didn't need any expensive cutting tools."
After finishing the panelling, Bryony and Tom completed the four-week project by using prime and paint.
She concluded: "We can't believe the final result. It looks better than we could have imagined and it was so simple to do.
"It's completely changed the style of the space, and every time I walk through the door I feel like I'm walking through Downton.
"DIY is all about trial and error. There are so many handy YouTube tutorials out there which give you easy-to-follow advice."
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