A couple with a knack for renovating have unveiled their biggest success yet, transforming a tired and gloomy Victorian terrace into a bright and airy Instagram-friendly home by the sea.
Steve and Katelin Haworth, 37 and 33, from Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, snapped up the house in May last year after already moving three times in five years and set about working their magic – with a little help from a builder who got on board with their ideas and set to work.
The couple, who have two young daughters, Elsie, four, and Everly, two, paid £225,000 for the doer-upper and have spent around £40,000. They’re yet to have the property valued but think their style-conscious makeover could have made them up to £15,000 in profit.
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Dream kitchen: Steve and Katelin Haworth showcase their gorgeous home in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, on their Instagram page ten_sea_view, which has won them legions of fans thanks to the stylish pink and grey interiors and open-plan living
During lockdown Steve painted an old church pew dark grey to match the kitchen units and staircase
Putting red to bed: the kitchen the couple inherited when purchasing the house in May 2019
Vision: As the house looked when they paid £220,000 for it a year ago. The rear has been completely transformed with a side-return extension
Ta da! With full-height windows and doors, complete with dark grey frames, and a makeover to paint the property’s rear white, the couple’s home is unrecognisable
Laminate flooring and some bright wallpaper dominated the old living room area
Steve and Katelin Haworth, with children Elsie, four, and Everly, two, on the beach close to their family home
Honey coloured parquet flooring is among the touches the couple added in the kitchen area, alongside an island with marble finish
Let their be light: skylights and tall windows and doors ensure the property is flooded with daylight
Although the family couldn’t move into the property until work had been mostly completed in August – fearing too much dust and disruption for Elsie and Everly, as well as dogs Hugo and Rupert – once they were in, they began sharing photos of their evolving home.
They’ve now got nearly 5,000 followers on their Instagram page, ten_sea_view, with the slate grey and pink kitchen area a huge hit with interiors fans.
Steve, who works in IT, says knocking down walls was the key to transforming their home and that his wife, a solicitor, can take all the credit for the Insta-friendly decor – including stunning parquet wood flooring.
He explains to FEMAIL how the property transformed, saying: ‘We bought the house in May 2019 but didn’t move in till August as we had to do so much work. We took a gamble and paid a deposit with a local builder to secure a slot in the March.
‘Luckily he managed to start a few weeks after we got the keys. We moved in with my Mother until the messy work was done. I had a deadline of September to be in by for Elsie starting school.’
The property as it looked during the building work, which took from May until August last year to complete, with the family staying with relatives to avoid living in the house while it was being transformed
Taking shape: a steel beam supports the ceiling above the kitchen as the walls are removed
Swish: The family’s dining area looks out onto their paved rear garden
The slate grey and pink colour scheme – Katelin’s choice – have earned them lots of followers
The original bathroom was pulled out and Steve and Katelin set about designing their dream suite
The pink makes it to the tiles in the bathroom too, with hanging greenery adding to the appeal
Photos of the building work taking place reveals just how much effort went into transforming an old terrace with a garish red kitchen and unremarkable living room making way for the open-plan living area complete with an island kitchen. Light pours through the area thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights.’
The couple say renovating previous houses gave them the money to do this one for themselves.
Steve explains: ‘This is our third move in five years and the first two we also renovated. We made a little bit of money then moved on – it gave us enough budget to renovate this house.’
Sea view: the family now live just a stone’s throw from the water’s edge and say they chose the area because it’s being invested in
They faced plenty of trials in getting the property in great condition, including ‘repairs to windows that were falling out and gutters that were so bad that they’d caused water damage to the structure.’
Parenting their daughters while trying to finish the home was tough too.
‘You have to make sure everything is super safe all the time. It can be very stressful looking after two kids while trying to find time to finish a room. You end up asking grandparents to take them out for a few hours and then we crack on.
‘Luckily we have a great family network close by. The girls room was the first room we fully completed as we didn’t want them near any dirt or dust.’
With their dream home winning praise across social media, for now they’re happy to keep another project at bay. Steve jokes: ‘Katelin won’t let me move again so it’s our forever home.’