Inside a small Brighton house that's big on style
Looking around the home of interiors stylist and TV presenter Maxine Brady, it’s hard to believe that six years ago this Victorian terraced house in Brighton was a wreck. The transformation of her home into the colourful, characterful space it is now has been a labour of love, and is the inspiration behind her award-winning lifestyle blog.
‘The house had been empty for seven years and was in a neglected state,’ explains Maxine. ‘As an interiors stylist, I knew I had the practical skills to transform it, despite my tight budget. So I launched my blog, maxinebrady.com, charting my renovation journey and sharing my money-saving decorating ideas to inspire other renovators.’
When Maxine purchased her home in 2016, the garden was so overgrown she couldn’t open the back door, and the bathroom was leaking into the kitchen below – it wasn’t unusual to find snails trailing across the damp floor. ‘Every room needed attention,’ she remembers. ‘I had to repair the windows, strip paint from the doors and replace the carpets.’
But before rushing into any expensive renovation projects, Maxine decided to live in her home first. ‘I can’t lie – it was awful staying here with the tatty carpets and draughty windows,’ she says. ‘But it helped me avoid costly mistakes. I was able to see how best to open up the layout downstairs and where to install more windows and new doors.’
Making the house watertight was the first job, so Maxine fixed the roof and guttering and then dealt with the internal damp issues. But six months after she moved in, the bathroom taps leaked and water poured down through the kitchen ceiling. ‘It forced me to redo the bathroom and kitchen at the same time,’ she says. ‘And while I was doing that, I thought I might as well knock down the living room wall. It was super-stressful as the dust was intense.’
Deciding to leave her builders to get on with it, Maxine temporarily moved out of the house. ‘At least all the messy building works were completed in just a few months,’ she says. ‘It wasn’t fun at the time but was totally worth it.’
Once the main areas had been refurbished, Maxine tackled one big job a month, taking on as much as she could herself. ‘I had a to-do list as long as my arm, but breaking it down into mini projects made it feel more manageable, and gradually I was able to see the house taking shape,’ she explains. ‘Weekends were spent stripping off woodchip wallpaper, smashing out cheap fitted cupboards and digging in the garden with the help of family and friends.’
Over time, Maxine has restored original features and replaced anything not in keeping with her style, such as the ugly 1980s wooden banister, which she replaced with spindles to match the Victorian oak handrail. She moved a fireplace in the dining area into the main bedroom and installed ceiling roses. ‘I’m obsessed by tiling,’ she says. ‘I chose the kitchen 3D-style floor tiles after spotting them in a house on a photoshoot. My dad helped me choose the patterned tiles for my bathroom, which have really elevated this space. I also tiled my hearth and staircase risers. If I could afford it, I’d tile the whole house!’
After two years of tricky renovation work, Maxine moved on to the interiors. ‘As the house is so tiny, every decision I make has to be both practical and stylish,’ she says. ‘I don’t follow trends and try to only have things in my home that I truly love. Sticking to a strict one-in-one-out policy with my belongings is the only way I can keep clutter at bay.
‘I’m very mindful of the environmental impact renovating a home can have on the planet,’ continues Maxine, ‘so I shop vintage and secondhand or invest in things that I know I will love for a long time.’ In fact, she enjoys nothing better than spending her weekends hunting down inexpensive pieces of furniture that she can upcycle, and is fortunate to have lots of vintage shops on her doorstep. ‘I keep the measurements of all my rooms on my phone, so if I spot something I like when I’m out and about, I can check it will fit,’ she says.
Maxine’s style is also influenced by her trips abroad. ‘I travel a lot for work, so when I’m away I like to bring back something unusual for my home,’ she continues. ‘I love Morocco for rugs, ceramics and textiles, and I’ve picked up art from New York and San Francisco. And the vibrant energy of my hometown of Brighton has had an impact. I painted my house the same peppermint shade that’s been used on the metalwork on the seafront promenade. It’s a joyful colour that helps make my home a happy place to live.’
Maxine admits that her home will never be finished – ‘If I get bored with a room, then I’ll move things around until I’m pleased with it’ – but she feels very much at ease here. ‘I’ve got a huge sense of pride that I’ve turned this rundown property into a cosy, inviting space and pretty much all by myself too,’ she says. ‘As soon as I open the front door, I feel completely relaxed. Living by the coast has been a long-held dream of mine, and sometimes I can’t believe this is my actual home.’
Hallway
By removing the internal door, Maxine has opened up the hallway, allowing more light to enter the compact space. The stair risers have been tiled with mini mosaics from Tile Mountain.
Living room
Maxine gave the fireplace a light coating of paint to highlight the detail, and had the hearth made with Moroccan-inspired tiles.
Kitchen
For one of her first big renovation projects, Maxine reconfigured the kitchen to include a window overlooking the garden. Sage green units from Symphony soften the monochrome scheme.
Scaffolding boards have been used to create open shelving.
Dining room
In the open-plan space, which also acts as her home office during the day, Maxine has created a cosy dining area with a La Redoute table and chairs from Cult Furniture.
Main bedroom
For extra storage, Maxine opted for an upholstered ottoman bed from Button & Sprung, with Livette wallpaper.
The room's fireplace was originally in the dining room but she had it moved upstairs.
Guest bedroom
Maxine upcycled a small chest of drawers she found in a junk shop in Hove using Zhoosh's Rhythmic Pink paint. The wallpaper is Great Wave by Cole & Son.
Bathroom
A rolltop bath and ceiling rose shower were on Maxine's renovation wishlist, and these, along with the patterned floor tiles and traditional fittings, have transformed a formerly damp, cold space.
Garden
After working on a gardening makeover TV show, Maxine was inspired to turn her yard into an urban oasis using hexagonal paving, from CED Stone, and adding height with planters on wheels.
Maxine has painted the fences in an off-white shade (Lime White by Protek), which is the perfect backdrop to showcase her creative planting.
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