Inspiration: Tamsyn Morgan's Living Room Tour

Freelance photographer and stylist, Tamsyn Morgans has spent the last 5 years transforming her home for herself and her two daughters, Lola (13) and Finlay (11). Little by little, each area in her home has been renovated but the attic was one of the last places to get any love.

Still, it had plenty of potential. Tamsyn tells us, “A couple of years ago I got as far as replacing the carpet, but since then it’s been used as a storage area. It has really lovely natural light, so I know that it had the potential to be a really wonderful living space.”

With a love of vintage and eclectic design, Tamsyn got to work, planning a mood board and pulling together the vision she had in her mind of what the space could become. Of course, choosing to renovate an attic has its challenges. “I had to completely empty it of all the junk I had stored up there [first], which was a huge job!”

Once the space was emptied, Tamsyn hired out a couple of jobs including removing the unsightly brown plastic spotlights that had been there for decades. She also had a stud wall installed over the bare bricks, but she cut costs by prepping the wall herself, brushing on a specialty adhesive to ensure the new wall would adhere properly.

When these jobs were complete, Tamsyn got to work on the painting and wallpapering herself choosing a soft floral wallpaper design which married perfectly to the floral vintage oil paintings she’d picked up for the space and setting the colour palette for the room.

She set about creating hidden storage with a soft grey fabric stapled under the eaves and brought in a mix of vintage pieces and new items to create the perfect reading and relaxing area at the top of her home.

The renovation was completed within the 4-week window of the Revamp Restyle Reveal challenge she’d signed up for. “I deliberately chose this space because I knew it would be fairly straightforward to do. I was juggling the renovation with my other freelance work, so I knew I needed it to go smoothly!”

Was it worth the effort? Tamsyn tells us, “The space has made a huge difference to us. With two growing children, it’s so nice to be able to provide another room that they can read/relax. With the Velux window thrown open, it makes such a gorgeous, summery place to be. It really has made the house seem a lot bigger!”

From AO, Tamsyn chose a Dyson Hot/Cold air purifier for the room. “It was an absolute must whilst decorating. The woodwork paint was oil based, and the Dyson really helped to keep the air fresh. As we head towards Autumn/Winter, I can tell we will get lots of use out of it as a heater too. It’s a really versatile product, and it’s slimline design means it fits into our home really neatly.”

We asked Tamsyn what her top three pieces of advice would be for someone looking to update a room in their home.

“First, do your research so you can really get a strong idea of the look you want. Go on Pinterest and pin, pin, pin. That way you can really get a strong idea of what you want and make a cohesive mood board.

“Second, if you are on a budget, learn how to DIY. There are many obvious jobs that I’ve had to get tradespeople in to do, but decorating is a doddle, and you can save hundreds by doing it yourself. Wallpapering isn’t too scary either, you just need all the right tools and lots of patience. YouTube is brilliant for DIY tutorials.

“And third, add an element of vintage to your room. Vintage sits beautifully alongside contemporary designs and adds a layer of history and patina. Whether it’s artwork, reclaimed elements or textiles, it will add depth to your finished room.”

With this gorgeous room ticked off her list, Tamsyn is not ready to relax just yet. “My landing is next! I had the artex on the ceiling skimmed a couple of years ago, so it’s really time I painted it! I have some pretty crazy vintage floral wallpaper that I’m going to paper one long wall with, and then I’m on the lookout for a beautiful antique chandelier.”

You can follow along with Tamsyn’s renovations on her blog, The Villa on Mount Pleasant, or on Instagram.

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All images copyright Tamsyn Morgan and used with kind permission.