Laura Deller (@houseprojectuk) is inspiring people across the UK with her incredible DIY journey. Her Bedford home is to die for, and Laura’s vision has been matched by her innovation to create her dream family home. uFurnish.com founder Deirdre McGettrick visited Laura for an exclusive tour of her home.
Learn how Laura went from being a DIY novice to becoming a home transformation genius in the space of 7 years. Since buying her home, Laura and her husband have set about renovating every inch of their house. Laura has personally become an internet sensation as a self-taught DIYer. She's grown a huge following across social media and become the author of Nailedit! (a self-help DIY must-read), as well as worked with some of the UK’s most recognisable brands, such as Ryobi.
Introducing Laura Deller
Name: Laura Deller
What's your favourite spot in your home?
By the kitchen island, hosting
What is your biggest renovation regret?
Underfloor heating
Cups up or down in the cupboard?
Up and stacked
Instagram Handle:
@houseprojectuk
Entrance
The entrance is actually a garage conversion where Laura extended her home widthwise to create an entranceway with added storage, a sitting bench, wall hooks, a bike rack and a skylight. Her storage was an IKEA hack made from shelving and panelling, and Laura turned it into a built-in unit which keeps their walkway clear!
Garden
The gable windows and doors connect the kitchen/dining area to the garden in what is a spectacular feature of the home. The decking is set at the flush threshold, which allows people to move between the kitchen and garden decking without any steps or tripping hazards.
Pergola
The built-in pergola creates a multifunctional living area that allows the family to dine al fresco, host parties and even create a space for the kids to play safely when the weather turns bad. In addition, Laura offers a free planning guide on her social media for those who want to plan their own pergola.
Dining Area
The dining area is one of Laura’s first DIY projects. Laura used a staple gun to apply the upholstery after she hired a carpenter to construct the bench frame. The dining area is the heart of important family events such as Christmas and birthdays. Opposite the dining area is a teal-green velvet sofa bed which gets plenty of use. Perfect for event entertaining and enables another sleeping area for guests.
Kitchen
Laura put a huge amount of thought into how the kitchen flows. The first step was to install an AEG vented hob to make the area more spacious and allow the people who were preparing the meals to continue talking to each other while cooking. The kitchen has all AEG built-in appliances throughout.
Play Room
The play area is an extension of the old garage which Laura has converted into a space where her kids can play. It contains a built-in storage nook and bench where the kids keep belongings and read privately. It's an amazing setup and a zone of the house that gets used every day.
Family Room
One of the big highlights of Laura’s house. The family lived in the family room while they were renovating the house! Today it boasts amazing windows and an extremely cosy setting to watch TV or read a book. The key feature in the room is Laura’s bookcase and storage unit, which is entirely self-built. Laura won Best DIY creation in the 2024 uFurnish.com Home Awards for this creation. She built it as an IKEA hack using their IVAR range and customising it to what she wanted for the living space. The flooring in the room is actually a timber laminate. It’s herringbone, and its light tones create an amazing feel that finishes the room delightfully.
Stairwell
Laura’s stairwell brings two of her most creative DIYs. The first is her side table located at the bottom of the stairwell. She built this using old stair spindles and wood offcuts, as Laura wanted to create a narrow side table that doesn’t block the staircase access itself. The second is an enormous piece of artwork that Laura created using a glue gun, poly filler and tester pots of paint. It looks amazing and sits proudly at the top of the stairs.
Master Bedroom & Ensuite
The master bedroom has a charming feel to it. Laura customised the bed’s headboard into a wave design in keeping with the patterns and flows she has throughout her house. Behind the bed is panelling and a picture rail that Laura built into her wall. It was one of her first DIY projects and gave her the confidence to try new creations in the home. The ensuite is super spacious with loads of light streaming in. The toiler elements are cleverly boxed in, and the vanity unit is finished with an enormous mirror that’s big enough for 2 people to use at once.
Kid's Bedroom 1
This room is the ultimate play room for a young boy. Laura built this room from scratch and has created a dream space for her son. The room is beautifully zoned between sleeping, storage, a homework area and a play area. There’s plenty of hanging space on the walls for posters, trophies and ornaments that Laura’s son collects. The chest of drawers was Laura’s pet project during COVID lockdown, where she glued lollipop sticks to the drawers to create a unique look on the panels.
Kid's Bedroom 2
A wall mural of Hogwarts, which creates an amazing theme to the room. It’s a fun and safe space for Laura’s daughter. Laura also built a radiator cover from wood offcuts and bobbins.
Guest Bedroom
Hotel vibes to create a holiday feel best describe the guest bedroom. Laura applied wallpaper rolls up behind the bed and onto the ceiling. The patterns and texture are super unique, and they are complemented by the boucle bed and soft furnishings in the room. There’s also amazing artwork hung on the wall to continue the visual stimulation throughout the room.
As you can see, Laura’s house is full of her own DIY creations. It’s truly amazing and inspiring to see what Laura has achieved in her home. There’s no doubt she has NailedIt!
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Laura's Social Media Handles
Instagram: @houseprojectuk
FaceBook: houseproject36
YouTube: HouseprojectUK
Website: www.houseproject.com
Book: NailedIt!
