The Barn Renovation

10-Year Barn Renovation. 100+ Brands. 200+ Campaigns. 69K+ Community

I'm Kat. In 2015 we bought my husband's grandparents' barn, converted in 1988, spent 10 years turning it into a calm, character-filled family home and built a community of thousands whilst doing it!

Trusted by Valspar, Tile Mountain, Simba Sleep, Logitech, Sainsbury's, B&M, Photowall, Aqara, Mileseey Tools, Crossray BBQs + 100 more.

I know “being an influencer” is a controversial one 😂

There are definitely people who think, “How hard can it be? You just make a few videos and get free stuff.”

And honestly, before I did this, I probably wouldn’t have understood how much actually goes on behind the scenes either.

I’ve had plenty of other jobs, and I’m very aware that there are jobs that are far more stressful than creating content. Shoutout to my teachers especially… I see you. 😂

But this is work.

The filming. The editing. Coming up with ideas. Planning content. Emails. Negotiating. Deadlines. Pitching. Keeping up with trends. Understanding your analytics. Trying to work out why the Reel you nearly didn’t post has done 300,000 views while the one you thought was brilliant has done 3,000. 🫠

And then doing it all again tomorrow.

But there are also some pretty incredible perks.

I genuinely love what I do, and I think creating content can be an amazing career if you can make it work for you.

So if you’re at the beginning of your journey and thinking, “I’d love to grow an account and actually make something from it”…

Don’t let people telling you it’s not a real job put you off.

Instead, learn how to actually grow an audience.

Because you can have great content, but if you don’t understand what makes people stop, follow, save and share, growing can feel like an absolute lottery.

That’s actually why I created my Kat Blueprint — I’ve taken what I’ve learned about growing an account and turned it into a strategy you can actually follow.

If you’re serious about growing your account, you can find the Blueprint through the link in my bio. 🤍

#ContentCreatorUK #InstagramGrowthTips #GrowYourInstagram #CreatorTips #InfluencerTips

10 years of renovating this barn and I still look at old photos and think… HOW?! 😂

When we bought it in 2015, it had already been converted from a working barn, but inside it looked much more like a 1980s house than the character-filled home I had in my head.

So we’ve slowly changed it, room by room, project by project.

Some jobs have cost thousands. Some have cost practically nothing. There have been DIY wins, DIY disasters and quite a lot of “surely I can do that myself?” moments. 😂

And the best bit? We’re still not finished.

There’s a whole lot more I want to change, which means apparently I’ve got another decade of content. 🙃

If you’re new here, welcome. This is the renovation, the DIY, the interiors and everything in between. 🤍

I’m sharing some before pics on my stories, so take a look 👀

#BarnRenovation #HomeRenovation #DIYHome #InteriorInspo #UKInteriors

One of our two baths had to go. 🛁🚿

When we bought the barn, we had a bath in both the main bathroom and the ensuite.

The ensuite bath was only 1370mm and, despite having two baths in the house, we basically never used this one.

So when we renovated the ensuite, I decided the space would be much more useful as a proper walk-in shower.

And honestly? I don’t regret it.

Although… our other bathroom is now in desperate need of a renovation, so I’m currently having the slightly ridiculous thought of whether we should put a tiny Japanese-style soaking bath in there instead. 😂

Apparently I’m not anti-bath. I just need to find the right bath. 👀

Tell me which side you’re on (🛁 or 🚿) and if you’ve got a tiny bathroom, would you sacrifice shower space for a little soaking tub?

#bathroomrenovation #bathroominspo #bathroomdesign #homerenovation #renovationideas

If I’m being honest, our kitchen was the one room I refused to cut corners on.

We had lived with a kitchen that didn’t work for years, so when it came to this one I had 5 things I was willing to pay a bit more for, even if it meant saving elsewhere.

1. Mirrored splashback — DIY Splashbacks. I ummed and ahhed over this but it bounces so much light, our north facing kitchen would feel half the size without it.
2. Porcelain floor tiles — Quorn Stone. Not the cheapest but the cheap ones chip and I didn’t want to be replacing them in a year.
3. In-frame units — DIY Kitchens, colours Cobham Blue and Dove Grey. The doors sit inside the frame so it feels like a proper bespoke kitchen, not flat pack.
4. Knobs and cups — The Suffolk Latch Company, antique brass. I wanted warm not yellow and these just get better with age.
5. Skirting on the plinths and island — Howdens. Tiny detail, maybe £200 extra, but it’s what makes it look built-in not just stuck on.

They weren’t the cheapest options but I would choose them all again tomorrow

Let me know if you have any questions 👇

#kitchendesign #diykitchens #inframekitchen #kitcheninspo #interiorstyling

I stared at this empty sleeper bed for TWO YEARS. 🫣

I knew I wanted to add some height here, but somehow this little job kept getting pushed to the bottom of the list.

And because I was doing it completely on my own, even measuring it out properly felt like more faff than it should have been. 😂

The thing that finally got me moving was my @mileseeytools Mileseey S50.

It made mapping out the layout on my own SO much easier — no wrestling with a floppy tape measure while trying to work out where everything needed to go.

Then I built the whole thing from scrap wood I already had.

So the grand total?

£0.

And I genuinely love how much character it’s added to this otherwise very plain bit of the garden. 🌿

It’s also a good reminder that sometimes the jobs we put off for YEARS aren’t actually that complicated once you finally start them.

What’s the DIY job you’ve been putting off forever? 👀

If you’re tackling your own solo projects, you can get 15% off the Mileseey S50 with code BARN30 — I’ve linked it in my bio + Stories. ✨
AD @mileseeytools
#diygarden #gardenproject #diyideas #gardendesign #homerenovation

They quoted me around £3,000 for this… so I decided to see if I could make it myself. 👀

I wanted a big, built-in media unit, but I couldn’t justify paying a few thousand pounds for something I thought I could work out myself.

The starting point was:

• 2 × IKEA BESTÅ frames (120 × 40 × 38cm)
• 4 × HANVIKEN fronts (60 × 38cm)
• 2 × IKEA BILLY bookcases, cut down for the sides
• Plastic kitchen cabinet legs to raise it up
• Chipboard slats across the back for structure
• Wickes tongue & groove panelling
• Wickes cornice + skirting/trim
• Zinsser AllCoat, colour matched to Dulux Pebble Shore

Then it was basically a LOT of cutting, joining, filling, sanding and painting until all those separate bits looked like one built-in unit.

And yes… I massively underestimated how long it would take. 😂

Would you have paid the £3k or had a go yourself?

Save this if a built-in media unit is on your renovation list — especially if you’re currently being quoted a ridiculous amount for one. 👀

#ikeahack #ikeabesta #diyhome #mediawall #homerenovation

There’s a fireplace in our old cow barn… and nobody knows why. 😂

It’s tucked into the most awkward corner of our living room, and at some point someone has built these strange little brick returns around it.

Our barn was converted into a house in 1988, but apparently this fireplace was already here.

So now I’m obsessed with figuring out what it was actually for.

Why would a cow shed need a chimney? And WHY is it in that corner?!

If you know anything about old farm buildings, I’m hoping you can solve this one for me 👀

#barnrenovation #barnconversion #oldbarn #farmhouse #homerenovationuk

I wanted an exposed beam… so I faked one. 😉

And honestly, I still can’t decide whether this was genius or completely unhinged 😂

It’s actually plasterboard underneath, painted with Frenchic Crème de la Crème, then I used browning wax to give it that aged, slightly weathered timber look.

Our barn doesn’t have those beautiful original exposed beams you’d expect, so rather than wishing they were there… I made my own.

Would you have guessed this was plasterboard underneath? 👀

Don’t hold back — what do you think?! 😂

#frenchicpaint #diyhomedecor #diyrenovation #barnrenovation #homerenovationuk

I was quoted £6,000 to replace our porch…

So obviously I decided to see if I could do it for £70 instead. 😂

Two fence posts, a bit of chamfering, a metal support, some paint and a questionable amount of confidence later…

And honestly, I’m still slightly shocked it worked.

I painted it in Farrow & Ball Light Gray and I think it makes such a difference to the front of the house.

£5,930 saved by basically looking at something and thinking, “How hard can it be?” 😂

Would you have paid the £6k or attempted the DIY?

If you’re one of those people that thinks “I couldn’t do that!” Make sure you’re following @thebarnrenovation - you’re a lot more capable than you think 😉

#DIYProjects #DIYHome #PorchMakeover #HomeRenovation #DIY

The one you all always ask me about ✨🫶

I used the exact same colour on this cabinet, all of the skirting and all of the downstairs doors 🚪 It just ties everything together.

It’s @farrowandball Light Gray - which is definitely NOT grey, more of a warm greige! - colour matched by @decoratingcentreonline in @zinsseruk AllCoat.

Which I basically use for everything, it’s so hard-wearing. 💪

I sometimes think about repainting it, but I’ve honestly yet to find a colour I love as much ✨

So, what do you think? Paint it or leave it? 👇

Bespoke cupboards built by the super talented @jacquesjoinery

#neutralhome #greigehome #farrowandball #paintcolour #bespokejoinery

POV: Your smallest room ends up being one of your favourite 🤎

This cloakroom was twice the size before the extension, now it’s tiny thanks to the new corridor to the utility. So I packed it with character instead.

What do you think, did small but mighty work?

#cloakroomideas #smallbathroomideas #downstairsloo #barnrenovation #ukhome

This was SO relaxing ✨

I went to @headspacespa_ in Leicester for a Japanese Head Spa and genuinely thought I was just going to lie down and switch my brain off for an hour. 😂

Instead, I got a VERY close-up look at my scalp first… which was both fascinating and slightly humbling. 😳

The treatment itself was honestly SO relaxing - scalp cleansing, massage, steam and basically an hour of nobody needing anything from me. 💁‍♀️

Then we checked my scalp again afterwards and I got to see the before and after, which I really wasn’t expecting to be so interesting.

If you’re in the Leicestershire area and have been curious about Japanese Head Spas give Mel a follow @headspacespa_ 🫶✨

Ad(although no obligation to share this)

#JapaneseHeadSpa #Leicestershire #HeadSpa #SelfCare #leicestershirebusiness

Still totally obsessed with how Jasper’s room came together! 💙

I went with Farrow & Ball’s De Nimes on the walls, and I just love how sophisticated and grown-up this moody blue feels while still keeping that playful charm.

Now for the eternal struggle: toy storage! 🧸🧺 I am officially on the hunt for functional yet stylish ways to corral all the cuddly toys in here. If you have any favorite storage hacks, brands, or pieces that actually look good, please drop your best ideas in the comments below! 👇✨

#BoysRoomInspo #KidsInteriors #FarrowAndBall #BoysRoomDecor #ToyStorageIdeas

Sometimes I look at our house now and completely forget what this place used to be.

It was my husband’s grandparents’ barn, part of the farm, and before it became a home there were cows walking through the building, children swinging from the ceiling and a path through the woodland at the end of the garden leading to the fields.

Then in 1988 it became their home, and years later it became ours.

We’ve changed SO much over the last 10 years, but I think knowing the history of the barn is one of the things I love most about living here. 🤍

Swipe through for a few things you’d never guess from looking at it now…

What’s the strangest history you know about your own home? 🏡

#barnrenovation #renovationjourney #periodhome #countryhome #homerenovation

You’re not going to like this 🙈

So fed up of this bathroom so it’s going to get RIPPED OUT! 😂

Is replacing a full sized bath shower with a small bath and stand alone shower a good idea? Would it add value?

Let me know what you think 👇

#bathroomsofinstagram #bathroomdesignideas #bathroominspo #interiordesign

10 years of renovating this house and sometimes I genuinely forget what it looked like when we first moved in 😂

Pink walls, pink carpets, brown patterned Axminster… and a LOT of very 1980s decisions.

It had so much potential, but it definitely needed a bit of love.

And honestly, my taste has changed almost as much as the house has.

Swipe to see where we started ➡️

*Ive been told by certain people on TikTok that they prefer the before- do you? 😅🫶✨

#barnrenovation #housetransformation #renovationjourney #englishcountryhome #interiorinspiration

I genuinely had NO idea what I was doing. 😂

I just knew I wanted to build something of my own.

There was no business background, no one I could ask, no roadmap, just a slightly ridiculous willingness to say “yeah, I can do that” and then panic-Google it afterwards. 😅😆

I still do this, by the way. 😂

The difference is that now I actually know what a hook is, I can do a tax return without having a breakdown and I get to work with brands I used to dream about. ✨🫶

And the weirdest part?

The house I started documenting is still unfinished.

But the little account I started alongside it has completely changed my life. 🥹

What’s something you’ve taught yourself from scratch? I’d genuinely love to know. 🤎

#HomeRenovation #DIYHome #InteriorInspiration #ContentCreator #RenovationJourney

#ad POV: your office is wherever you happen to put your laptop today. 😂

Between renovating the barn, filming content and editing on the go, I’m constantly moving around, so anything that saves space in my bag is a win.

This foldable mouse has become one of those little things I didn’t realise I needed. It’s tiny, charges ridiculously quickly (22 hours from just a 1-minute charge 🤯), and I can switch between multiple devices without having to reconnect everything.

It’s proof that sometimes the smallest upgrades make the biggest difference. 🙌✨

#MobiFold #LogitechUK @logitech #workfromanywhere #contentcreater

Renovation isn’t about huge budgets- it’s about the small, intentional details. 🛠️✨

When we were doing up the barn, I quickly realised that off-the-shelf solutions often end up looking, well... off-the-shelf.

But you also don’t need to spend thousands on high-end custom joinery to get that bespoke, elevated feel.

From flipping standard door architrave upside down to create our kitchen mantel, to ignoring the “rules” around dark paint in small bathrooms, these 7 small decisions completely changed how our home looks and functions.

Swipe through for all 7 breakdown ideas! ➡️

📌 SAVE this cheat sheet for your next room makeover!

💬 Which detail is your favourite? (Or which trick have you tried in your own home?) Drop it in the comments below! 👇

#thebarnrenovation #barnconversion #interiorhacks #renovationtips #budgetrenovation

You can totally have my camera roll 🤣🤣

It’s Just a lot of me moving the camera and walking around my house 🤷‍♀️ 🤣

Is yours the same?

#interiordesign #creatorlife #contentcreator #renovation #myhomevibe

Always my favourite place 🫶✨

Not finished, not perfect, but home 🏠

#interiordesign #barnconversion #interiorstyling #renovation #myhomevibe

adHow is it that I can design a whole garden corner, but the second basic maths is involved, my brain completely evacuates the premises? 🫠

Honestly, using a standard tape measure usually has me squinting, guessing, and inevitably cutting wood the wrong length. Enter the @mileseeytools XTAPE1 digital laser tape measure, which thankfully does all the heavy lifting (and actual calculating) for me.

It measures down to the millimetre the second you pull it out, stores your measurements so you don’t lose them, and has this magic “line split” mode that divides up slats evenly without me having to reach for a calculator. Add in the green laser for lining things up, and even my DIY skills somehow resulted in a proper, non-wobbly planter box.

Brought this sad little corner back to life, and I didn’t even have an existential crisis over fractions. Win.🙌🤣

Let me know what you think in the comments 👇

Link for the XTAPE1 is in my bio and stories if you want to save yourself the headache! 🌿✨

#DIYGarden #HomeRenovationUK #GardenProject #RealLifeDIY #mileseeytools

This is still one of my favorite builds to date, and seeing it get so much use this summer makes it even better!

☀️ Questions? Ask away! 👇

#Outdoorkitchen #outdoordiykitchen #interiorstyling #gardenideas #renovation

My kind of therapy 🫶✨🥹….

#interiordesign #barnconversion #interiorstyling #myhomevibe #renovation

A Sunday reminder incase you needed it ✨🫶

#interiordesign #barnconversion #interiorstyling #myhomevibe #renovation

The DIY girlies know 😉 🫶✨…..

#interiordesign #barnconversion #interiorstyling #myhomevibe #renovation

Turns out I wasn’t sad ✨🫶

#interiordesign #barnconversion #myhomevibe #interiorstyling #renovation

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@thebarnrenovation

The Journey — From Grandparents' Barn to Family Home

We purchased our barn back in 2015 from my husband's grandparents. The original barn was a cowshed, converted into a house in 1988 and was once part of their farm. For 10 years we've been transforming every corner into a family home that's full of warmth, light and quiet charm.

My background isn't interiors, just a deep love for calm, character-filled spaces on a realistic budget.

No showhome, just real renovation with 3 kids and a dog.

Work with me 🫶

The Barn Renovation

10-Year Barn Renovation. 100+ Brands. 200+ Campaigns. 69K+ Community

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The Journey — From Grandparents' Barn to Family Home

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