Vikki’s savage kitchen upcycle
Need that extra push to step out your comfort zone, ditch that white paint canister and not be afraid of making mistakes along the way? Meet Vikki (@little_savage_life), the experienced reno' savage we all aspire to become. 
Jumping from renovating one house to the next, Vikki has learnt how to restore, paint and decorate practically any room. This time round she's upcycled her kitchen and is ready to talk us through each and every daring decision she made along the way. Let's get comfy and take notes whilst Vikki, the ruthless DIY'er, shares her wisdom ✍A dream come true
"The vision for this house actually started years ago. We used to walk past regularly and talk about which houses we would love to buy on this road and what we’d do with them. The house we have now was one of our favourites because of its red bricks and sash windows. When it came on the market and needed work, that made it all the more perfect.After renovating my previous house, I had learnt a lot of DIY basics and started to find my style, but I had neither the need, money or incentive to do everything exactly as I wanted. I envisioned something more classic and timeless for this house, dare I say a little grander and more ‘grown up’. It was the opportunity to do the things I couldn’t do previously and stop worrying about keeping things neutral just in case we decided to sell."A savage kitchen upcycle
Starting out
"What we inherited was not bad, it’s around 10 years old and solid, but it was absolutely not my style – particularly the soulless red carpet tiles and the white gloss units. Whilst we had a lot of useful storage, it didn’t work for us as the row of wall cupboards meant the work surface was difficult to use. The kitchen renovation began spontaneously; we had hired a skip to remove building materials from the bedroom and decided to make the most of it by removing the kitchen cupboards too. The planning then concentrated on the basics – re-doing the walls, starting to think about aesthetics and what use we wanted from the room. The day we moved in, we had put all the children's toy storage in the kitchen and it hadn’t moved since. We finally moved it out to see the space with fresh eyes, and realised we wanted to incorporate a table – the view to the garden was too good to not make the most of."
Colour schemes
"Then it came to choosing colours – always a lengthy one for me! I had the idea of a yellow kitchen since we moved in – I have always loved yellow and used pops of mustard regularly throughout both homes. Being a kitchen upcycle, I decided early on that I wanted to push myself on the design because I really didn’t need to worry too much about longevity. Once I found the perfect shade, I started seeing yellow kitchen units popping up in my feed regularly, which is frustrating as I am always put off by ‘trending’ ideas, but I knew the colours I had chosen would make it a bright and happy space and I am absolutely thrilled with it. I had previously upcycled the kitchen at the old house, but I have learnt so much more since doing that. I genuinely love this new kitchen and know it’ll last for as many years as we need it to, rather than feeling that it is just making do." Challenges
"The biggest challenge we faced in bringing it together was learning to patch a water pipe where my husband drilled through, but it’s great to know that I can fix that kind of problem if it were to ever happen again. This is probably the room that I am most proud of now, because I had to make something I love with elements I would never have chosen from scratch."
Playing un-safe 🤺
"My style has definitely evolved over the years, largely due to my growing confidence, but also I think you learn from doing, so each time I push myself a little more and it works out – it’s always the stepping stone to another idea I would’ve otherwise held back on. I am already experimental with colour, I'm almost aghast that I used to paint so many walls brilliant white because I could not do that now. I can still admire that simplicity in others homes, but it's just not ‘me’ anymore. I have also had the opportunity here to concentrate on the kitchen space first, and styling later. I always start a room with the intention of making it beautiful even whilst empty. I prioritise those details, which is often the hardware of a room, whether that’s switches and sockets, radiator valves or cupboard handles – they elevate a room before furniture has touched it and that is very satisfying. I cannot foresee a time where I will ever consider a house ‘finished’. I have, for example, one room here that I played safe with and it has never felt right, so I will be coming back to it with the learnings I have taken from all the other spaces, just as soon as I have finished ripping up old carpet and stripping the last remnants of woodchip from the walls and ceilings."
A hefty tool kit 🔧
"My home tool kit is ever-evolving. I think it is so important to get the basics right; a good tape measure, screwdriver set, hammer, spirit level, hand saw and mitre box. You can do so much with just those basics that I think they are worth investing in – you really do not want a flimsy tape measure. In terms of then expanding to the bigger and more expensive items, my most used to date is definitely my orbital sander. I don’t know what I would do without it at this point and I am afraid a mouse sander just does not compare. I managed for a long time using just the basic tools, which helped me appreciate where time and energy-saving power tools can come in handy and that's how I now prioritise which I choose to invest in. I also try to keep my battery powered tools in the same brand, so I can use the same battery packs and have one charging whilst one is being used. It’s so useful to be able to chop and change and not have to charge 5 different batteries or be restricted by power cords."Groovy hardware
"I wanted the cupboard handles to complement one another without being a perfect match. I try to avoid matching sets of anything in general so the BEZEL, BECKER and AUSTEN came together as the perfect complementary set. They make the cupboards and the room generally more interesting. I adore the grooves in both the BEZEL and the BECKER and the classic shapes too. On a practical note, they also don’t show marks easily from little grubby hands! The AUSTEN Industrial Rails are such good quality that I know they will last a lifetime and their brackets add a lovely detail. The BRONTE Hooks are incredibly pleasing in their shape and size, and ultimately the styling options are endless!"Tools down, cups out ☕
"Nothing says to me 'DIY weekend' more than a mid-morning sausage sandwich and a cup of tea, whilst sitting on the floor of a paint-strewn room, surrounded by dust, tools and an overly-excited child wanting to ‘help’! For stepping away from the tools, I think (as many of my Instagram followers will attest to), the ability to sit down with a glass of wine and browse for inspiration in a quiet and dust-free space is invaluable. I would say a nice Gavi or Sauvignon Blanc always does the trick!"Comical podcasts
"I have joined TikTok recently and definitely see a bit of fun to be had there, but my heart lies with Instagram. I genuinely think I would not be where I am in terms of my interior style, confidence and skills if it weren’t for discovering the little world of Instagram interiors. There are so many wonderful people that consistently inspire me, but here are three must-follows: @kerryvillers – Kerry has created some of my all time favourite rooms on Instagram, I love her colour palette and her styling, her whole house is classy and characterful, much like her. Kerry is directly responsible for the starting point for, most recently, my son’s bedroom and she is one account I always come to if I am in need of ideas.@ahouseonashbank – Emma is one of the most creative people I follow, she has a unique style that is instantly recognisable as her own, and whilst it doesn’t directly match mine, she does so much that inspires me to push myself with both design and DIY.@halfpaintedhouse – Jen (with a delightful sprinkling of Nick in stories) again has a style that is so uniquely her, it is a sheer joy to watch her ‘um and ah’ over paint colours and reveal the next update when you think she couldn’t possibly improve rooms any further (spoiler - she always does!)
I think it’s really good to follow people and homes that don’t have the same style as you, I think that’s how you best push yourself and really find your own aesthetic. I like to think that I rarely copy directly from someone else, but I would also say that I never have a truly unique idea, just an amalgamation of numerous others I have seen."An indie-rock cliché 🎸
"I went to University in the mid-noughties so I am a solid indie-rock cliché. To really lean into the cliché, I’ll often seek out the slightly lesser known bands. Special mention only to Sam Fender because I went to see him recently and he was amazing, but also to true crime podcasts because they are probably second to interiors on my obsession scale!"A huge thank you to Vikki for joining us for a TEA BREAK. Why not follow her renovation journey over at @little_savage_life?
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