Couple reveal how they turned their dingy backroom into a modern kitchen-diner and utility room for £33,000 on George Clarke's Old House, New Home

  • Simon and Emma, from Liverpool, wanted to renovate kitchen in Victorian Villa
  • With budget of £25,000, they transformed dingy living space into kitchen-diner
  • Added salmon pink cupboards and trendy black parquet flooring to the space 
  • Ended up spending £33,000 renovating the two rooms at the back of their home 

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A couple have revealed how they spent £33,000 transforming their dingy back room into a modern kitchen-diner in George Clarke's Old House, New Home. 

In Sunday night's episode of the Channel 4 show, George travels to Ormskirk, near Liverpool, to meet Simon and Emma, who want to renovate the small kitchen and back room on the ground floor of their property. 

But the architect expresses doubts as to whether they can complete the extensive transformation with their £25,000 budget.

And when they unveil their salmon pink kitchen and new utility room, the couple admit the project cost them just over £33,000.   

Before: George Clarke visits Simon and Emma, from Liverpool, on Sunday night's episode as they transform their dingy and backroom into a huge kitchen diner (pictured, their makeshift kitchen before)

Before: George Clarke visits Simon and Emma, from Liverpool, on Sunday night's episode as they transform their dingy and backroom into a huge kitchen diner (pictured, their makeshift kitchen before) 

After: The couple opt for a trendy makeover for the space, with salmon pink units and white tiling in the enormous kitchen

After: The couple opt for a trendy makeover for the space, with salmon pink units and white tiling in the enormous kitchen 

The duo explain how George first helped redesign their master bedroom in the Victorian villa back in the summer of 2018.

He turned what was a spare room, children's bedroom and a bathroom into one huge master bedroom, complete with an en-suite bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe.

And one year on, Simon and Emma are now desperate to tackle what should be the heart of any family home - the kitchen.

'The kitchen from the previous owners is quite small,' explains Emma. 'We've got quite a big back room, which just screams of being a big kitchen diner.'

Simon adds: 'When George came last time he opened our eyes to being a bit bolder,' while Emma admits: 'It's having that expertise, it elevates everything.'

And after greeting George like an old friend, they show him around their current kitchen.

The couple explain they've been using a makeshift kitchen in the larger room because the current kitchen is too small for their needs.   

The duo reveal to George that their kitchen is almost unusable because of it's small size and dingy decorations. Pictured, before the transformation

The duo reveal to George that their kitchen is almost unusable because of it's small size and dingy decorations. Pictured, before the transformation

The couple explain how they lifted the ceiling in the room to create the illusion of space, and added duck egg blue units to make a smart utility room

The couple explain how they lifted the ceiling in the room to create the illusion of space, and added duck egg blue units to make a smart utility room 

But the make-shift kitchen is squashed into the back of the couple's room, with Simon revealing they're currently splitting their time between the two rooms. 

'We cook in there, we do the washing up in here and the washing machine is in there, and the dryer is over there,' Simon explains. 

George asks how long they've been living like this, with Simon admitting it has been a few months.

'This is the straw that might break the camel's back if we don't fix it soon,' confesses Emma.

The couple reveal they have a budget of £25,000 for their kitchen renovation, which George says is more than the average for the project. However, he still questions whether they can do it with that amount.

'We're not going to do it if it's not going to fit the house, but we can stretch it if we get what we want,' explains Simon.

George adds: 'I love that bit of pressure you've just put back onto me there. I might be able to find more money if your scheme is really worthwhile building.'

The expert suggests the couple build a huge grand kitchen along the back wall, placing their cooker and range on the chimney breast. 

Emma and Simon (pictured) confess they used a makeshift kitchen for months before asking George for help

Emma and Simon (pictured) confess they used a makeshift kitchen for months before asking George for help 

The couple explain to George their 'before' kitchen feels dark, dingy and impractical for a growing family-of-five (pictured, the kitchen before the renovation)

The couple explain to George their 'before' kitchen feels dark, dingy and impractical for a growing family-of-five (pictured, the kitchen before the renovation) 

'If you are going to use an island unit, it wants to be a decent size in the middle of the space there, aligned with the range,' he explains. 

'If the budget can stretch, the bay window is calling out for some seating, while in the dining area, I'd knock out the back wall and add double doors into the back garden.' 

He goes on to explain that the current kitchen could become a spacious utility room. 

'If we can pull this off, you're going to have a dream kitchen, dining and utility space,' says George. 'It's going to be tricky with your budget, but we'll give it our best shot.'

Simon's father and and brother, both of whom are builders, end up doing most of the work, which helps the couple's £25,000 budget stretch a bit further. 

To make way for the new utility room, they rip the original kitchen out, remove the 70s ceiling along with plaster from the walls, revealing lovely Victorian architecture. 

They decide on traditional units, but in a bold move, opt to paint the kitchen walls a salmon pink.  

To keep costs down, they buy unpainted kitchen units, which can be painted onsite, and add parquet flooring to contribute to the grandeur. 

after the transformation, the couple were delighted with their trendy updated kitchen diner, even adding a seat into their bay window

After the transformation, the couple reveal they are delighted with their trendy updated kitchen diner, even adding a seat in their bay window (pictured)

Emma and Simon say they are delighted with their 'dream' kitchen, calling it 'perfection', before admitting they went over budget by £13,000

Emma and Simon say they are delighted with their 'dream' kitchen, calling it 'perfection', before admitting they went over budget by £13,000 

Revealing their ambitious kitchen refurbishment to George, the architect can barely believe his eyes.

'Oh my word,' he exclaims. It's not going to waste anymore!'

Now, the couple have a stunning kitchen-diner, undeniably modern but totally in keeping with their modern home.

'The scale of everything in here is absolutely massive,' explains George. 'But the space can take it. It really can. It's not a kitchen island, it's a continent.'

Meanwhile Simon adds: 'It's great when you open the front door, you can see right through the house. It just draws you in.'

And asking if they 'ever imagined' they could have such a space, the couple admit: 'We never expected it. It's everything we wanted and more.' 

Emma points to the wood burner, hand-painted units and huge dining table, as examples of their 'perfect' kitchen.  

George calls their enormous kitchen island 'more like a continent' as he is shown around their modern family kitchen

George calls their enormous kitchen island 'more like a continent' as he is shown around their modern family kitchen 

The parents-of-three are keen to add a window seat to their enormous kitchen, and opt to keep the space bright by having white surfaces and salmon pink units

The parents-of-three are keen to add a window seat to their enormous kitchen, and opt to keep the space bright by having white surfaces and salmon pink units 

Meanwhile, in the utility room, the couple reveal their soft duck egg blue units and a patterned tile floor. 

And George is blown away by what they have achieved, saying: 'It just gets better and better, that's amazing that.' 

They also tell how they lifted the ceiling in the utility room, with Simon explaining: 'It just feels so much bigger.' 

But when George asks the couple about their budget, their faces fall. They call £25,000 'wishful thinking', and admit they spent significantly more. 

However, they defend their decision, saying: 'It's our house for the next 25 years so we thought if we are going to do it, let's do it right.

'We went a bit more, about £33,000 in total.'

George calls their transformation 'amazing', while Emma says her new salmon pink kitchen is 'perfection'

George calls their transformation 'amazing', while Emma says her new salmon pink kitchen is 'perfection'  

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