Published 13th Jun 2023, 05:00 BST

The couple, who have two children, also added an oak porch on the front of the house to create more space for coats, shoes and bags. Some of the first floor space was reconfigured and what was a tiny bathroom was relocated to a bedroom and the main bedroom was treated to an ensuite.

Outside, the garden they inherited was overgrown and packed with trees. It was wild and beautiful but not practical for a young family so Gareth took on the task of taming it by adding a large patio with a pergola, along with flower borders delineated with railway sleepers. He also built the cedar clad garden room himself.

“We are both quite handy and I come from a family of DIYers so I was brought up with a ‘can do’ attitude to it,” says Gemma, who set up an Instagram account to chart the transformation.

The bright pink sofas are from Sofology and many of the accessories are from Luxeology.

The response was astounding. The DIY, daring decor, quirky finds, the upcycling plus seemingly endless bright ideas made the account an instant hit.

Such was the interest, she made what was to be a life-changing decision to launch an online homeware store, Luxeology Home, www.luxeology.co.uk

The brand reflects her own home’s style, which is what fans of the site love and there was no slow burn when she opened the online shop to the world. It took off immediately.

“It all happened very quickly. Gareth and I created a logo and a website and we based the business in our home office,” says Gemma.

Black wall units are enlivened by a splashback with gold tiles

Trying to juggle looking after the children with her job in a building society and her online shop became impossible so she gave up the day job and has no regrets.

“The homeware I source for Luxeology has a daring, quirky aesthetic with a glamorous edge and it’s good quality,” which is why we get repeat business and recommendations,” says Gemma.

The pandemic initially made things difficult for the company but the silver lining was that people realised the benefit of investing in decorating, furnishing and accessorising a home to make it look and feel good.

As a result, Luxeology carried on growing, though boxes of stock and packages for delivery were taking over the house so she and Gareth took the decision to rent a warehouse a few miles away where they can keep more stock and where she and her staff can help process and send out deliveries.

The kitchen is raised to distinguish the space from the living room in the open plan arangement

Her ethos is that she doesn’t buy anything she wouldn’t be happy to have in her own house and many of the pictures on the Luxeology website and Instagram are taken in her own home.

“I really enjoy the creative side of things, which includes styling and taking pictures of the products for the website and for social media. I’ve loved learning more about photography,” says Gemma.

Her sitting room is a favourite with her followers and it rarely looks the same as she is forever moving items around and adding new ones. The walls and ceiling are painted in Kigali, an inky blue from The Paint and Paper Library.

“It has made the room feel really cosy and cocooning in the evening and in daylight the blue takes on a lovely jewel colour,” says Gemma.

The dining room has an Art Deco look though the table is mid-century

The bright pink sofas are from Sofology and the armchair and gold palm tree floor lamp are from Luxeology.

The dining room has a completely different look and feel with echoes of the Art Deco era with bamboo effect wallpaper from Luxeology combined with panelling plus paint from Lick, while the table is a vintage buy because she likes to mix old and new.

The kitchen cabinetry is from Wren and Gemma added extra wow factor with a dark copper for the wall units at the rear with a splashback of gold hexagon shaped tiles from e-mosaictile.com, while the four ceiling lights are from Luxeology.

The walls are in a mix of pink and dark blue and this works with the sitting area as this part of the house is open plan.

Upstairs, the main bedroom is tranquil and is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Vert de Terre, a calm green and there’s a wall hanging and ruffle cushions from Luxeology. They are best-sellers in the online shop, as is the faux taxidermy swan and the leopard print pouffe.

The main bathroom is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Railings and an egg-shaped bath is the star of the show along with the gold drip table, which is another of Luxeology’s best sellers.

The ensuite is equally stylish thanks to the fabulous green and pink vintage tiles that have been fixed with pink grout. Flourescent lights either side add to the fabulous effect.

Leaving all the above is unthinkable. “I can’t see us moving from this house. We love the location, the house, the views and the people here in the village,” says Gemma. “I think this will be our forever home.”

*You can find Luxeology Home at www.luxeology.co.uk

A life changing move from Essex to Yorkshire brought Gemma Medden the perfect home