'At 60 years old, this was my biggest challenge'

A new start drove Victoria Butler to gut a dated bungalow and expand her DIY skills to create a home that felt exactly right for her

- Jane Crittenden

COME ON IN...

I AM Victoria Butler @mybrightonhome, 60, an administrator at a sixth-form college.

MY HOME IS a three-bedroom 1930s semi-detached bungalow in Brighton, East Sussex. I moved here in February 2022.

MY BEST BARGAIN I came across a large urn in South Downs Nurseries for only £50, which was the ideal size and colour for next to my fireplace.

MY SHOPPING TIP I google exactly what I’m looking for and find dupe deals that look just as good.

MY BIGGEST MISTAKE Hiring a floor sander to strip the floorboards. There was a layer of black stuff that just wouldn’t shift and in the end I had to pay a professional with a powerful industrial machine.

MY DECORATING ADVICE Greenery adds softness and layered colour to my neutral scheme. Create height and depth with a mix of large floorstanding faux trees and tabletop plants from the high street.

Victoria Butler has been a great believer in making a house feel like home in every property she’s lived in. So, when she downsized to a chalet bungalow, she took on the project with gusto. ‘I’ve always got stuff done, whether it’s putting together an IKEA flatpack or hanging pictures,’ she says. ‘I’ve been sewing since I was 13 and, more recently, I’ve been asking for power tools for presents. This time I was looking for a project – although the bungalow was my most ambitious challenge yet.’ Victoria stayed in Brighton but went looking for a property close to where her eldest, Harriet, lived with her son-in-law, Luke, and grandson, aged two. Her younger daughter, Millie, still lives at home with her.