el Hamblett and her husband James had been happy to rent a home, but after three consecutive landlords sold the houses they were living in, they were left feeling like they had no security. ‘When we realised new-builds only required a five per cent deposit, we moved back in with our respective parents and saved to buy a home of our own,’ explains Mel, who admits that, ‘when we finally bought this place, I wasn’t a confident decorator, so when Max came along and James’s father offered to pay for the nursery to be painted, I jumped at the chance.’ As the couple were initially on a budget, Mel upcycled
