Deaf family mum creates prize-winning open plan kitchen in north Derbyshire home

Joanna Holmes-Brangaghan impressed the panel of judges in Wayfair’s first Roomover of the Year Awards so much that a category was added for her kitchen makeover. The mum of two, who lives in Hollingwood, won a personalised trophy and £250 of Wayfair vouchers for her entry which was highly commended by the judges.

A huge number of design enthusiasts from across the UK entered the inaugural awards.

Joanna, 40, said: “When I received the news I was shocked as I have seen room makeovers in magazines so I thought it was impossible - but then it sunk in and I was so excited!”

She has slowly been renovating her home around her work commitments as a make-up artist and adult deaf and visually impaired service worker.

The old kitchen was small without sufficient space to make it accessible for Joanna’s deaf family and friends. She said: “As a deaf person with a deaf family, I am visual and like to be able to see my environment and communicate with my family and see what my daughters are doing. It gives me a warm feeling when I’m cooking, rather than staring at a wall!

"To achieve this I swapped the kitchen and the living room around. I have always dreamed of having a Rangemaster and now I have finally achieved this. I had a fireplace that took up space and came into the room with a recess on either side. We had that taken away so that the Rangemaster could be located there and give us more space.”

Joanna, who is keeping mum about how much the transformation cost, said: “I know that renovating a room can be very expensive but follow your dreams and your gut and don't give up. Some items can be expensive but research secondhand or sales. I got my Rangemaster secondhand from Facebook Marketplace. Comparing prices and looking at value is important and consider whether it is possible to upcycle or create something yourself like I did with the centrepiece feature light over the kitchen table.

“If there is something that you don't like then you might be able to make changes; I am allergic to silver and so found the silver parts on the Rangemaster could be changed for gold and the vent below the built-in fridge was silver but I sprayed it black."

Joanna said: “I love that the overall look that is warm and cosy. At night with the fairy lights on it feels like I am in a forest with fireflies around me. It is such a lovely environment to relax with a glass of wine. It makes me happy.”

The prize from Wayfair has come at the perfect time for Joanna who is planning to renovate the utility room.

Dee Fontenot, who is Wayfair’s resident style advisor and was on the judging panel, said: “We've been super impressed with the level of creativity and passion that's so clearly demonstrated and it's really highlighted that people are putting in lots of time, energy and care into creating a home they love, that's unique to them.”