'I put a lot of love into houses' - Chesterfield mum transforms her family's Victorian home into a work of art
Home is where the art is for a busy working mum who enjoys painting in her leisure time.
Bex Fennell has stamped her mark on a lovely Victorian house in Chesterfield where she lives with her husband Paul, their son and their two daughters.
Her creative talent is evident from the moment you step over the threshold and your eyes are drawn to a vintage bicycle hanging high on the wall of entrance hall. Bex has meticulously decorated that wall with small dark vertical brush strokes, so perfectly done that you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s wallpaper. Bex said: “I did it in an afternoon – it was nice to zone in for a bit. I hate wallpapering so everything gets painted.”
From decorating rooms to refreshing kitchen cabinets, Bex is never far away from a paintbrush when she’s at home. She has even painted designs on the floor of the utility room and a concrete patio that from a distance look like rugs.
Her artistic talent extends beyond painting walls, floors and storage units. Bex said: “I’ve always been arty. My first job after leaving university was window dressing at John Lewis (Cole Brothers) in Sheffield. At Christmas, my husband bought me a massive easel and I started painting again. I try to stick to a few colours – pinks and greens are my favourite – but I always end up using loads of colours. I’m into neon colours at the moment."
The walls of her gorgeous home make a great gallery for her abstract artwork and her paintings are available for the wider community to view on Instagram.
Bex, 46, is an accredited psychotherapist who set up her own private practice in Loundsley Green nearly three years ago. She previously worked as a counsellor and therapist at a Sheffield school for 20 years. Bex said: “Being a therapist in a school, you’re quite often put in a storeroom that’s not a proper office but you can make an ugly space look pretty, welcoming and nurturing by bringing in fairy lights, cushions, a few posters and crayons. I can make anywhere feel homely.”
Making a lovely home has been a labour of love for the Fennells who bought their house nearly 14 years ago. Bex said: “When we moved in, it wasn’t in a great state and was quite grimy. All the rooms had been rented out and there were nicotine stains. There wasn’t even a sink in the kitchen – the sink was in the utility room.”
Sympathetic renovation has preserved original features dating back to 1881, including fireplaces in the living accommodation and four bedrooms, a decorative arch in the entrance hall and tiles on the floor of the porch.
Bex said: “I put a lot of love into houses. If someone is walking around saying they are going to rip stuff out or get rid of the period fireplace, it puts me off.”
She enjoys scouring secondhand shops, car boot sales and online sites for vintage and pre-loved items. Bex said: “I like buying things and maybe stripping them down. I like the idea of things being passed on, things that have got a bit of wear to them so they feel comfier and cosier in your house. I don't like the idea of things going into landfill.”
That ethos is borne out in an upcycled chest of drawers which has been stripped of paint and varnish to reveal the beauty of natural wood. It stands in the living room where a cream sofa takes pride of place. The sofa was a snip at £700, a fifth of the price that the new model sells for. Bex said: “The cream sofa feels a bit swanky for us – we used to have a bright pink sofa – but we’re making friends with it, it’s really comfy.”
Bex describes the styling of the home as ‘playful and eclectic’. A wall in the kitchen is covered in big blackboards where her family and visitors have written welcoming, warm and positive messages. Words and sayings which are frequently used by the younger members of the household are incorporated into one of her paintings in the dining room.
The artistic mum’s favourite piece of furniture is the dining table which came from Derbyshire and reminds her of happy times with family and friends. Bex said: “There have been so many conversations, and games and creative things that have happened on it.”
She had no hesitation in choosing her most treasured feature of the home, saying: “There is a thing in my son's bedroom where my children have their heights on from when they were tiny – it’s got all their stages of development. I love it. I think if we move house I’m going to have to take that door frame with me.”
*You can view Bex’s paintings online at https://www.instagram.com/bexfennellartist and find out more about her psychotherapy service for adults and children at https://www.instagram.com/bexfennellcounselling/