A 1990s “Modern, Featureless Build” Got a Colorful Makeover
You’ve likely seen the home network shows where a house-hunting couple lists all of their likes and dislikes, only to get into the process and wind up with something completely different. Content creator Orima Kamalu and her husband, Joel, fit in that category — and it’s a blessing because what they ended up with is so magical.
“When we first started hunting for a new home, we thought we were looking for a large, nicely renovated period property,” Orima explains. “However, when I saw this property come on the market, I was instantly drawn to it despite it not ticking any of these boxes: It is a quite modern, featureless build on a main road!”
The blank walls and endless possibilities are what eventually sold Orima on this 1990s, four-bedroom home in a neighborhood north of central Bristol, England. As a project enthusiast, Orima admits that quite quickly, the “DIY cogs started turning.”
Two years later, Orima and Joel have reimagined the once-basic house into a colorful oasis for her two young children, and dog, Nero, to enjoy.
“I would describe our new home aesthetic as ‘midi-malistic’ — bold colors, prints, and patterns in calm, deep earthy tones, with newly introduced traditional features, such as molding and paneling, and plenty of brass and gold accents,” Orima says. “Our style draws on features from many eras of architecture and different schools of design, reflecting our eclectic tastes but hopefully drawn together in a cohesive and unique way.”
