Remember that Rome wasn't built in a day.. Neither the house you want to make a home... If the house feels right. With your Head and your heart, location. Then if it's the house for you it will work.. Move in and adjust each day... Yes you can put your Mark on the house, yes it will be your HOME... But live with it for at least a short while.. Don't be hasty to paint.. See where the sunshine..shines...See where it makes dull on a dark day...So you Can add a mirror maybe to reflect the daylight.. Don't make the pennies stretch any further than they are.. Remember that sadly the bills have to come first..!!!.... Improvise pieces to fit and...if you have to save for the right item....Then save..!!! it will be more practical in the end , rather than buying for the sake of it and having to buy another a few months down the line... Don't fill every room with furniture.... My biggest mistake... Use a piece like a sideboard and think practically the uses.... Is it big enough.. One more draw or cupboard would have better than two smaller ones...don't be afraid to add old stuff that we all now reuse..paint it ...add your own art work... It's a long journey.. To find the destination of all your dreams... And when you feel you have achieved what you have done...then sit back and enjoy all your hard work. And live in your HOME... Enjoy. Relax.. And above all have fun...

Don't know whether this suggestion will be of any use but have you tried any of the leather restoration companies that operate in the classic car world? We've had repairs done to various old cars in the past, including one where the leather had spilt and another where the lighter colour had worn/faded away.

Agree with comments about waiting - definitely until you are more or less done on the outside of the house and are onto the 'inside' trades. Cannot emphasise enough living with the garden for a year to see where the sun is and isn't, how wet or how dry it is, what kind of soil you have, how windy or sheltered it is. This will inform a lot of your decisions about what to put where. Also think about are you overlooked, do you want some privacy? How big do you need you seating area - table of 6 table of 8? Relaxed seating to enjoy the view (sofas etc). It looks a fantastic plot and agree about landscaping more nearer the house and leaving some of it wilder. For this year, You can do a huge amount with pots and annuals - all the catalogues (J Parkers, Fothergills, Thompson & Morgan etc) are having sales now and there are some real bargains. Or as you are probably pushed for time, just buy them this year from garden centres. They will cheer you up no end when they all come into flower in the summer. If you do nothing else maybe grow some sweet peas on 5 canes in a pot and the colour and scent will lift the spirits (so speaks a veteran of doing up houses and currently just about to start another!). Good luck - design is a process and never does this apply more than to gardens. Keep us posted!

Wouldn't that be nice?! But we all know that getting a fast, cheap AND high quality result with your home renovation is very unlikely. Somewhere there are going to be compromises. But where will you make the compromises and how? When you know what to realistically expect you will find the whole process of renovating a lot less overwhelming, frustrating, and dissatisfying. Setting realistic goals for your renovations and creating a plan that takes your priorities into account is the best way to stay in control and end up happy with the results. You can plan out your project so that you are in control of which compromises you are prepared to make. You have options at each stage of your project and you can choose the option that suits your priorities best. But only if you know how! That's what I can help you with. In the Renovation Roadmap you will... discover the three stages of a renovation project and the choices available to you understand the three essential elements of staying in control of any construction project know how to avoid the five biggest mistakes I see homeowners make when renovating come away with your personalised roadmap in line with your priorities get your questions answered by an award winning chartered architect The Renovation Roadmap is on Friday 3rd February, 12pm – 2pm. To ensure time to answer your questions places are limited. It's only £47, and 100% of profits go to homeless charity Coffee4Craig. Find out more and secure your space now! https://iarchitectlimited.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1145853 Kind words and comments from attendees of the last workshop: