I transformed my newbuild into a B&M oasis – trolls say it’s tacky, who cares? It’s gone up £30k in value | The Sun
FAKE grass, a five-person jacuzzi, dozens of glam outdoor lights – no it’s not the Love Island villa – but a four-bed Derby home with all mod cons.
They say home is where the heart is yet Paul Brooks, 32, could be forgiven for claiming B&M is where his heart is.
The supermarket customer assistant has been a fan of B&M for 8 years and has kitted out his home in hundreds of items from the discount store.
“B&M is affordable, accessible and there is one in every town,” says Paul.
“Even in the cost-of-living crisis everyone can go.”
Paul claims he doesn’t have a favourite store but staff do know him at a local Derby one.
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“The staff do save stuff for me,” he admits.
Thanks to his love of B&M Paul’s pad is now so popular on social media that the interior influencer has 110K followers on Insta and 40,700 on TikTok.
Yet trolls are never far away.
Paul’s most viewed post on TikTok clocked up 2.5 million views when he addressed the trolls who said his garden was “tacky” and “looked like a B&M car crash.”
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8“I replied with a video of my garden,” Paul explains. “Showing viewers my happy place.
“Ultimately I don’t care what people say. I’m happy. Yes – Love Island provided major inspo for the themed garden and while I do expect criticism, we’re happy with what we have got.”
Paul has given Fabulous an exclusive tour of his B&M des res.
KERB APPEAL, ENTRANCE AND THE HALLWAY
Paul and his partner achieved their “dream of becoming homeowners” when they bought their 4-bed detached home in 2018.
“There is just the two of us – and our dachshund Rodney,” he says.
“So why do we need four bedrooms? We’ve got ours, a guest one, and one is converted into a study.
“The fourth is a dumping ground that won’t ever be seen on socials.”
The couple have redone their kitchen because Paul wanted a kitchen island and their utility room is now in their garage.
The hallway is another area that's had a second revamp. When the front door opens guests are greeted by posh panelled walls and a fancy cloakroom.
“Glass balustrades were a must in the hallway to let the light in from the upstairs,” Paul says.
“I’ve got the design vision in the relationship and my partner doesn’t always understand my vision.
“In the end when we’ve finished he always says it looks amazing.”
While some trolls moan about the amount of grey Paul has used, the majority of fans like it reckoning Paul has got, “great taste.”
HOT TUB
"Trolls say it's trashy but we love it,” Paul says of his £4,500 hot tub.
“It seats five people and it’s just like the one in the Love Island villa.
“The canopy over the hot tub cost £3,000 – it was an expensive buy and that was because the first time we got in it, it rained for three weeks.
“We needed something to protect us when we had friends over and hopped in for a dip.
“But it couldn’t block the light into our home. Glass bumps up the price – and no that didn’t come from B&M.”
LIVING ROOM
Fans are divided on whether the newly renovated living room is tasteful. Trolls have branded it “tacky” while many followers are quick to defend Paul’s choice in decor.
“We raided B&M for this and we have re-done it twice since moving in,” Paul says.
“The second makeover was finished this year.
“I found a fake log burner, fake chimney breast and fake brick tiles.
“It’s just like a chimney Santa would come down.”
The theme at Casa Brooks after the second reno in the lounge is “country grey” Paul explains: “it’s not ultra modern like most new houses.”
GARDEN
“My main inspo came from Love Island. It was always filmed outside and the set is so bright,” Paul says.
“I wanted the same vibe too. There is no part of the garden that isn’t lit up.
“The show is good at creating zones and I wanted the same for our outside space too.
“Every part of it is used.”
There is a rope walkway, a dining area for six, a chillout area with sofas, cushions – and then the famous hot tub area.
“Yes we’ve got fake grass,” Paul says.
“It’s low maintenance and stays green all year round. We didn’t want to have to store a lawnmower.
“When people go on about having nowhere for birds and insects I do point out that our garden backs onto a two-acre field teeming with wildlife.”
Paul relied on the work of a landscape expert to design the garden but he was the brains behind the accessories.
“I went to B&M. The plants are so cheap there that if I kill them it’s not the end of the world.”
Paul’s most expensive B&M item can be found in the garden in the form of a fountain.
He says: “It cost £150. I knew I wanted one for the garden and I knew where I wanted it to go. We looked at a similar one in a garden centre which cost £300 – so this was a total barg.
“It’s modern, like a silver round sphere with water that pours over it with pebbles around the base.
“It really appealed because it’s perfect for our garden and it looks expensive.
“it’s hard to say what the cheapest thing is that I’ve bought. But I don’t do anything that’s cheesy, crap or useless.
“I never impulse buy. My motto is if I buy something for the home then I’ve got to love it.”
The grey theme continues outside with fencing panels coated in the same colour too.
BEDROOMS
Barbie would totally feel at home at Paul’s place.
The guest bedroom is a pink and grey haven for friends who stay over with a modern chandelier over the bed and almost a dozen pillows and cushions on the comfy double divan.
“Both rooms have been massively accessorised with items from B&M,” Paul admits.
“We got lamps, picture frames, cushions on the bed from the store.
“The beds in both rooms are the centrepiece. They had to have the wow factor – and I reckon they do. They’ve got grey head and end boards.”
Paul has discovered that being an interiors influencer is a full-time job – it’s why he owns three vacuum cleaners and hoovers “every day.”
“I do it at night so when I wake up everything is clean,” he says.
“Some content creators do their videos on a certain day when their home is tidy. My home is always social media ready.
“Followers regularly get in touch to ask where I get certain things from or see a post and ask where they can buy it too.
“They’ll even send me pictures when they have done the same thing as me.”
“Friends ask for advice. If they come over they want to know where I get things from.”
For the haters who reckon Paul’s tastes are OTT – he has news for them.
While he won't discuss exact figures after a £50,000 garden makeover and £30,000 spent on the interiors – the house has gone up in price.
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“Thanks to my love of B&M we’re quids in,” he adds.
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