A peek inside a charming NQ loft conversion with a cool boho attitude
Body Confidentials' new series delves inside Manchester's most stylish homes. Today, UNILAD's hiring expert Jess shows us around her stunning Northern Quarter flat. Jess' love for interiors saw her quickly stack up over 1000 Instagram followers in the short space of a month. Follow her account @loftnq for more home inspiration.
Whats the best thing about living in the Northern Quarter?
"The Northern Quarter is famously known for it's bar scene, so we thought it might be dangerous living in this area as we'd be out every single night. However because we have invested so much money and time into our loft we tend to have people over instead."
"I love all the boutique independent shops here and once a month they turn the area into a huge market - another place to find some gems."
"Our building in particular has a 'community' feel to it - we have a Facebook group where we all borrow things from each other, chat and welcome new people to the building. It's actually really nice."
How would you describe your home style?
"I guess this varies from room to room. We aimed to keep our lounge as cosy and homely as possible due to the entire space being brick. I guess you could say our style is an 'acquired taste' with nothing really matching, for example we have a pink rabbit lamp and a monkey holding up a shelf."
"Our bedroom is very boho with peacock chairs and boho cushions. Our bedroom boasts a lot of natural light therefore wanted the room to feel bright and airy too."
"We're lucky enough to have a second lounge/snug, this is my boyfriends 'gaming' area - it's still a work in progress however my aim is to keep this as neutral as possible, mainly black and whites to keep it 'boyish'."
Favourite places to shop for interiors in Manchester?
"I am a Facebook Market Place and Gumtree nerd. I could spend hours a day just browsing for things I don't even need. Aside from second hand gems, I love Oklahoma in the Northern Quarter. My boyfriend and I have an obsession with plants too so our go-to is Flourish."
Favourite room?
"It has to be the lounge. When you're sat on our sofa and look up, you can see all the different levels throughout the loft and it honestly is something else. Aside from the view, we've made this space super homely with different quirky pieces from banana lamps to tiger cushions. My boyfriend is really fond of our handmade marble coffee table, he prefers one of a kind pieces that make our space unique."
Favourite item?
"The minute we found a place, the first thing I needed to go buy was a peacock chair. Trying to find a peacock chair brand new under £100 was impossible, so of course Gumtree came to my rescue. I dragged my boyfriend all the way to Liverpool so I could own a huge amazing Peacock chair for just £40. I'd originally budgeted around £100 for one, so had £60 spare - and what would anyone do with the extra cash? Buy another one of course. I found a smaller one again on Gumtree for £10, so again, still had money to play with so bought three Peacock planters. I am ridiculous."
Shoes off or on?
"On, unless you step on the cream La Redoute rug - then it's straight off!"
Eat in front of the television or sit at the table?
"It depends on what we eat. If it's takeaway Fridays, obviously a binge in front of the TV is justified. Monday to Thursday we tend to sit at the dining table and catch up on our day with each other. We often have people round at least once a week so obviously this would be hosted around our dinner table."
Be honest – are you tidy or messy?
"I think I'm tidy. I couldn't leave the house and go to work without a made bed and arranged sofa. Who could?"
Whats your best interior/DIY secret?
"Upcycling! We found a John & Sylvia Stag C Range Dressing Table for £10 and decided to give it some TLC and paint it grey - the wonders some spray paint from Wilkos can do is amazing. Our window mirror was also our first upcycling project."
Any advice on decorating your home to fit your own personal style?
"Don't listen to people when they think you've gone mad when you want to buy a frog lamp. Be as creative as you want to be if you know in your head it will work - I rarely listen to people when they say 'why on earth would you spend money on that'."
Biggest splurge?
"Our biggest spend was the handmade dining table but it was totally worth it."
Biggest steal?
"When I went to collect the cheaper Peacock chair I was pleasantly surprised at where I was picking it up from. I was invited into a huge warehouse in the middle of nowhere from a lady who buys and sells antiques, furniture etc. The warehouse was a jungle of all sorts, from office equipment to car boot sale pieces. After rummaging around on my own in this pile of things I found a 1950s drinks trolley and thought there is no way I can afford this but I'll brave it and ask the lady. I was stood there with this peacock chair and three German Vases (£10 for all three...) and she said 'I'll chuck that in for a fiver' - I was gobsmacked. I wheeled that baby out like you wouldn't believe before she changed her mind. That has to be my biggest steal - £5!"
Future dream purchase?
"With having so much white wall looking bare, we need to start thinking about 'gallery walls' but it obviously comes at a cost - I don't think I'll be so lucky finding art work second hand! I actually won an Instagram prize the other day and won any print, any size, any frame so at least that's a start."
