Kelsey and her boyfriend pay £1,600 in rent for this two-bedroom home in Wimbledon (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Our weekly series What I Rent isn’t just about seeing what people get for how much they pay – it also looks at how people turned rented houses and flats into homes.

This week we’re nosing around the two-bedroom garden flat currently rented by Kelsey, 28.

Kelsey, who shares the flat with her boyfriend, is a graphic designer, illustrator, travel writer, photographer and blogger.

She travels a lot but when she’s in London she works from home, so it’s crucial for what she rents to feel like her own space.


She’s invested a lot of ‘time, sweat and tears (of joy)’ into turning a rented property into an ‘inspiring’ home and mini office, and shares all her interior styling tips for renters on her blog, Kelsey in London.



‘It’s where I can work on my creative careers and also Netflix binge under the same roof,’ Kelsey says.

Bills are around £300 a month (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Hi, Kelsey! Who lives here?

Myself, my boyfriend Justin and sometimes the neighbour’s cat likes to indulge in a frolic in our back garden.

How much do you pay to live here?

Rent is £1,600 a month and bills are another £300 a month on top of that.

What do you get for what you pay?

It’s a two-bedroom house and we’ve completely lucked out by finding a place with a separate dining room AND garden – both a modern-day luxury for renters in London!

I’m using the second smaller bedroom as my home office/ woman cave.

Kelsey works from home, so it was important for her to make the property feel like her own (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Do you like the area?

Wimbledon is such a lovely, safe and quiet area, and believe me when I say I’ve lived in my fair share of dodgy rentals in London.

Our street is surprisingly SO quiet despite being a short walk from the nearest tube station.

There’s a lot of great trendy brunch spots and pubs nearby and all the parks.

What made you choose this house?

I was immediately drawn to the aesthetic aspects of the house – particularly the bay window in the main bedroom.

I was completely smitten on the first inspection. I loved how bright and airy the place was and the lack of magnolia painted walls meant it was a done deal.

The place had only been listed for one day and already had eight offers on it so we offered an extra £100 on top of the monthly rent and got the lease.

Yep, they have a garden (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Do you feel like you have enough space?

All the rooms are considerably large however we seriously lack storage space! We could really do with a loft/attic/basement/under-the-stairs-harry-potter-type-scenario where we can store odd bits like big suitcases, pedestal fans and whatnot.

We do have a secure covered courtyard at the side of the house which has become our dumping ground but it’s not the best solution.

Are there any issues with the flat?

We currently have mice! There, I said it.

We’ve tried ultrasonic plugs as we don’t want to hurt them (I can’t bring myself to use a mousetrap) but the plugs aren’t working.



I’m currently overseas travelling so in the meantime I’ve just accepted to co-exist with the mice but it would be cool if they chipped in with the rent a bit.

Justin has made a feature of his guitars and vinyl records (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

How have you made the flat feel like home?

Injecting every nook and cranny with decorations that reflect my and Justin’s personality and interests.

As a graphic designer, I love being surrounded by lots of art and design prints while Justin has made a feature of his guitars and vinyl records.

We have framed photos of ourselves dotted throughout our home – however, we are looking to have more printed as it’s the personal memories that make a place feel homely rather than looking like an Urban Outfitters catalogue.

You’ve managed to add real style to your place despite it being a rental – did you come up against any challenges?

We are so lucky that this house was super neutral and non-offensive to start with, no navy carpets or purple coloured walls here.

Our landlords are incredibly nice and understanding, we’ve been able to make small changes like replacing light fixtures so long as we change them back at the end of our lease.

Sometimes the simplest (and often cheapest) of changes can drastically change the look of the room.

One of the first things we did when we moved in was that we changed all the curtains in the house to a lovely neutral linen colour, as previously they were an outdated lime green colour. We’ve also swapped out the door jobs on our wardrobes which takes no time and very little moolah.

You’ll spot a lot of warm and cosy earth tones (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

What are your housing plans for the future?


We’re hoping this is the last place we rent before buying our first home.

We’re so happy here and keeping our fingers crossed that we can extend our lease as I’d seriously dread moving again anytime soon, it’s so much faff and I don’t think I’m emotionally or physically ready for that again.

We are actively saving for a house deposit and even though that seems like a distant dream, I can’t help but continue to make Pinterest boards for our first home.

We won’t be able to afford to buy in Wimbledon, that’s for sure, so we will be looking at areas that have a good commute into central London for our careers.

Shall we have a look around?

Welcome in (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Nice rug, right? (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

The living room (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

We love that green sofa (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

A special noughts and crosses board! (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Excellent plants (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

The dining room (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Of course Kelsey and Justin have a fancy drinks trolley (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Look at that dining set (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Gorgeous (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

The kitchen (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Hi, spice rack (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Those cutting boards are pleasing, aren’t they?

One of Justin’s guitars (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

The second bedroom, which Kelsey uses as a home office (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Gotta have that clothing rack (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Anyone else getting plant envy? (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

The main bedroom (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Every self-respecting blogger needs to have a monstera plant (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

A real commitment to brown going on here (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Finally, the bathroom (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Very fancy (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

And another lovely plant (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

What I Rent is a weekly series that’s out every Tuesday at 10am.

Check back next week to have another nose around a rented property.

How to get involved in What I Rent What I Rent is Metro.co.uk’s weekly series that takes you inside the places people are renting, to give us all a better sense of what’s normal and how much we should be paying. If you fancy taking part, please email whatirent@metro.co.uk. You’ll need to have pictures taken of your kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom, plus a few photos of you in your room. Make sure you get permission from your housemates! You’ll also need to be okay with sharing how much you’re paying for rent, as that’s pretty important.

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