![\"Kirstie](\"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/kirstieallsopbymirror.co_.uk_.jpg\")
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If you\u2019re bored of your furniture and tired of seeing the same wooden wardrobes<\/strong><\/a> every day, home d\u00e9cor guru Kirstie Allsopp has some fresh ideas.<\/p>\n Kirstie Allsopp \u2013 home finder, homemaker, designer and all-round loveable \u2018girl next door\u2019 \u2013 is one of the UK\u2019s most prolific advisers on all things home-related.<\/p>\n For years we assumed the 42-year-old Hampstead-born presenter was only an expert at judging property from the outside, but the recent revelation that she is equally au fait with crafts, home d\u00e9cor and furniture adds just another layer of charm.<\/p>\n \u2018I think if property itself interests you then you\u2019ve got to, even to the smallest extent, have some kind of passion about what is placed on the inside too,\u2019 she laughs. \u2018Although I\u2019m frequently aghast at some of the beautiful properties we see on Location, Location, Location that look horrendous once you get through the front door.\u2019<\/p>\n Her sibling-like relationship with Phil Spencer on the hit Channel 4 property series is one of the enduring partnerships in modern factual entertainment. The pair spark off one another, laughing and bickering like a married couple when one dares to disagree with the other over the appeal of a suburban two-up two-down with a leaky roof.<\/p>\n A big fan of handmade crafts and DIY d\u00e9cor<\/a><\/strong>, Kirstie\u2019s shows have included Homemade Home and Handmade Britain. For those people who are looking to freshen up their homes without breaking the bank and spending out on new furniture, one of her particular nuggets is \u2018up-cycling\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018The concept of up-cycling has been around for yonks, but it has been given a fancy name, rebranded, and made to look cool recently. It\u2019s all a reaction to people having to tighten the purse strings, and while the circumstances behind that aren\u2019t anything to be pleased about, it\u2019s great to see people revamping, repainting and re-energising old furniture. For many people it\u2019s just a way of living with something that you\u2019ve gone off until such a time that you go out and buy something new.\u2019<\/p>\n Kirstie, who has just released her latest book, Kirstie\u2019s Christmas Crafts, admits she treads a fine line between up-cycling and buying new.<\/p>\n \u2018I think there is so much value out there that sometimes you can get a new chest of drawers or wardrobe for the equivalent price of an extensive repolish. But there\u2019s nothing to stop you buying new things and still giving them your own personal touch, and a lot of that comes from ideas and inspiration, and the internet has been just fantastic for that.\u2019<\/p>\n It all begs the question though \u2013 for someone who has her own production company, embarks on numerous TV projects, writes best-selling books, tends to a high street homeware range and has a family to raise, where does she find the time?<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s difficult, but if you have a passion you will find the time. I\u2019m no different to anyone else \u2013 we all have commitments and we all have a support network we rely on to get the job done. If there\u2019s a bit more time to explore our creative ambitions then we simply must do that, because it\u2019s really good for the soul.\u2019<\/p>\n And even Phil wouldn\u2019t disagree with that.<\/p>\n This post supported by isme.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"