A trip back in time for tea! Businesswoman spends £70,000 transforming her three-bed terrace into a vintage wonderland with its own tea room after raiding charity shops for retro furniture
- Visitors feel like they have stepped back in time inside Trudi Evans’ retro property in Stanley, County Durham
- The 49-year-old spent 18 months trawling through eBay, charity shops and auctions in search of classic items
- It now contains a number of quirky pieces including a vintage pharmacy cabinet, tea room and antique china
- Trudi, who loves vintage clothing, believes she has spent between £60,000 and £70,000 designing the home
A woman has transformed every room of her three bedroom terraced house into a vintage wonderland.
Visitors feel like they have stepped back in time when they enter Trudi Evans’ retro property in Stanley, County Durham.
The 49-year-old has spent 18 months trawling through eBay, charity shops and auctions in search of classic items for her dream house.
It now contains a number of quirky pieces including a vintage pharmacy cabinet, a tea room, antique china and an old fashioned sewing machine.
Trudi, who also dresses in vintage clothing, believes she has spent between £60,000 and £70,000 designing the house.
Visitors feel like they have stepped back in time when they enter Trudi Evans’ retro property in Stanley, County Durham (pictured is her incredible front room, adorned with classic and retro items)
The retro vibe of the home extends into the property’s kitchen, which includes a reproduction of an old-school tea room, with paraphernalia from several decades spread throughout the room
The walls of the home, in this case the kitchen, feature retro advertisements for classic British brands such as Bovril and Tetley’s Tea
Trudi explains the style of her bedroom as ‘simply fairytale’, with floral wallpaper and upholstery complete with flower garlands, bouquets, candlesticks and crockery
Trudi, who lives with her five French Bulldogs, said: ‘When people walk in their jaws literally drop. They do not expect this when they come in.
‘It all started when I saw a pharmacy cabinet and sweet cupboard in an auction together and I loved them – it went from there.
‘Once I did one room I couldn’t stop – it was addictive. The rooms are a piece of art. There is so much attention to detail and everything is movable as well.
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‘The lounge is definitely more 1940s and the bedroom is just a fairytale. I have got a World War Two prescription and a 1940s first aid box in my lounge.
‘In my kitchen I have got a reproduction tea room and I have got a tea trolley in my bedroom. I have also got a vintage dressing room as well.
‘I get the stuff from eBay, flee markets, charity shops, actions and sometimes people give me things.
The breakfast room also has a splendidly retro style, with forget-me-not blue flowers adorning the skirting and ceiling and lace doilies and a cream tea set on display
The 49-year-old has spent 18 months trawling through eBay, charity shops and auctions in search of classic items for her dream house, spending somewhere in the region of £70,000 to complete the look
One of several fabulous items on display in Trudi’s home is this old fashioned sweet shoe display cabinet, complete with sugary tweets and crockery inside
True romantic Trudi has always been fascinated with retro styles from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, leading to a fascinating collection of utensils and kitchen items
‘I have bought some very expensive items and mixed them with some recycled items.
‘I wanted to create a bedroom that I could die in. I wanted to create something so beautiful, that even if you didn’t go out it wouldn’t matter.
‘I do truly think I have created that. Sometimes I go upstairs, sit on my bed and just look around.’
‘I’m up at five in the morning every morning and I start cleaning. I have to with this much in the house – you have to keep on top of it.’
True romantic Trudi has always been fascinated with retro styles from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
The businesswoman, who is originally from London, said: ‘I have loved vintage since I was a little girl.
‘I remember seeing a black and white movie and loving what they were wearing as a kid.
Trudi, who also dresses in vintage clothing (pictured), believes she has spent between £60,000 and £70,000 designing the house.
Trudi is so devoted to keeping her prized possessions, such as these ornate decorations in her bedroom, that she claims to get up everyday at 5am so that she can start cleaning the home to keep it spotless
An interesting collection of bottles acquired by Trudi including pharmaceuticals such as vaseline, a laxative vegetable, zinc ointment, marshmallow ointment and bitters
‘I loved Doris Day, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor. They were so glamorous. I love tea dresses and my hair victory rolls – it’s such a feminine look.
‘When I first moved into the house it felt unloved. As I started decorating it was as if someone had switched the light on in it.
‘I said to my landlord ‘I bet I can make this house beautiful’ and he said he would buy me a bottle of wine if I did.
‘When he saw what I had done he bought me a bottle of champagne – he absolutely loves it.
Trudi has now decided to hire out her home for photo shoots, short films and TV.
She said: ‘So many people have said to me you should hire it out for photo shoots.
‘I was inundated with people wanting to use it. It’s a little bit of escaping normal day life which I think everyone needs.
‘I believe there’s nobody else in the UK who has got a house with every single room vintage. It’s beautiful but it is also functional.’
Trudi lives with her French bulldogs in the stunning home, which includes a showstopping bedroom complete with a gilt mirror and chandelier
The wonders are found in each and every room, with this World War Two prescription and first aid box taking pride of place in the property’s lounge
Dainty crockery on display in the bedroom. Trudi has now decided to hire out her home for photo shoots, short films and TV
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