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12-Year-Old Girl Redecorates Family Home In A Week For Just Around $125, And Here Are The Results
This 12-year-old girl had nothing to do during the lockdown, so her DIY-expert mom asked her to help around the house. But once the little one started, she couldn’t finish.
Susie Levache from Kent, United Kingdom, said her daughter Bea is determined, rebellious, fun and creative, so it’s pretty natural the girl wanted to make use of her extra free time. “During the lockdown, she was complaining of being bored whilst I was trying to catch up on some home renovations and updates,” Levache told Bored Panda. “To ‘teach her a lesson’, I asked her to measure up a wall for me that I was going to panel. I then showed her how to use the workbench and a handsaw and before I knew it, she had completed the paneling in my office alone.”
Soon, the apprentice decided to make her way around the rest of the home, and her mom was happy to supervise her and guide her through.
More info: Instagram
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Image credits: bananashed_home
“She’s very precise whereas one might call my style ‘slap-dash’ so what turned out to be a lesson in parental expertise backfired when she showed how good and how capable she could be”
Image credits: bananashed_home
“When she got her confidence, she then would suggest ideas to me”
Image credits: bananashed_home
“For example, for the kitchen reno, we had to use what we had as the stores were shut so she recommended painting the cupboards mismatched and it looked great”
Image credits: bananashed_home
Levache told her daughter to go ahead and try what she wanted as she had all the time in the world to remedy any mistakes. This stopped any tensions from overwhelming Bea and helped her massively. “She now uses the handsaw, spirit level, electric drill, sander, and tile cutter confidently,” her mom said. “She even had a go at stenciling and her next project is to renovate her brother’s room using some carpentry skills.”
Image credits: bananashed_home
Even Caper, the family dog, enjoyed the way everything turned out
Image credits: bananashed_home
“She was really worried initially but with some guidance and knowing there was no jeopardy, she went ahead”
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Levache herself is an avid recycler, and it really contributed to the redecoration. “I love to reuse and to repurpose and I like this process to be circular, not linear, so I have quite a stash of old handles, old frames, tired old broken furniture in my shed along with paint I have from previous jobs.”
“In terms of our budget, it was actually very little because we already had timber, glue, paints and old handles, etc., so in real terms, we spent about $100-$150 on extra items,” Levache explained. “But everything else, we either raided the attic or painted stuff from other rooms to give it a new lease of life. We had a really productive week and did countless rooms in about 10 days and we are still going.”
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
The mom said they know quite a few people who really want to change their environment but they don’t feel they have the skills or confidence to give it a go. So she and her daughter are over the moon now that they have had messages from moms, wives, and from kids internationally saying they’ve redecorated and are loving changing their spaces, all because of them.
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
“The one thing we keep saying is, ‘If we can do it, anyone can’. And you don’t have to spend lots of money”
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Since then, the family home project has moved on and now looks a little something like this
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
Image credits: bananashed_home
People absolutely loved the transformation
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Bill 5 years ago
I want to chastize the parents. Teach SAFETY and proper use of protective equipment. Wear goggles, on most construction sites wearing eye protection is mandatory at all times. Never work in just socks. Wear tight fitting clothing without huge bells at the end of the sleeve. Wear pants and work gloves. Don't hammer over head if you can help it.
Andrew 5 years ago
Bill the only power tool i saw in these pictures was a battery drill. Very little danger! That hammer is a very light hammer. Again little to no danger involved. Enjoy the pictures and move along
Load More Replies...
troufaki13 5 years ago
It looks really amazing but $ 150 seems way too low. Maybe it's missing a 0??
Chaya Herrebrugh-Wachtmeester 5 years ago
In the article they explained why it's so little. They raised the attic,the sometimes "just" sanded and painted furniture, and they used a lot of their personal storage in DIY items. If you have everything already and are just waiting for the right time for years to update, then yes, when you finally get around to go it, you just need 150£.
Load More Replies...
Kevin Camp 5 years ago
her ideas, her concepts and her skills come from two places at once. The first is having the analytical mind to figure out how things are made and knowing that simplest is often the best way to accomplish a task without screwing your self up. The other is coming at the task without all the cultural and institutional biases that most in the industry are taught and it becomes a prison for their creativity. You can't mix and match finishes on cabinetry, and yet she did and they look great. You can't mix multiple style patterns in one space as it gets too busy, and yet she did and it is busy and still looks eclectic and visually stimulating. Institutional biases and vanilla thought processes are what most decorators fall back on.
White Wolf 5 years ago
This style is not my cup of tea, but I was dumbfounded and jawdropped at this level of awesome. Well done, little girl, I wish you alk the bests and may you one day become big in that area!!!!
Aleksandra 5 years ago
I don't agree with the comment saying most girls wouldn't be interested in such thing. There's literally a boom in DIY renovations where many girls and women unleash their creativity and make some amazing things. Just let them, show your children, both girls and boys, that if they are interested in something it's cool and give them some space to grow. And as Bill said, also teach safety and assist them if they are young
Billy the kid 5 years ago (edited)
This girl is full of imagination and it works. i like the way everything is mismatched. it puts so many colours into the house. There is also a few ideas that i will adopt from it. It would be great to see a lot of kids doing this rather than being on their gadgets.
invisible sheep 5 years ago
omg, this girl is so talented!!! Seriously, it's not easy to come up with ideas to renovate your house and actually make sure they look good together! Try to do it yourself, you'll see!!! She should really consider a career of interior design!
Warda Toor◉_◉ 5 years ago
This is my kind of thing as i am a renovater and decorator. And I have the same age as her!!!
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
PARENTS of children of all ages, LISTEN up! Let your children use tools (and that includes the tools we use in the kitchen), the sawing machine, etc, and be there for them to show them how to use the tools and then let them be creative. You will help them gain knowledge that will be of good use for a whole lifetime and at the same time they will get a real confidence booster.
Celtic Pirate Queen 5 years ago
I admire the Mom for encouraging her daughter. She's going to grow up knowing she is fully capable on her own! I took the "broken" vacuum apart when I was 10, found a small pebble lodged in the fan blades, cleaned & oiled it and it ran for another 5-6 years. Began a lifelong love of tinkering, DIYing & power tools!
Bob Belcher 5 years ago
Article needs to be retitled. She did it for less than $150 because they already had a lot of the materials. I'm sure if you add up the cost of the materials used it was way over $150. Hell, a gallon of good paint is $40 these days.
Jette Wang Wahnon 5 years ago
The mother said she already had the «paint from a previous job« in her shed plus lots of the other materials.Girl did an amazing make-over and,who knows,next year she will do it again....it is like eating Cherries,one is not enough..
Load More Replies...
Autumn Fhoxe 5 years ago
wHat??/ at twelve i was crying bout a stuffed animal, who is this genius
Irina Rachow 5 years ago
She is AMAZING! I see her own TV show right around the corner - watch out, Joanna Gaines!
Lisa Champion 5 years ago
It helps if you have a knack for design and I would say there's some true artistic talentry here. As creative should put it to good use as a creative design team.
pusheen buttercup 5 years ago
If this is what she wants, maybe get her some classes, I think she has a lot of cool ideas :) would love to see who she decides to be. Of course we all go through transitions and we don't all end up taking up the family business but she seems to like it!
Tres D 5 years ago
That's very impressive! I've done all of those projects myself and there is a ZERO percent chance that she did that for $150! Unless all the materials were donated to her..
NMN 5 years ago
They had most of the materials already, it's in the text part
Load More Replies...
kjorn 5 years ago
of course if she already had the material at here house it won't cost a buck. but 150$? i Don't Believe it. not in my place.
Martha Meyer 5 years ago
It was 150 pounds, not dollars. That's currently around 192 dollars.
Load More Replies... 
Journey Alvarado 5 years ago
hey im 10 female too and i like to garden ,train my pets ( cats too) ,write , read, school rules and ride four wheelers is that cool !? and im not lying
Call Me Mars 5 years ago
Its fun to show off what you have made...but its more fun to show off SAFTEY!! Pull up your hair, wear old clothes tht aren't baggy, have an uderstanding of the tools, wear goggles, and much more!! YAY!!
Cold Contagious 5 years ago
Fantastic job and she's so creative and talented. Wish her much success.
Lisa Greene 5 years ago
She's a very talented and creative young woman... If she wants, I think she'd have a great career in design.
Matt Rachow 5 years ago
For those complaining about a lack of safety precautions; Get real. She was using a light duty drill for light duty work.
Matt Rachow 5 years ago
Regarding the comments on safety; Get real. She was using a light duty drill for light duty work. Other than that, gluing and light block sanding.
Steve Cruz 5 years ago
AMAZING! What a wonderful mom to allow her creative child to spread her wings at home! I read about a family that planned to renovate after the lockdown and had family meetings about what to do with each room, and worked together to make them happen. The results were so strong that other than new fixtures (sink, toilet) and appliances, everything is staying the same for now.
G Perrin 5 years ago
Maybe not mention the low cost of the renovations as an example to other people if the majority of the cost of a project like this is negated because you already have tools, paint, building equipment and furniture. Kind of defeats the purpose of selling this article as an example to the majority of people reading this who who want to do work cheaply but have none of those things.
Firework 5 years ago
Most 12-year-old girls are almost fully grown and wear makeup.
Load More Replies...
Dave Chapman 5 years ago
This is a great story and the girl is very talented, hopefully she can make a good career out of this, but I have to call BS at the $125 figure. Unless they just happened to have a lot of leftover flooring materials, that just happened to be enough to do entire rooms, that kitchen flooring alone would be much more than $125.
Marvin HoG 5 years ago
She did so great! Also, looks exactly like my cousin did when she was that age. Like exact. Same nose and everything. My cousin was adopted so I super want to do some investigating here!
Janelle Collard 5 years ago
Too bad she lives in the UK - I'd totally have her do my house. Excellent work, Susie!
BananaGirl 5 years ago
Off the subject, the girl is really pretty and looks good for twelve. I'm twelve and look like a potato 😂
Billy the kid 5 years ago
never compare your looks to others. You are who you are and if people cant accept that then.....
Load More Replies...
Russian Otaku 5 years ago
Poor girl with her family having money trouble and hence missing out on the most important bill payments the internet bill
Bill 5 years ago
Cosmetic. Painting and hanging wallpaper for most part. For3 DIYrs sounds about right
Load More Replies...
Bill 5 years ago
I want to chastize the parents. Teach SAFETY and proper use of protective equipment. Wear goggles, on most construction sites wearing eye protection is mandatory at all times. Never work in just socks. Wear tight fitting clothing without huge bells at the end of the sleeve. Wear pants and work gloves. Don't hammer over head if you can help it.
Andrew 5 years ago
Bill the only power tool i saw in these pictures was a battery drill. Very little danger! That hammer is a very light hammer. Again little to no danger involved. Enjoy the pictures and move along
Load More Replies... troufaki13 5 years ago
It looks really amazing but $ 150 seems way too low. Maybe it's missing a 0??
Chaya Herrebrugh-Wachtmeester 5 years ago
In the article they explained why it's so little. They raised the attic,the sometimes "just" sanded and painted furniture, and they used a lot of their personal storage in DIY items. If you have everything already and are just waiting for the right time for years to update, then yes, when you finally get around to go it, you just need 150£.
Load More Replies... Kevin Camp 5 years ago
her ideas, her concepts and her skills come from two places at once. The first is having the analytical mind to figure out how things are made and knowing that simplest is often the best way to accomplish a task without screwing your self up. The other is coming at the task without all the cultural and institutional biases that most in the industry are taught and it becomes a prison for their creativity. You can't mix and match finishes on cabinetry, and yet she did and they look great. You can't mix multiple style patterns in one space as it gets too busy, and yet she did and it is busy and still looks eclectic and visually stimulating. Institutional biases and vanilla thought processes are what most decorators fall back on.
White Wolf 5 years ago
This style is not my cup of tea, but I was dumbfounded and jawdropped at this level of awesome. Well done, little girl, I wish you alk the bests and may you one day become big in that area!!!!
Aleksandra 5 years ago
I don't agree with the comment saying most girls wouldn't be interested in such thing. There's literally a boom in DIY renovations where many girls and women unleash their creativity and make some amazing things. Just let them, show your children, both girls and boys, that if they are interested in something it's cool and give them some space to grow. And as Bill said, also teach safety and assist them if they are young
Billy the kid 5 years ago (edited)
This girl is full of imagination and it works. i like the way everything is mismatched. it puts so many colours into the house. There is also a few ideas that i will adopt from it. It would be great to see a lot of kids doing this rather than being on their gadgets.
invisible sheep 5 years ago
omg, this girl is so talented!!! Seriously, it's not easy to come up with ideas to renovate your house and actually make sure they look good together! Try to do it yourself, you'll see!!! She should really consider a career of interior design!
Warda Toor◉_◉ 5 years ago
This is my kind of thing as i am a renovater and decorator. And I have the same age as her!!!
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
PARENTS of children of all ages, LISTEN up! Let your children use tools (and that includes the tools we use in the kitchen), the sawing machine, etc, and be there for them to show them how to use the tools and then let them be creative. You will help them gain knowledge that will be of good use for a whole lifetime and at the same time they will get a real confidence booster.
Celtic Pirate Queen 5 years ago
I admire the Mom for encouraging her daughter. She's going to grow up knowing she is fully capable on her own! I took the "broken" vacuum apart when I was 10, found a small pebble lodged in the fan blades, cleaned & oiled it and it ran for another 5-6 years. Began a lifelong love of tinkering, DIYing & power tools!
Bob Belcher 5 years ago
Article needs to be retitled. She did it for less than $150 because they already had a lot of the materials. I'm sure if you add up the cost of the materials used it was way over $150. Hell, a gallon of good paint is $40 these days.
Jette Wang Wahnon 5 years ago
The mother said she already had the «paint from a previous job« in her shed plus lots of the other materials.Girl did an amazing make-over and,who knows,next year she will do it again....it is like eating Cherries,one is not enough..
Load More Replies... Autumn Fhoxe 5 years ago
wHat??/ at twelve i was crying bout a stuffed animal, who is this genius
Irina Rachow 5 years ago
She is AMAZING! I see her own TV show right around the corner - watch out, Joanna Gaines!
Lisa Champion 5 years ago
It helps if you have a knack for design and I would say there's some true artistic talentry here. As creative should put it to good use as a creative design team.
pusheen buttercup 5 years ago
If this is what she wants, maybe get her some classes, I think she has a lot of cool ideas :) would love to see who she decides to be. Of course we all go through transitions and we don't all end up taking up the family business but she seems to like it!
Tres D 5 years ago
That's very impressive! I've done all of those projects myself and there is a ZERO percent chance that she did that for $150! Unless all the materials were donated to her..
NMN 5 years ago
They had most of the materials already, it's in the text part
Load More Replies... kjorn 5 years ago
of course if she already had the material at here house it won't cost a buck. but 150$? i Don't Believe it. not in my place.
Martha Meyer 5 years ago
It was 150 pounds, not dollars. That's currently around 192 dollars.
Load More Replies... Journey Alvarado 5 years ago
hey im 10 female too and i like to garden ,train my pets ( cats too) ,write , read, school rules and ride four wheelers is that cool !? and im not lying
Call Me Mars 5 years ago
Its fun to show off what you have made...but its more fun to show off SAFTEY!! Pull up your hair, wear old clothes tht aren't baggy, have an uderstanding of the tools, wear goggles, and much more!! YAY!!
Cold Contagious 5 years ago
Fantastic job and she's so creative and talented. Wish her much success.
Lisa Greene 5 years ago
She's a very talented and creative young woman... If she wants, I think she'd have a great career in design.
Matt Rachow 5 years ago
For those complaining about a lack of safety precautions; Get real. She was using a light duty drill for light duty work.
Matt Rachow 5 years ago
Regarding the comments on safety; Get real. She was using a light duty drill for light duty work. Other than that, gluing and light block sanding.
Steve Cruz 5 years ago
AMAZING! What a wonderful mom to allow her creative child to spread her wings at home! I read about a family that planned to renovate after the lockdown and had family meetings about what to do with each room, and worked together to make them happen. The results were so strong that other than new fixtures (sink, toilet) and appliances, everything is staying the same for now.
G Perrin 5 years ago
Maybe not mention the low cost of the renovations as an example to other people if the majority of the cost of a project like this is negated because you already have tools, paint, building equipment and furniture. Kind of defeats the purpose of selling this article as an example to the majority of people reading this who who want to do work cheaply but have none of those things.
Firework 5 years ago
Most 12-year-old girls are almost fully grown and wear makeup.
Load More Replies... Dave Chapman 5 years ago
This is a great story and the girl is very talented, hopefully she can make a good career out of this, but I have to call BS at the $125 figure. Unless they just happened to have a lot of leftover flooring materials, that just happened to be enough to do entire rooms, that kitchen flooring alone would be much more than $125.
Marvin HoG 5 years ago
She did so great! Also, looks exactly like my cousin did when she was that age. Like exact. Same nose and everything. My cousin was adopted so I super want to do some investigating here!
Janelle Collard 5 years ago
Too bad she lives in the UK - I'd totally have her do my house. Excellent work, Susie!
BananaGirl 5 years ago
Off the subject, the girl is really pretty and looks good for twelve. I'm twelve and look like a potato 😂
Billy the kid 5 years ago
never compare your looks to others. You are who you are and if people cant accept that then.....
Load More Replies... Russian Otaku 5 years ago
Poor girl with her family having money trouble and hence missing out on the most important bill payments the internet bill
Bill 5 years ago
Cosmetic. Painting and hanging wallpaper for most part. For3 DIYrs sounds about right
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