Off the wall

He found it in a two-up two-down cottage in his home town of Norton, near Malton, in North Yorkshire.

"I lived in York for a while, but I grew up in Norton and my parents live close by. It is where I wanted to be," says Rick. "I also wanted something I could do up, because I knew that it would be more affordable and this house fitted the bill. It needed a lot of modernisation, but it was in a good spot and, best of all, it had a long garden and a large shed I could use as a studio."

Fortunately, Rick, a graphic designer, had all the ammunition he needed to tackle the work, including good DIY skills, friends in the building trade and a handy dad, who is also a qualified electrician. Together, Rick and his dad, Richard, stripped the house right back to its bones, putting in new plumbing and rewiring. Ceilings were either brought down and replaced or lowered. The wood panelling that covered the kitchen was ripped out, as was a small bar in the space beneath the stairs.

"The stairs were blocked in and you reached them via a sliding door from the kitchen. That meant the staircase was pitch black, so I took the wall and door down and put a new open staircase in. It's made a huge difference. The stairs are a lot lighter and the kitchen feels much bigger," says Rick.

The bar has been replaced with a piano and Rick's guitar, and there are new kitchen units from Howdens.

Upstairs, the bathroom had a major revamp. The old, flimsy stud wall made out of hardboard was taken out and a new wall put in, taking advantage of space over the stairs. The sink is recessed into this space and the new wall has deep cupboards hidden behind it. "We gutted the house and we certainly did more than I thought we would have to, but it was worth it," says Rick.

Throughout the six-month renovation that cost 10,000, he lived in one room with just his ability to visualise to keep his spirits up. But his efforts were rewarded with a cosy, well-insulated, modern house wrapped in a traditional exterior. The interior dcor is contemporary with a neutral backdrop, which makes the perfect canvas for the wall stickers that Rick is famous for. His company Wall Glamour was one of the first in the UK to design and manufacture wall stickers and his products, regarded as the best in Britain, are all made in Malton. He's made innovative use of them everywhere including the enormous rose at bottom of the stairs and in daughter Ellie's bedroom, which has them on the wall and also on the cot that granddad Richard made for her.

"It started after I bought a vinyl cutter on eBay and began making graphics for vehicles. Then a friend asked if I could do some flowers for his office and that sparked the idea for wall stickers. Every room in the house has been a test bed for them," Best sellers include trees, birds and rainbows and he supplies them for everywhere including hospitals, shops, offices and domestic interiors. Although Wall Glamour was one of the first in the market in 2007, it now faces stiff competition and sharp practice. Other companies here and abroad are constantly plagiarising his designs.

"There's a lot of competition but the cheaper end tends to be paper stickers, which peel off walls and we do vinyl, which don't," says Rick. "The copying is very frustrating, though I suppose it's a compliment really. I can put a new design on the website and within two weeks it's on a competitor's site, but taking them to court costs so much, they know they can get away with it."

The only solution is continually innovate and as well as new designs, Rick is expanding in to wall murals like the one he made for his bathroom, and is training decorators to fit them. He also sells stickers or "skins" for his favourite Apple products.

At first his business was based in the shed at the bottom of the garden, but he outgrew it and the Wall Glamour studio and workshop is now in Malton. His family has expanded too, and he and wife Nicky and their 18 month-old daughter Ellie, are soon to be joined by another baby. "It means we have to move to a bigger house, which is shame because I'll miss this place," says Rick.

A complete modernisation usually adds value, but Rick bought the property in 2005 when the property market was booming. "I thought it was cheap at the time but actually I've lost money on it," he says. The house cost 120,000, he spent 10,000 on it and it is now on the market for 126,500.

"It's one of those things and it certainly hasn't put me off renovation," says Rick. "I loved it and I'd definitely do it again."

Wall Glamour www.wallglamour.co.uk; Gadget Glamour

www.gadgetglamour.co.uk

Rick's home on Scarborough Road, Norton, Malton, is for sale with Hunters. www.huntersnet.co.uk

YP MAG 27/11/10