Roseann set up her account, @homeatnumber67_ in 2018 as she was preparing to marry her wife Jessie. Her early posts documented her experiences as a bride‐to‐be and the couple’s honeymoon in Florida.
Once married, attentions turned to renovating their three‐bedroom Havebury house in Bury St Edmunds. The home improvement work started with smaller jobs like replastering the third bedroom and changing the skirting boards and architraves, before the couple moved on to their biggest project – installing a brand‐new kitchen.
Roseann said: “We plan to buy the house in the future so we decided to have our own kitchen put in. Luckily Jessie’s dad is a builder and her brother is an electrician so we didn’t have to pay for labour. Jessie also did a lot of it herself; when she was a little girl she loved helping her dad in the garden. She’s amazing!”
Instagram Inspo
Roseann also recorded lots of Instagram Stories, including a time-lapse of Jessie tiling the walls and work‐in‐progress tours. And, of course, there was a reveal of the finished kitchen once all the work was complete.
Since then, further upgrades to their home have included putting new flooring in the living room, retiling the bathroom, giving the master bedroom a makeover, and transforming the third bedroom into a dressing room. The garden has also got a new lease of life, with
a log cabin installed to offer an extra sanctuary for the pair – sweetly named ‘Lays’ Lodge’.
Roseann’s Instagram followers have been with her every step of the way, giving her their opinions on finishing touches like door handles and light pendants, and sharing her delight in the end results. And, as the work has progressed, Roseann’s follower count has risen and risen.
“I don’t actually know how it happened!” said the 27‐year‐old. “I wouldn’t say there was a special formula that works for increasing your followers but it definitely helps when other accounts share yours. When I hit 10,000 followers, lots of other accounts shared mine and I
got an extra 1,000 followers in a day.
An increased follower count has given Roseann the chance to collaborate with a number of companies, keen for her to share their products on her page. As a result, she has been gifted many items for her home, including a vacuum cleaner, an extractor fan and wallpaper for her lounge and bedroom.
Roseann said: “I would never have expected my Instagram account to lead to collaborations. I’ve got a really good rapport with the Luxury Bed Company; I’m now in the process of designing my own bed with them which will eventually be on the market to everyone.”
Despite her success on Instagram, Roseann says she wouldn’t want to become a full‐time influencer. “I work as a support worker for people with learning disabilities,” she said. “It’s the best job in the world and I could never give it up.”
Making a house a home
Roseann explained that she and Jessie have transformed their home on a tight budget.
“We’re both support workers, so we’re not on big wages,” she said. “Luckily Jessie can do a lot herself and we have family members who can help. We’ve only had to pay for a plumber so far when it comes to labour. “We shop around for bargains, or find second‐hand things on Facebook Marketplace or eBay and then upcycle them. For example, I got a dining table for free on Facebook and then spent £20 on paint to do it up. As well as costing less, it makes it unique to your home. “If we can’t afford something, we just don’t get it. Like, I’d love blinds in my living room but they’re too expensive so we’ll just do without them for now.”
She says: “What we’ve made is beautiful but it’s far from complete. Luckily, I’m quite patient and know that Rome wasn’t built in a day. We’ll get there!”
This article will feature in the Spring 2021 edition of Havebury News. Want to get Havebury News in your inbox? Click here to sign up to The Place.
