When Joanna and John Cox bought their 1930s semi-detached home in Penrith just over four years ago they knew they were taking on a major project. There was no heating except for an open coal fire, the bathroom was on the ground floor next to the kitchen and the walls – and ceilings – were covered in layers of wallpaper.

With help from Joanna’s parents, the couple spent two years refurbishing the house, installing central heating and a new kitchen and replastering some of the walls. The house was rewired and the bathroom was moved upstairs.

Joanna loves to research interiors schemes, sharing her ideas via Instagram and helping family and friends with their homes.

Because she had a vision for how their home would look, she says she wasn’t worried about taking on such a big refurbishment.

“I always wanted a project,” she says “I’m very particular about what I like and there’s no point in paying for somebody else’s taste.”

John, 32, and Joanna, 36, mixed less expensive items with more costly finishing touches to great effect, such as lower budget kitchen units paired with a high-end work surface.

They also reinstated some of the original character of the sandstone house by fitting 30s period doors which they found at Brunswick Yard salvage specialists in Penrith.

The completed house has made an ideal family home for the couple and their daughter, Harriet, and also fits Joanna’s preference for a streamlined interior.

“I wouldn’t say I was minimalist by any stretch of the imagination but I don’t like clutter,” she says. “I like nice, decorative objects but not too many of them.”

For the kitchen, John and Joanna chose units from Wickes, a top-quality work surface in Saddleback Slate from Threlkeld Quarry and a deep Belfast sink. They fitted an upstand around the worktop edge instead of tiling to avoid the need to continually renew dirty or greasy grouting.

A vintage sideboard, bought from Edmondson’s Furniture in Kendal, cost about £70. Joanna’s next project is to sand the top and paint the base in dark grey, aiming for a high-quality finish: “I’m not into shabby chic. I wouldn’t go out of my way to distress it.”

The chair was from John Lewis and the sofa and footstool were bought from Marks and Spencer. Joanna found the cushions at online retailer Biggie Best, a large table lamp was from Neptune and glass hurricane lamps were bought at Ikea.

A corner table is an heirloom inherited from John’s family. John made the standard lamp himself by converting an artist’s easel which he had picked up cheaply at Brunswick Yard.

Joanna and John’s bedroom is decorated in Borrowed Light by Farrow and Ball.

John made a headboard which Joanna covered in fabric to complement the other colours.

Cushions, curtains and bedside lamps were from Dunelm, Joanna found the wool throw in a shop in Edinburgh and a large wicker storage chest was from Ikea.

Joanna says she always uses good-quality plain white bedding which she accessorises with cushions and throws, enabling her to change the look of a room regularly without spending too much money.

Since Harriet’s arrival, the couple have found themselves in need of more space. They’re prepared to take on another project, although Joanna says ideally they wouldn’t live in the house while the work was being done.

But she says she hasn’t been put off by the hard work involved: “Definitely not – in fact there’s so much more I want to do.”