From beautiful guest bedrooms to the utility room of dreams, it’s no wonder that Gemma Bertolotto has attracted thousands of followers online.
Her period family home in Laurencekirk is a glow up like no other, and includes a dusky pink feature wall, a beautiful ceiling mural and a kitchen worthy of an interiors magazine.
It is therefore no surprise that the elegant pad could be involved in a secret project, which we’re not at liberty to reveal just yet.
Thankfully we can spill the beans on how Gemma, a former teacher, created such a gorgeous home in the first place.
And you might be shocked to discover that roughly 90% of the items you spy on Gemma’s grid, from large pieces of furniture to knick-knacks, are sourced secondhand and even free of charge.
“I lived in a high rise council flat, there was no money and I was the first person in my family to go to university,” said Gemma.
“What I’m trying to put out there is that you don’t need a lot of money to make home a special place.
“Some of what I’d call the wow pieces in our house, I actually got on marketplace for say £100.
“People say you’d never know it was secondhand. 90% of the furniture is in fact secondhand.
“I’m very thrifty, I’ve set up alerts and I’ve also worked with Gumtree.
“I’ll have a look online almost every day, you have to get the algorithm working for you in order to find the things you want.
“It means that so much of our home is totally bespoke.”
Home is an 1840s period property, which was originally “rundown” and damp.
Rather than see the problems, Gemma and her husband, Paul, who is a teacher, saw a beautiful challenge.
“We were both teachers until I did a complete 360 career wise,” said Gemma.
“I took time off to have my babies, who are now age six and three.
“With my youngest now in pre-school, I knew I had a decision to make.
“Do I go back to teaching, or pursue something else which I love?”
Thankfully Paul and Gemma aren’t complete strangers to the property world, as Paul is also a landlord.
The pair can include 17 apartments within a beautiful revamped building in Montrose as part of their portfolio.
It was the experience of creating homes for others which spurred Gemma on to leave teaching behind, in favor of interiors.
“The building in Montrose was pretty rundown when we brought it, and I was obviously involved with the project,” said Gemma.
“But I had so many experiences of men telling me that I couldn’t do this or that, not taking my suggestions seriously.
“They wouldn’t believe me when I said there was a better way of doing things.
“I’d have to really try to get something over the line, and then they’d turn around to me and say yes, you were right.
“In the beginning, I never really had the confidence to argue. I’d get Paul to phone up and say how I wanted things.”
Gemma has since found her voice, and her talent has led to a whole new career opportunity.
Keen to point out that she is by no means an influencer, social media has enabled Gemma to do what she loves.
I’ve fallen in to content creation on Instagram,” she said.
“I was designing my daughter’s en-suite bathroom and I put together a mood board.
“Then I sent it to brands and asked them if they wanted to collaborate.
“These are the products I wanted to use, and this is what I’d do them with them.
“I’ve since been sought out by several brands, who have asked me to put together ideas.”
Gemma’s love of interiors and DIY really came into its own during lockdown, when she was looking for ways to keep busy outside of housework and parenting.
“I needed to do something that wasn’t just putting the washing on,” she said.
“I taught myself to panel and tile. I love the planning process and the outcome.
“I’m a little bit different from other designers in that I’m doing mostly family spaces.
“I think I’ve used my training as a teacher in designing the playroom for example, to promote independence.
“The children don’t need adults to help them take toys out or tidy them away, everything is at their height.”
With her feet now firmly under the upcycycled table, Gemma is excited for the future.
“I think I’ve always struggled with not feeling good enough,” she said.
“But I look back at what I paid men to come in and do, yet the bits I’ve done are actually better.
“I’m a lot more confident and braver now. My parents have just brought a huge house in Edinburgh and asked me to do the entire interior for it.
“If family are trusting in me, I think other people will.”
You can follow Gemma’s adventures on Instagram @childhoodinteriorsbygemma
