My hubby transformed our shed into a ‘dream' nail salon – bargains from Homebase & IKEA made it look so glam on a budget

The Irish Sun

26-07-2025

A WOMAN has revealed that her husband transformed a shell of a shed into a glamorous nail salon.
Now, Nicola Vacher-Smith, who is the founder of Sanctuary Twelve, a
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A nail technician has revealed a before and after look of her garden studio
Credit: TikTok/@nicolavachersmith
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What was once a shell of a shed is now a fully functioning beauty space - and we think it looks fabulous
Credit: TikTok/@nicolavachersmith
Not only does she have a gorgeous space to welcome clients into, but according to the nail technician and beauty therapist, it is a very 'relaxing' and 'calm' environment.
Nicola, who is from Newcastle, took to social media to share a step-by-step process of her shed renovation, leaving many open-mouthed.
Alongside the post, Nicola confirmed that her husband, who she described as her 'best friend,' 'biggest supporter' and even 'content model', did all of the work himself, as she beamed: 'Husband appreciation post.'
What was once an empty
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And not only do people think it looks 'beautiful' but others have said it is their 'dream' to have something similar in their
In the short clip, we saw Nicola's husband take on the hefty
Following this he then plastered and
But that wasn't all - to make the shed super trendy, he then added
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Thrilled with her new at-home salon, Nicola beamed: 'From the shell of a shed to a fully functioning salon, I'm obsessed!!'
Reflecting on the shed's new look, she also added: 'What a
I was sick of paying rent so moved into a shed at the bottom of my garden
Nicola later confirmed that she got the 9.5ft by 13ft shed from Northern Garden Sheds, a company based in Blaydon-on-Tyne.
While she went local for her natural oak flooring, for the paint colours, her man used Dulux paint in the shade Caramel Sand 5 on the panelling and the Peace shade from Homebase's own range, on the walls.
Do I need planning permission to convert my shed?
CONVERTING an existing shed or outbuilding into a self-contained living space will usually require you apply for planning permission.
However, there is a "loophole" Brits can use to convert outbuildings into a tiny home without permission.
Planning expert
Speaking to The Sun, the Chartered Town Planner of 14 years' experience explained: "An outbuilding can be built using 'permitted development rights', meaning it does not need planning permission.
"As long as you comply with the various restrictions and conditions."
One of these is that the outbuilding can only be used for something 'ancillary' to your main living accommodation - examples include storage, a gym or a pool room.
If the outbuilding is existing, converting it then into primary living accommodation IS allowed.
Martin explained: "This is because internal changes to an existing building are not considered to be development at all under the Town and Country Planning Act.
But like anything, there is one catch.
The new living accommodation must still have some connection with your use of the main house.
For instance, if your gran is living out there, she must still come into the house to eat.
To accessorise the space, she nabbed her sideboard and chair from Daals and got her desk and lamp from IKEA.
She also got a mirror and a stand from B&M, as well as a gorgeous vase from TK Maxx.
Social media users react
Nicola's TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @
Not only this, but it's also amassed 49,000 likes, 192 comments and 6,296 saves.
It looks absolutely gorgeous
TikTok user
Social media users were incredibly impressed by Nicola's
One person said: 'This is stunning.'
Another added: 'This is my dream.'
A third commented: 'This is beautiful.'
Meanwhile, someone else beamed: 'It looks absolutely gorgeous.'
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