“Make do and mend” is a good, homely adage, and when Isobel Trenouth set about decorating her family house on the outskirts of Bristol, it was one she took to heart. But Isobel’s interpretation of making do and mending is far grander than most people’s.

“It was a big undertaking,” she says of the seven-bedroom, four-bathroom, three-reception room Victorian house that she and her husband Mike took on five years ago. The Trenouth family – Jonah, 13; Dylan, 11; Finlay, 9; and Sorcha, 7 – needed growing room and the house more than fitted the bill.

“We left London to give the children space and freedom. We came across this villa-style house and, although it was larger than we had intended, the location was ideal – ten minutes from the their school – and there were acres of garden,” says Isobel.

The main structural work was to open up the kitchen into what had been a formal dining room to create a through kitchen, dining and casual sitting room. There is an adjacent study, used for homework, and a large games room. “The house has a wonderful circular flow, with front and rear staircases, so everywhere and everyone is easily accessible,” says Isobel.

The kitchen was also rejigged. The Aga stayed where it was, but the wall-mounted units were replaced with shelving and a dresser. “I like to have utilitarian objects on show, ready to use,” she explains.

“We filled a few skips with old carpets and wallpaper, then took everything back to basics with stripped floors and white painted walls,” she says. “But, when it came to decoration, I was adamant that I wanted to get on with living my life, so, in many cases, we went for a quick fix, such as putting a decorative vinyl panel over the front of the fridge door or sewing some buttons onto a plain lampshade.

“I can’t bear having to make a fuss about mess, so the decor had to be child-friendly and hard-wearing. Luckily, with plenty of garden, the children spend a lot of time outdoors, but even when it rains there is room enough inside for everyone to have his or her own space. I bought a number of coir mats from Ikea to cover the floorboards. They’re practical and cheap and, when they get worn or too dirty to revive, we just replace them. It’s so much easier than worrying about dirty carpets.”

Another distinct feature of the house is the patchwork motif. Wallpaper montages are used to decorate chimney breasts and recesses, and the upholstery in every room is a glorious and riotous collection of stitched fabric pieces. “I was taken with the idea of using patchwork because there are a lot of rooms to fill here and it’s a cheap way to do things up,” Isobel explains. “The hand-me-down aspect also appealed – maybe it’s because I’m the youngest of six and it reminds me of the patterns of the clothes my mother and older sisters wore, and how things were recycled through the family.

“I like the way that, in patchwork, anything goes and there are no limits to the combinations you can use. I worked on piecing together the fabrics with upholsterer Nora Beroual. She transformed my father’s old chair with a patchwork of old Welsh blankets.

“Everything we already owned worked in the house, which was just as well, because I am slightly phobic about new things. The one major investment was the hessian for the curtains. It’s hard-wearing and inexpensive, which was important with all the huge windows we have, and it comes in a lovely natural rustic colour that reminds me of brown paper and the joy of receiving parcels.”

The other splurge was the patterned Neisha Crosland wallpaper that covers the main walls of the entrance hall, stairwell and first-floor landing. The others are painted in a platinum colour that helps to warm up what Isobel describes as “the cold, north-facing aspect of the house”. In the hall, the paper’s dense pattern makes the place seem less vast, as does the huge seashell chandelier, which she carried back from London on the train. It now hangs over a central circular table where keys are thrown and post mounts up.

But this colourful house not only works hard to fulfil the needs and demands of the Trenouth family and their stream of friends, it also has a glamorous other life in the movies. “We rent it out as a location for photographic shoots and films,” says Isobel. “I like to share it and I enjoy having other people around. Letting it out for filming is a good way to earn some money and it’s a job that I can fit in around school and the children’s holidays.”

Isobel is a great believer in recycling and repairing – she reckons it forces you to be inventive. Perhaps that’s a good household motto for the 21st century.

Haberfield Hall, Easton-in-Gordano, Bristol, is available through Shoot Spaces (020-7912 9989; www.shootspaces.com)

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