Eleanor Noyce
Published November 29, 2025 8:00am
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This week, we’re in Essex visiting 43-year-old Leekim Stewart (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Welcome back to What I Own – Metro’s property series where we speak to homeowners about getting on the ladder.
When 43-year-old Leekim Stewart and her husband started looking for their next property project, they knew that they wanted a converted barn.
They had two things at the top of their wish list: high ceilings, and nothing too cookie-cutter. So, when they landed on their £1,160,000 six-bedroom home in Maldon, Essex, they knew they were onto a winner.
Channelling Leekim’s natural maximalist style and her husband’s more pared-back, minimalist preferences, they’ve certainly added character to their dream home since moving into it in 2023.
Here’s what Leekim had to say about their property journey…
Tell us about yourself!
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I’m Leekim Stewart, and I live in a converted barn in the Essex countryside with my husband and our two young children, who are two and four.
I juggle my days between three things: running my own finance brokerage, creating content for my Instagram account, where I showcase all things DIY and home decor related and finally, running the house and family.
Whereabouts is your property? What do you think of the area?
The property is in Maldon in Essex. It’s in the heart of the countryside and right amongst the bugs and wildlife. It’s definitely slow living here, which is not completely what I’m used to, but it’s a great place to bring up children.
There are a few hidden gems in Maldon, you just have to find them. I love Mrs Salsbury on the high street; it’s a little cafe that does lovely breakfasts or afternoon teas. There’s also a restaurant called Black Pig, and they do the best lobster I’ve ever tasted.
When did you move in?
We moved in March 2023, when I was six months pregnant!
How much does your property cost?
£1,160,000.
How did you to save up for your deposit?
We sold our business, another finance brokerage, which gave us enough to buy our previous Chelmsford home outright, which we did for £540,000. When we came to sell it, we sold it for £600,000. We got a mortgage on top to cover the rest.
What is the monthly cost of living here now, both mortgage and bills?
Our mortgage is roughly £2,700 per month, at 2.32% over 27 years. Bills cost £1,200.
Leekim is a big fan of DIY and home decor (Picture: Daniel Jones)
What was the process of getting a mortgage like for you? Did you find any parts challenging?
It was quite smooth apart from one element; that was that the drive wasn’t registered on the land registry as the previous owner’s, it was showing as owned by the council!
It technically did belong to the owner, but the paperwork was never sorted for this.
UFurnish.com Home Awards
Leekim’s DIY efforts not only completely transformed her bedroom, but they got her nominated for a Best Showstopping Home Feature in the UFurnish.com Home Awards.
Celebrating talent across 20 categories, including interiors, gardens, furniture innovation and home accessories, the awards highlight the best in the home renovations game.
How did you find this property? What made you choose it?
We found it on Rightmove. We were on the hunt for a converted barn, specifically one that had vaulted ceilings and tonnes of character.
What’s your favourite piece of furniture in the house?
I would say my Bobo boucle chair. It’s my favourite piece as it’s so pretty to look at.
The family live right in the heart of the Essex countryside (Picture: Daniel Jones)
What are your biggest property non-negotiables when looking?
We needed to have enough bedrooms and space to not only house my husband and my kids, but also three extra rooms to transform into an office as we both work from home.
We wanted a walk-in wardrobe/laundry dumping ground, and the final non-negotiable was a playroom, as my husband can’t stand toys in the living room.
How have you made the property feel like home? What’s the inspiration for your interior decor style?
We’ve tried to work around the history of the barn by adding modern touches. We go to Soho Farmhouse quite often, so that also inspires our design choices.
We used to live in Shoreditch, and we spent a lot of time in Brick Lane, in trendy cafes, bars and hangout spots. The decor tended to have a sense of a worn and battered feel, but often this would be turned on its head with fabrics, wallpaper and art.
It’s this type of charm we have tried to recreate here, and where we feel the most at home.
Leekim loves being so close to the town centre (Picture: Daniel Jones)
What’s your favourite room and why?
My favourite room is the bedroom, and this is because I refurbished the entire thing myself! I also built the window seat, and it was actually shortlisted as a finalist for the Ufurnish Awards, in their Best Transformation Before & After category.
I made it using Ikea Besta units; I hacked it from a TV unit to a window seat. Our bedroom needed a complete makeover, and something was seriously lacking: character and storage. I colour-drenched it in a deep warm pink and added statement hardware to really customise it.
Do you feel like you have enough space?
Not at first, but we built some storage under the stairs, a window seat in the bedroom and a bookshelf unit in the living room.
Do you have plans to change the property?
We wanted to extend the kitchen out so we could have an open-plan living situation. It’s hard to watch the kids as well as cook, so to have an open-plan kitchen/living room would be ideal.
Are there any problems with the property that you have to deal with?
Yes, the entire house needed to be rewired as the way it was configured was an extreme fire hazard – we also have a thatched roof!
What are your plans for the future, in terms of housing?
We have plans to move abroad one day. We’ve seen the type of housing you can get elsewhere, and it’s mind-blowingly affordable!
Shall we take a look around?
Now isn’t this a beautiful home? (Picture: Daniel Jones)
There’s a special ‘snug’ area next to the living room (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Leekim loves the hidden gems around Maldon (Picture: Daniel Jones)
The family have been living here since March 2023 (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Leekim and her husband sold their business just before Covid (Picture: Daniel Jones)
They used the money to buy their first home (Picture: Daniel Jones)
…and then used the equity to move into their current home (Picture: Daniel Jones)
They managed to sell their former home for £600,000 (Picture: Daniel Jones)
They used to live in London before they moved to Essex (Picture: Daniel Jones)
One can never have too many trinkets in life (Picture: Daniel Jones)
(Picture: Daniel Jones)
They were on the hunt for a converted barn (Picture: Daniel Jones)
…and they certainly came up trumps with this unique find (Picture: Daniel Jones)
This looks like a cosy reading spot (Picture: Daniel Jones)
…yet another lovely looking sofa (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Leekim and her husband wanted to find their forever home (Picture: Daniel Jones)
We’re very envious of this breakfast bar (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Coffee, anyone? (Picture: Daniel Jones)
There’s plenty of natural light in the kitchen (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Weetabix is a morning essential in this household (Picture: Daniel Jones)
We’re very jealous of the AGA (Picture: Daniel Jones)
The vaulted ceilings were another important aspect when looking (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Look at the organisation in here (Picture: Daniel Jones)
They also wanted enough space for a walk-in wardrobe (Picture: Daniel Jones)
The downstairs bathroom has a beautiful finish too (Picture: Daniel Jones)
We love this fancy little sink (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Leekim thinks this might be her favourite house she’s ever lived in (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Meet Kamba, the family pomeranian (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Oh hi again! (Picture: Daniel Jones)
The home is Grade II-listed (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Another non-negotiable was enough room for a playroom (Picture: Daniel Jones)
As they wanted a dedicated space for their children’s toys (Picture: Daniel Jones)
The wallpaper in here is beautiful (Picture: Daniel Jones)
And there’s room for a dedicated reading wall (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Spot the Hello Kitty toy (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Is this the cutest playroom we’ve seen? We think so (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Quack quack (Picture: Daniel Jones)
They’ve added modern touches to a historical home (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Ooh la la (Picture: Daniel Jones)
They also needed space for a home office (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Leekim is inspired by Soho Farmhouse, where they go often visit (Picture: Daniel Jones)
This little giraffe is cute (Picture: Daniel Jones)
They were also inspired by their time living in Shoreditch (Picture: Daniel Jones)
We love the rainbow bedding (Picture: Daniel Jones)
The main bedroom is Leekim’s favourite room (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Not least because it’s home to the window seat she built (Picture: Daniel Jones)
It was nominated for a Ufurnish award (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Another comfy-looking chair (Picture: Daniel Jones)
She felt the bedroom needed a complete makeover (Picture: Daniel Jones)
…and so she made the window seat using IKEA units (Picture: Daniel Jones)
They’ve also added a lot of storage throughout the home (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Leekim describes herself as a ‘maximalist at heart’ (Picture: Daniel Jones)
While her husband is more of a minimalist (Picture: Daniel Jones)
Now isn’t this the perfect summer nook? (Picture: Daniel Jones)
They’re hoping to create an open-plan kitchen set-up in the future (Picture: Daniel Jones)
…and might even move abroad and start all over again (Picture: Daniel Jones)
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This article was first published on August 16, 2025.
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