‘I THREW OUT THE RULE BOOK!’

he RULE BOOK!’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Use copper piping for quirky lighting’

GATHER ROUND

‘More than ever, this is a sociable space, so it’s only right that the dining table is at the heart of it’

Natasha Landers followed her instinct, turning a 1970s throwback into a vibrant and practical kitchen

The house I moved into 20 years ago is a far cry from the one that I now feel proud of,’ says Natasha. ‘It was the type of property a builder would buy to do up, as it needed new electrics, windows, plumbing – in fact, everything.

It had been the long-time home of an elderly couple and they hadn’t renovated it since the 1970s. Everything was brown including the carpets, walls and paintwork. As was the trend at that time, they’d covered the internal doors with hardboard panels – painted brown, of course. When I began to remove them, I revealed the original Victorian doors.

Going for broke

Despite all the work I knew would be involved, I could see the potential and had belief – unlike my parents who thought I was a bit mad for taking a project like this on, with very little money to spend. And money, or the lack of it, was the reason I only recently got around to creating my dream kitchen. Since moving in, as budget allowed, I’d worked my way through the rest of the house replacing sash windows and reinstalling original features including Victorian fireplaces. I didn’t drastically alter the kitchen but was constantly thinking about how I wanted this space to look and knew I had to extend it and not just decorate. Amazingly, there was virtually no kitchen storage when we moved in – the only unit was an upright 1950s kitchenette cabinet. So many things about the old kitchen just didn’t work, which told me it had to be a complete overhaul. In 2016 I was finally able to remortgage to raise the money.

Planning it out

After getting an architect in to draw up plans based on my own design, and choosing a builder, work on the extension began, while my daughter Maya and I

IDEA TO STEA L ‘Turn a utility room door into a feature’

FEATURE SEAN O’CONNELL PHOTOGRAPHS VERONICA RODRIGUEZ

went to stay with my parents. But it soon became clear that I had to keep a tight rein on quality control. For example, with the floating base units, the builder only intended to use heavy-duty adhesive to fix them. The possible consequences didn’t bear thinking about, so I had to insist that he bolt them to the wall. Whereas these base units were pre-made and bought for a song as ex-display models from the Ideal Home exhibition, the plywood wall cupboards were handmade to my own design.

Inspired design

With this kitchen, I did a lot of things in an unorthodox way. For example, one day while the plumber was here, I asked him if he could construct a ceiling light system using a network of copper pipes inspired by the London Tube map. He duly obliged and it’s now one of the features I’m proudest of and is certainly a talking point with visitors.

Choosing f looring

The aspect I’m most pleased with is the floor; I was about to choose polished concrete when I discovered rubber surfacing. It meant I had to have the floor re-screeded to make it absolutely smooth – otherwise it would show even the slightest bump. Once down, the yellow lifted the kitchen to another level and gives it its wow factor. Other splashes of colour have proved quite effective, too. My new dining chairs were a bit plain, so I customised them with stripes to add a fun element. I love my kitchen; it’s so multifunctional – it’s been a meeting room, a photographic studio and a party venue. Oh, and it’s where we eat, too!’

Where to buy Natasha’s style

Base units, £4,451, Pronorm. Similar wall-mounted plywood units and laminated worktops, £800, Uncommon Projects. HJA5100 dual-fuel range cooker, £1,100, Leisure. Havsen sink, £155, Ikea. Vola KV1 single-lever mixer tap, £1,328, Majorelle Interiors. Furnace Copper splashback tiles, £76.51sq m, Fired Earth. Springfield Yellow rubber flooring, £58sq m, The Colour Flooring Company. Custom-made copper-pipe lighting system, £300, Gastom. Walls in Clunch modern emulsion, £49.95 for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball. Yellow Tom Vac chair, £285, Vitra. Bravur clock, £45, Ikea