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Inspiration

A Notting Hill Home at Christmas

Very much like a scene from their favourite movie, Notting Hill, last Christmas was Natasha and Andrew’s first time hosting the whole family in their South West London home. It was a busy day, but it provided a great opportunity to create amazing memories in their newly renovated property. They created a festive theme focused around nature, as they very much prefer natural materials over artificial decorations at Christmas time. Combining natural elements like eucalyptus, acorns, dried orange slices and plenty of homemade mince pies, Natasha and Andrew created a fragrant festive feel for their loved ones.

The couple saw the house as a blank canvas, bursting with oodles of unrealised potential.

When the couple – who have an insatiable appetite for the London food scene – first viewed the property, they had already unknowingly fallen in love with the neighbourhood. With its handsome streets that lead to acres of parkland, a characterful London-esque pub, and a charming florist located nearby, they were smitten. Despite being the perfect property for them at that particular time in their lives, the three-bedroom semi was crying out for a facelift. Determined not to be deterred by this, they decided they would be up for the challenge at some point in the future.

Right from the get go, they knew they had to create an inspiring kitchen space that would facilitate hours of fun with loved ones, becoming the backdrop of many happy and meaningful memories.

The project was essentially a complete ground floor renovation.

This meant the couple were forced to live in the front room and upstairs bedrooms throughout the entire build. This was an adventure in itself, especially during the colder winter months. The plans for the new kitchen living area were drawn up by the architect as part of the new side return extension being added to the property. The architect incorporated two large Britelux roof lights, which are designed to flood the new kitchen area with natural light and brighten up the space, even on the gloomiest of days.

Natasha and Andrew chose to design the kitchen themselves, and decided to combine Shaker cabinetry with aged brass fixtures and fittings for the timeless simple aesthetic they both prefer. Natasha had dreamed of a green kitchen for a while, and spent hours looking for the right colour. To ensure the particular shade of green aligned perfectly with her dream, Natasha even had a sample cabinet door mocked up by DIY Kitchens and sent out to her. Because Natasha and Andrew both have a love of natural materials, they wanted this to be reflected in the kitchen’s overall design scheme. "There’s an honesty and timelessness about using marble worktops, and combining both wood and limestone flooring" said Natasha. 

A decision was made to install underfloor heating beneath limestone tiles. This was both sensible and practical because although Limestone brings texture and warmth visually, it can be uncomfortably cold underfoot, even when used indoors.

The kitchen layout is centred around a large green island.

The island is draped in spectacular Calacatta Viola Marble from Marble & Quartz, with its bold veins that create a dramatic centrepiece for the new space. Strategically positioned at the end of the island to overlook the garden is a Shaws Bowland 600 fluted fireclay sink. The positioning also allows you to really appreciate the long uninterrupted run of Calacatta marble.

"The sink was the perfect size for us and proportionately suited our kitchen island. The fluted detailing was irresistible and complemented the Calacatta viola worktop on the island. We enjoy using it everyday," said Natasha. 

The iconic sink is paired with a distinctive aged-brass Ionian tap by Perrin & Rowe which makes washing the dishes an enjoyable and quite luxurious experience.

No doubt Natasha and Andrew will be looking forward to repeating last year's family festivities, where they went for a slightly less traditional Christmas meal. Natasha served a slow-roasted leg of lamb (a recipe by Angela Hartnett), that was cooked for six hours, accompanied by delicious Heston Blumenthal-style roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings, for the perfect family Christmas-time feast!

 

With thanks to @notting.hiller