Stepping inside interior designer Natasha Landers’ Victorian terrace in Walthamstow, you are instantly struck by her creative flair and confident use of colour. But when Natasha first walked through the door in 2000, it was a very different story. ‘The house was totally stuck in the 1970s,’ Natasha recalls. ‘There was carpet in the kitchen, brown gloss everywhere, and a yellow plastic bathroom suite! But I love a challenge and could instantly see its character hiding beneath all that dated decor.’
As a new mum, Natasha was searching for a home with space to grow and the potential to make it her own. ‘I’d been living nearby in a two-bedroom terrace, but this gave me a chance to put my stamp on something bigger,’ she says. ‘And I loved the area – there’s so much green space within walking distance, with Epping Forest, the marshes and wetlands nearby. The house had lost most of its period features, such as the coving and fireplaces, but that didn’t put me off. I knew I would be able to bring the charm back in my own unique way.’
After Natasha moved in, the renovation took shape slowly, unfolding over the years as her time and budget allowed. ‘I rolled my sleeves up and got stuck in, but there was no grand reveal, the house has evolved with me.’
Bit by bit, Natasha has rewired, added central heating, replaced the roof and installed new sash windows. Later came a kitchen extension, an updated bathroom, and even a cloakroom tucked beneath the stairs: ‘It’s one of those small under-rated changes that makes such a big difference to how you use your home.’
Each transformed room perfectly captures Natasha’s fearless approach to colour. ‘In the living room, I wanted to experiment with colour blocking, but not in a uniform way,' she explains. The walls and ceiling are wrapped in a palette of Little Greene’s Olive Colour, Light Bronze Green and Mister David, a bold sunshine yellow that floods the space with warmth. 'The colours act like art,' Natasha adds.
By reinstating ornate coving and ceiling roses, she has balanced traditional period detail with a contemporary feel. 'It’s that mix of old and new that I love. One of my favourite features is the shutters, which were handmade from reclaimed scaffolding boards. I kept the branding and hardware visible as a nod to their past life – they’re a bit rough around the edges, but that’s exactly why I love them!'
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Once dark, narrow and cold, the kitchen is now a bright and sociable space. 'When I moved in it had brown patterned carpet, an Artex ceiling and even a leaking gas fire,' remembers Natasha. 'Extending the space transformed it completely, but it’s the finishing touches that make it sing – the vibrant yellow rubber floor that creates a sense of permanent sunshine, and the underfloor heating that adds a touch of luxury and comfort.'
Suspended overhead, a copper-pipe lighting installation inspired by the London Underground map provides a playful focal point. 'I drew a really rough sketch and asked my underfloor heating engineer if he thought he could make it. He’d never done anything like it before, but he gave it a go, and now it’s one of my favourite things in the house. I’ve even started weaving vine plants around it, which adds a lovely softness to the structure.'
The same bold approach to colour and character is evident throughout the rest of the house. In the hallway, a playful scheme features a burgundy carpet teamed with a bright green on the woodwork and a radiator that pops against the white walls. The flooring, reclaimed from a gym in Poland, is robust and full of personality. 'I love that it’s a little unexpected – people don’t realise what it is until I tell them, and then they’re fascinated.'
Upstairs, Natasha's bedroom is calm yet confident, colour-drenched in Little Greene’s Castell Pink with chocolate-brown window frames and wool curtains that pool luxuriously on the floor. The bathroom, once tiny and impractical, now centres around a £50 roll-top bath that Natasha discovered under a railway arch and kept in her living room for two years before it could be installed. ‘It’s proof that patience really does pay off,’ she laughs.
After twenty-five years, Natasha’s home has become a true reflection of who she is and a testament to her commitment. 'I did most of the work myself, learning as I went, and I’m proud of that. Nothing about this house is perfect or predictable, but that’s exactly what makes it so special. My home is my canvas, colourful, creative and full of life – it’s everything I imagined all those years ago, and a perfect reflection of me.’
