It takes a pretty seasoned creative eye – and a strong stomach – to look at a dodgy DIY kitchen extension with a plastic roof and envision something warm, characterful and rustic in its place. Interior designer Charlotte Simpson, founder of Lotte Studio, has both in spades.
It took five years from the day she purchased her terrace house in south London to renovate completely – rising damp and a manhole in the middle of the floor derailed any hope of a quick fix – but her patience has paid off.
Charlotte's kitchen today is a vision of olive green with terracotta floor tiles, reclaimed countertops from an old science lab, and a cache of vintage trinkets that hints at her knack for sourcing antiques (she sells a selection of her finds through her website).
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Below, Charlotte takes us through the renovation process and shares a peek into the creative process behind her design.
Tell us a little bit about the original space and why you chose to renovate
CS: When we purchased the house, it needed a full renovation. It was rundown and damp and had rotten and broken windows. There was a DIY kitchen extension with a manhole that had been tiled over and a corrugated plastic roof added to the side return.
What was the inspiration?
CS: The inspiration for the kitchen was a mixture of two things: an antique potting shed for the extension, and for the kitchen area itself, I took inspiration from old photos of a Victorian butcher. It felt very in keeping for the house, which was built in 1900.
Take us through the renovation process
CS: We renovated fully over a five-year period, removing the pebbledash, rewiring, re-plastering, adding a new staircase – pretty much everything. We started with the areas we were living in whilst we saved for the kitchen extension and patio, which was the very last part.
In hindsight, we probably didn't do things the right way around. We had to go back and redo a lot of the living areas that were damaged during the kitchen and patio build, but we couldn't have lived in the house in its original condition, so it worked for us at the time.
The kitchen, before and after
Did you update the layout?
CS: We extended and created a peninsular island in front of the dining area so we could chat to dinner guests whilst cooking, which turned it into a really functional entertaining space.
Did you face any challenges in the process?
CS: We were coming out of the tail end of covid during the build, so there was a wait on supplies, which impacted the timeline. Then there was the added surprise of rising damp on one of the main walls that we had to treat. But aside from those issues, it went really well.
We had some bad experiences during the rest of the renovation, so we made sure we had a brilliant team on hand for the extension.
Get the look: the olive green vintage kitchen
Can you tell us about a few of the standout features?
CS: The biggest standout is the Ukrainian apothecary cabinets that make up a large part of the kitchen storage. I had originally wanted a fully reclaimed kitchen, as I wasn't keen on having standard shaker units, but that wasn’t going to work within the budget, especially as this isn’t our forever home.
I then decided to source freestanding cabinets. We didn’t mind spending a large chunk of budget on those because we can take them with us when we leave. I mixed them with some great cupboards from British Standard (now Plain English). They're a different take on the typical shaker style, and I had them painted in Citrine by Little Greene.
I also added a handblown stained glass window where the original window had been – the different colours shine through at different times of the day. And I love the reclaimed Iroko shelf and worktops that have compass etchings on them from their former life as tables in a school science lab.
Is there anything you would change if you were to tackle it again?
CS: There is nothing I would change about the process or what we chose to do. I wanted a space that felt like it had always been there, blended seamlessly with the rest of the house, and it just gets better as it ages.
The view of the garden, before and after
What was the biggest splurge and best bargain?
CS: The Handmade Terracotta floor tiles were great value, and it's even better that I didn’t have to compromise on them – they were exactly what I wanted for the space.
The reclaimed materials, sink and taps didn’t actually work out cheaper than buying new, but I wanted my choices to be as sustainable as they could be. I usually spend the most money on impact items that we can take with us, such as light fittings, and in this case, the cabinets.
What are the main paint colours and tiles used?
CS: I love Little Greene paints, so the walls, ceiling and woodwork are all painted in their Slaked Lime, one of my favourite white shades. The wood in the extension is Invisible Green and the cabinets are painted in Citrine. The wall tiles are White & Forest Green Zellige by Mosaic Factory.
SOURCEBOOK:
Apothecary cabinets, splendidantiques.co.uk
Wall lights and chandelier, Vinterior.co
Brass spot lights, roseuniacke.com
Brass rail and hardware, devolkitchens.co.uk
Worktops and shelving, retrouvius.com
Ceramic ceiling lights, originalbtc.com
Kitchen units, plainenglishdesign.co.uk
Floor tiles, handmadeterracotta.co.uk
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Rachel Edwards
Style & Interiors Editor
Rachel Edwards is the Style & Interiors Editor for Country Living and House Beautiful, covering all things design and decoration, with a special interest in small space inspiration, vintage and antique shopping, and anything colour related. Her work has been extensively translated by Elle Japan and Elle Decor Spain. Rachel has spent over a decade in the furniture and homeware industry as a writer, FF&E designer, and for many years as Marketing Manager at cult design retailer, Skandium. She has a BA in French and Italian from Royal Holloway and an MA in Jounalism from Kingston University. Follow Rachel on Instagram @rachelaed