This Cottage’s Kitchen Was Transformed into a Stained Glass-Inspired Kaleidoscope of Color
When we first toured artist and designer Donna Wilson‘s home in 2019, it was a personal, soothing space dotted in art and creativity shared with her family, which includes her partner, Jon Almond, and their two sons, Eli and Logie. The couple had found the house in Leytonstone, in East London, 13 years ago when Eli was just a baby.
Built in 1860, the house has a lot of history to it. “When we first saw the listing for the property, the images showed a rundown overgrown place, but the words ‘detached cottage’ jumped out,” Donna explains.
“We immediately booked a viewing and knew straight away that we wanted to make an offer. It had such potential, with a big garden, which almost felt like it was part of a community allotment that surrounded it. We were immediately bursting with ideas and excitement.”
Their first pass at decorating was an attempt to warm up and personalize the “flip” that developers had done before they moved in, which Donna described as “basic, gray/beige, and a bit run-of-the-mill.” They mixed Donna’s own artwork and Jon’s custom furniture pieces with found treasures, patterns, and hints of nature. The result? “A creative blend of creamy colors, artwork, and textures.”
But the home really became theirs in 2023, when they hired Ludwig Willis Architects to completely reimagine the kitchen and the rooms above. “We had wanted to rebuild the kitchen to bring the house back to what it would have originally looked like, but that meant getting rid of the high ceilings and building up on top of that,” Donna explains. “We managed to create an ensuite bedroom, a utility room, and a studio and shower room in the loft, with lovely big windows and light that floods in.
“The renovation process was painful as it often is, but I moved out with the two boys and had six months in a tiny fishing village in Scotland!” Donna admits. “Whilst Jon stayed to oversee the build. Jon is a furniture maker, so he did all the woodwork for the stairs and door frames, which really has elevated the build. But the downside of that is that it is still not completely finished! And is more like a labor of love.”
Donna says the highlight of the home is the renovated kitchen, which she describes as “a stained glass window kaleidoscope of colour which always provokes a reaction!”
Along with their two kids, Donna and Jon also share the home and property with cat, Mimi; six chickens; and a new addition, Barley, a lab puppy. After the kitchen’s remodel, the house isn’t just full — it’s colorful and one-of-a-kind.
“[We] tried to make it feel as creative and fun as possible,” Donna explains. “It really does have our own personality stamp on it, and I think that’s the whole point! Who wants to have a house that looks like every other house!”
Resources
PAINT & COLORS
- Kitchen — Lick’s pink 01 egg shell
- Living Room — Lick’s teal 04 matte
- Hallway — Lick’s yellow 08 eggshell
- Spare Bedroom — Farrow and Ball’s London Stone 6
LIVING ROOM
- Freestanding Sofa — SCP
- Metal Wall Shelves — Vitsoe
- Pillows — Donna Wilson
KITCHEN
- Reclaimed Science Desktops — Retrouvius
- Hot Water Tap — Quooker
BEDROOM
- Cashmere Cabinet — Abstract Assembly
- Sculptures on Windowsill — Abstract Assembly
- Chair — Abstract Assembly
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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