HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
This revamped Sixties house in County Durham is now a welcoming place to spend Christmas
Excitement was tinged with anxiety when Olga Prinku and her husband Andrew Wright received a phone call confirming that their recent bid on a Sixties house had been successful. ‘ We couldn’t quite believe we’d finally settled on somewhere,’ explains Olga. ‘Although we wanted our own home, we were lucky to be living quite comfortably in a relative’s property. With no pressure to move, what started as a temporary solution had turned into a three-year stint.’
The couple had returned from working abroad to the Northeast, to be near Andrew’s family. With their son Matty just a baby, they began searching for a family home. ‘ We didn’t have a particular style in mind, just somewhere with plenty of light and outside space so we could enjoy the rural life,’ Olga explains.
Their hunt ended when they found a Sixties house tucked down a quiet lane. It had only one previous owner, and although the property had been well loved, it was extremely dated. ‘There were patterned wallpapers, an avocado bathroom suite and the main bedroom had a pine sauna cabin,’ says Olga. ‘The secluded location is very special, though, and the space flowed well.’
Fortunately, the couple could remain where they were living, as their new home had to be stripped out for underfloor heating and a new kitchen and bathroom. Plans also included replacing flooring, fitting sliding glass doors to maximise light and connect the living areas to the garden, and complete redecoration. Their builders carried out most of the work, but the couple were determined to do whatever they could to keep costs down.
‘I’m so glad we weren’t living on site, but we were here every day,’ says Olga. ‘ We sourced all the materials down to the last nail, and painted
most of the rooms ourselves. It was stressful, but we learnt a huge amount.’
Designing the new kitchen-diner proved tricky. Initially keen to include an island, Olga struggled with the layout. She eventually picked two runs of wall units with neatly concealed appliances and a central dining table. She loves clean lines and pared-down, Scandi style, so elements such as the matt white kitchen cabinets and ash flooring are typical of her taste. ‘ When the flooring arrived, it was the wrong product,’ Olga recalls. ‘Luckily, it was my second choice, so rather than wait for the replacement, I negotiated a discount, which helped our budget, and kept us on schedule.’
Timeless white painted walls provide the backdrop for greys and blues, plus pops of more vibrant shades. Furniture is functional and understated and, alongside high-street buys, Andrew and Olga have built one-off pieces, such as the kitchen table and bedroom window seat, from surplus timber and other components.
Texture is a feature throughout, with weathered driftwood accessories interspersed with warm woolly fabrics and Olga’s own chunky-knit cushions and blankets. At Christmas, she loves a natural feel and dresses the house with handmade garlands, decorations and wreaths, blending berries and dried fruit with greenery, branches and cones. ‘I don’t usually have a plan,’ she admits. ‘I’m happy going to the fields or the beach to see what I can find and then I’ll make something from it.’
A traditional tree, in festive red and white, is the focal point of the sitting room at Christmas time. Some decorations are treasured gifts or travel mementos, and Olga and Matty, now seven, enjoy making new ones to add to the collection. ‘Having our own home has made all the difference and we’ve no more plans to move,’ says Olga. ‘ We feel we really belong here now.’
DESIGN TIP ‘Use odd spaces such as eaves and alcoves to create extra storage, so you can put things away, leaving the house clutter-free and easy to clean’