After living with white walls, Beth Freeston and Liam Corbett found a wallpaper which sparked a whole host of maximalist finishing touches
OUR KITCHEN FELT UNFINISHED UNTIL
Our three-bed semi in Hartlepool was a Sixties relic when we bought it – luckily, we could live with our parents for 18 months while Liam gutted the place. At one point you could see the roof from the kitchen! I’m lucky that Liam’s a cabinet maker and has picked up skills, so he’s done everything except the electrics.
The kitchen and dining room were separate, so Liam knocked the walls down and replaced the French doors with bi-folds. The walls in each room were different thicknesses, which meant a lot of stripping back and patching in. Another challenge was preparing the 1950s reclaimed parquet blocks. Over two weeks, Liam and a few family members cleaned every block. It was such a monotonous task but seeing them laid and brought back to life was worth the hours of labour!
To plan the kitchen, we sketched a layout around the sink and range cooker that we both wanted. It made sense to have a peninsular as there wasn’t space for an island. I had my heart set on a marble worktop with a heavy vein, but instead we went for a Dekton worktop as it’s less prone to stains and scratches.
It felt unfinished for a long time as we left the walls white at first. Liam’s learned to trust me more with the design as the renovation has gone on, and he keeps me grounded with what’s practical! Now we have a space that we’re truly happy in and brings us joy. It’s somewhere that reflects our personalities and is a comforting space that fits perfectly with our family life.
