TL;DR
Artist and designer Donna Wilson’s 1860s cottage in Leytonstone has a remodeled kitchen she describes as a “stained glass window kaleidoscope of colour.” A 2023 renovation by Ludwig Willis Architects also added an en-suite bedroom, utility room, studio and shower room in the loft.
Artist and designer Donna Wilson’s 1860s cottage in Leytonstone, East London, has a remodeled kitchen that she describes as a “stained glass window kaleidoscope of colour,” according to a recent Apartment Therapy home tour. The renovation, completed in 2023 with Ludwig Willis Architects, also reworked the rooms above the kitchen to create additional living and work spaces.
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The cottage is shared by Wilson, her partner Jon Almond and their two sons. The family also has a cat, a Labrador puppy and six chickens. Wilson and Almond found the property about 13 years before the report; she said it stood out despite being run-down and overgrown, because it was a detached cottage with a large garden.
The couple’s first decorating effort softened a developer’s basic gray-and-beige renovation with Wilson’s artwork, Almond’s custom furniture, found objects, patterns and natural textures. The later project went further: the couple rebuilt the kitchen and added an en-suite bedroom, utility room, studio and shower room in the loft, according to Wilson’s account in the tour.
Wilson said the house’s location in a conservation area shaped the planning process. Changes visible from the road had to remain in keeping with the original building, she said, while planners raised concerns about proposed work at the back. The family secured approval after making a couple of attempts at the application. Almond, a furniture maker, made the woodwork for the stairs and door frames. Wilson said the build was still not completely finished when she spoke to Apartment Therapy.
A Kitchen Shaped by the Renovation
The project shows how a renovation in a historic home can combine new space with a distinctive interior, while planning rules place limits on what owners can change. Wilson said the kitchen rebuild was tied to a wider reworking of the rooms above it, rather than being a standalone cosmetic update. The result gives the family added rooms and a kitchen that, in her words, makes a strong visual impression.
For readers interested in older-home renovations, the account also illustrates the practical trade-offs behind such work: the family faced a lengthy planning process, lived through construction, and had to balance their plans with conservation-area requirements. The tour does not provide a renovation budget or detailed construction specifications, so it offers a personal account rather than a cost or design guide.
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From Run-Down Cottage to Family Home
The house was built in 1860, according to the home tour. Wilson said the listing described a detached cottage, and the property’s large garden helped persuade the couple to make an offer. When they first moved in, they focused on making the developer’s neutral interior feel more personal, using their own art and furniture alongside collected pieces.
Apartment Therapy previously toured the home in 2019, before the 2023 renovation. The newer tour revisits the property after the kitchen and upper rooms were redesigned. It identifies Lick’s pink 01 eggshell as the kitchen paint color and names Retrouvius reclaimed science desktops among the kitchen materials. The home’s other listed finishes include teal in the living room and yellow in the hallway.
Costs and Final Work Not Detailed
The tour does not state the project’s total cost, exact completion date or whether all finishing work has since been completed. Wilson said the house was not completely finished when she described the renovation. The report also does not give detailed dimensions or construction plans, and it does not independently document the planning applications or decisions.
The description of the kitchen as resembling stained glass is Wilson’s characterization of its appearance, not a technical description of stained-glass materials. Apartment Therapy’s tour presents selected photos and details; it does not establish how the design performs over time or whether the family has made further changes since publication.
No Further Project Milestone Reported
Apartment Therapy’s report presents the home after the 2023 renovation, but it does not announce another phase of work or provide a schedule for completing the remaining details Wilson mentioned. The next update, if one is published, would clarify whether the house is now finished and whether the family has made further changes.
For now, the confirmed development is the completed kitchen and loft redesign as described in the home tour. Any future work, additional planning approvals or changes to the property remain unreported.
Key Questions
Where is Donna Wilson’s cottage?
It is in Leytonstone, East London, according to Apartment Therapy’s home tour.
When was the cottage built?
The report dates the house to 1860.
What changed in the 2023 renovation?
The project rebuilt the kitchen and created an en-suite bedroom, utility room, studio and shower room in the loft, according to Wilson.
Who designed the renovation?
Ludwig Willis Architects worked on the redesign. Wilson’s partner, Jon Almond, made the woodwork for the stairs and door frames.
Is the renovation fully finished?
Wilson told Apartment Therapy that it was still not completely finished when she discussed the project. The report does not say whether the remaining work has since been completed.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
