Wealden Times | WT248 | January 2023 | Health & Beauty Supplement inside

A
Modern Vintage Seaside Gem
Natasha and John Lyon
seem to have an instinct for
buying property in upand-coming
areas before
anyone (even they) realize
that they’re up and coming.
They’ve progressed from a
two-bedroom flat in a nowfashionable
part of North
London to a four-bedroom
house in a newly desirable
part of East London to this
impressive six-bedroom family
home in Margate, quickly
becoming the coolest coastal
town on the Kent coast.
For 15 years Natasha
was a handbag designer for
well-known luxury brands
– a job that allowed her to
travel extensively, picking up
interiors inspiration along the
way. She and John bought this
house more than three years
ago and initially tackled the
less-exciting jobs – treating
damp and fixing the roof and
chimneys. They were lucky
that the house already had
a large kitchen extension.
Knowing that much of the
space could be updated
cosmetically, and relying on
Natasha’s talent for styling
her many vintage furnishings
and accessories, the couple
decided the kitchen was
where they would spend
their money. John is a keen
cook, so a well-functioning
kitchen is important to him.
After extensive research on
kitchens from high to low
price points and everything
in between, they chose to
work with a local joiner
who built a bespoke kitchen
to meet John’s culinary
requirements. They sold the
existing kitchen on Facebook
Marketplace and are planning
on reusing the slate floor
tiles for the garden patio.
When the pandemic hit
and work came to a standstill,
the couple decided to
collaborate on a new business
– Appreciation Project, an
online sustainable dried
flower delivery and homeware
brand. Natasha runs the
creative side and John advises
on operations while also
working in technology sales.
Natasha has set up a home
studio in the attic, filled with
dried bouquets and branded
packaging yet also oozing