LIFESTYLE: Smart Deco  | Daily Mail Online

Gatsby glamour… with a twist. Photographer Natalie Orton reveals how she transformed a traditional 1930s house 

The standout exterior with aqua windows. The steps are Lily Pad tiles from capietra.com

Sumptuous jewel colours, clashing geometric patterns and curved shapes bring the iconic look of the 1920s and 30s into the 21st century, at the home of Natalie Orton. Despite its fresh modern twist, it is still the type of home you could imagine Jay Gatsby walking through, champagne in hand.

Natalie, a photographer and property manager, bought her Poole home 14 years ago while working in London, and immediately set to work opening up some of the smaller rooms. ‘In traditional 1930s properties the rooms are a bit on the poky side, and that’s something we had to tackle carefully,’ says Natalie.

This sideboard had already been upcycled using Cole & Son’s Prism wallpaper. ‘I had seen it but felt it would be too much for my walls. When I found it on an upcycled vintage G Plan sideboard I was over the moon,’ says Natalie. She then asked Zoe from @mucknbrass to paint the rest aqua in keeping with the colour scheme. For a similar rug see trouva.com

This sideboard had already been upcycled using Cole & Son’s Prism wallpaper. ‘I had seen it but felt it would be too much for my walls. When I found it on an upcycled vintage G Plan sideboard I was over the moon,’ says Natalie. She then asked Zoe from @mucknbrass to paint the rest aqua in keeping with the colour scheme. For a similar rug see trouva.com

As the house is listed, she and her husband Mark were restricted to what they could change structurally. ‘We were allowed to extend on the ground floor and roof terrace – as long as it was in keeping with the original style of the house, but that worked perfectly for me,’ she says.

Natalie designed the kitchen to be a neutral backdrop to the rest of the house, and allow the splashes of gold to stand out. ‘I wanted to keep adding gold touches but my husband talked me down, which was the right decision in the end’

Natalie designed the kitchen to be a neutral backdrop to the rest of the house, and allow the splashes of gold to stand out. ‘I wanted to keep adding gold touches but my husband talked me down, which was the right decision in the end’

So the couple quickly found themselves in the midst of a year-long renovation that aimed to maintain and respect the look as well as the feel of the 30s. ‘I love the curved lines, bold geometric shapes and, above all, the uniqueness that can be found in every art deco structure. It gives me such an uplifting feeling of freedom,’ says Natalie. Her own colourful style can be seen in every detail. ‘I didn’t want my home to look like a catalogue,’ says Natalie. ‘It has been a labour of love. I wanted that to be reflected in the design.’

The furniture is a mixture of high-street gems and online and second-hand buys collected over years. ‘I love a good trawl through Ebay and embarking on upcycling projects. Recently, I bought some beautiful wooden chairs from La Redoute and personalised them by painting one in neon yellow for my son’s room and one in neon pink for my daughter’s.’

Bold colours aside, Natalie’s home isn’t short on striking features, including the architectural details of the statement spiral staircase, which was designed by Natalie. ‘I wanted to reflect the curves of the art deco era but with a fresh feel to it.’

There is also bespoke statement artwork on the walls: the Marilyn Monroe print was commissioned by Natalie and Mark and painted by a local artist in turquoise and pink – colours seen throughout the house, from its exterior through to the new Crittall-style aqua-coloured aluminium windows.

The children’s treehouse bunk beds were made for the couple by a local carpenter. The star wallpaper is by hibouhome.com. For a similar rug, try yonderliving.com

‘I’m very fortunate to be able to run my property business from home and I always make sure that I have time to get creative with my photography,’ says Natalie. That said, she isn’t the only one taking pictures.

‘We often look out of our windows to see people photographing our home,’ she smiles.

Shop Natalie’s retro luxe 

  • For further information on Natalie see @myartdecohomebythesea on Instagram. For more on how to hire Natalie’s property as a location house, go to creativelocation.co.uk/orto

Just add water  

Fun inflatables… the quirkiest way to drift through summer

Styling: Nicole Gray

Mermaid tail, £50, and lobster, £46.50, both sunnylife.com. Whale, £8, johnlewis.com. Crab rubber ring, £18, and turtle, £13, both amazon.co.uk. Waves painted in (from top) Lost Lake, Atlantic Blue, Sea Blue and Blue Lagoon, £29.16 per 2.5 litres matt emulsion, all sponsored by dulux.co.uk

Mermaid tail, £50, and lobster, £46.50, both sunnylife.com. Whale, £8, johnlewis.com. Crab rubber ring, £18, and turtle, £13, both amazon.co.uk. Waves painted in (from top) Lost Lake, Atlantic Blue, Sea Blue and Blue Lagoon, £29.16 per 2.5 litres matt emulsion, all sponsored by dulux.co.uk

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