Printmaker Nikki aka The Print Lass has transformed her terraced house near Howarth into a stunning live work home

“The layout was disjointed with the kitchen in the basement room and two reception rooms and lots of doors in awkward places on the ground floor,but it was big with five bedrooms on the upper floors so there was plenty of space for us and the children. We could see that we could make it work for us,” says Nikki, better known to those who love her work as “The Print Lass”.

The plan was to move the kitchen up into the rear reception room while keeping the front-facing one as a sitting room. That left the basement free to be converted into a studio/workshop for Nikki, who creates and sells her own design art prints, cards and screen printed wood accessories.

While the project sounds straightforward, it was a major undertaking, especially as the rest of the house also needed work.

The couple, who are both adept at DIY, tackled a lot of the jobs themselves and their reward is a gorgeous home.

The large kitchen is a clever mix of low cost and higher end. The base units were from Ikea’s budget range but were upgraded with a coat of Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue paint and then treated to new handles from online store More Handles.

The beautifully made, contemporary plywood shelving is from Hebden Bridge based kitchen designer makers Wood and Wire, while the dining table is from Habitat with Eames-style chairs and the walls are full of work by other printmakers, including a favourite retro kitchenalia print by Patrick Edgeley.

The kitchen is cleverly linked to the sitting room with pocket doors that slide into the wall either side of the large opening.

“That was a big job as we had to have an RSJ put in but it was worth it as it means there’s the option of having one large, open plan space or two separate rooms,” says Nikki.

The sitting room is a great example of how she and Nick brought back period features that had been lost from the house over the preceding decades.

The ceiling rose and panelling add character, but the stand-out item is the period fireplace, a bargain £300 from eBay.

It was in a poor state but after ridding it of rust and black leading it, it is the focal point that now houses a cosy, wood-burning stove and is a huge improvement on the old gas fire that was there before.

Art, mostly by other printmakers, including Eloise Renouf and Sarah Harris, brighten the walls while the decorative objects include work by designer makers and carefully selected mid-century pieces, including a fat lava vase.

Nikki’s favourite places to shop for these include Hawksby’s in Haworth and the maker fairs she also sells at.

The hall was also treated to panelling and there’s a table created by Nick from an old Singer sewing machine. Above it is a Stendig calendar, a design classic.

“Nick gets me one every year as my Christmas present and although it’s no surprise I don’t mind because I love it,” says Nikki.

Upstairs, the bedrooms, which boast long-range views over Bronte country, were all redecorated and the main bathroom given a gorgeous new look with a fresh suite, flooring from Fired Earth and walls in Farrow & Ball’s Sulking Room pink.

The rear garden was huge and had outbuildings but while it had been a selling point, nature had well and truly taken over and and making it usable looked daunting and expensive.

Luckily, the couple were able to sell the top part to a developer who was working on a neighbouring property.

“That gave us the money to have some work done on the garden and buy a gazebo,” says Nikki, who painted the white uPVC clad outbuildings in dark green so they now blend in.

The studio turned out to be a labour of love for Nick, who tanked the damp basement room himself after the couple were quoted £12,000 by a contractor. “It took ages but he did a really good job, which meant all we had to do then was get someone in to board it out and plaster it,” says Nikki, who is delighted with her workspace.

It has allowed her to forge ahead and follow the path she had always wanted to take. While she graduated with a decorative art degree, she veered off course into a job working as a training manager for Sky.

Redundancy while she was on maternity leave with her third child gave her the chance to get back to art.

Working from home makes it easier to juggle mum duties with creating the colourful art prints, cards and paper decorations she is renowned for and she has recently branched out into screen printing on wood.

“The work with wood is challenging because the measurements have to be very precise but I love that,” says Nikki, who has built up a loyal following for her online shop, www.theprintlass.co.uk.

She also sells at fairs, including the upcoming Sunny Bank Mills Christmas Art and Makers Market, November 26 and 27; The Hepworth Christmas Market on December 3 and 4 and Eggsmas in Hebden Bridge , on December 10 and 11, where she will be showcasing her new Christmas collections.

“This is what I always wanted to do. The next step for me is to have my work in bricks and mortar shops,” says Nikki who can devote more time to her vocation now that the house is done.

Find Nikki’s work at www.theprintlass.co.uk.