Scraps in the kitchen

Vintage style and a kitchen made from scrap cars gives Emma Straw’s quirky cottage lots of character. Sharon Dale reports.

A new kitchen was top of the shopping list when Emma Straw bought her quaint little cottage near Ilkley.

She got what she wanted, although “new” is definitely not how you would describe the units she chose. They’re made from a combination of old wood and scrap cars.

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“I wanted something a bit different and I wanted it to be made from reclaimed materials,” says Emma, who worked with Leeds-based joiner Andy Scott.

“I knew Andy’s work and I loved his idea of using wood with history though I was surprised when he suggested adding metal from old car doors. We went to the scrap yard in Otley to choose the colours, which was fun.”

The kitchen carcass is fashioned from old pine doors while the worktop is from a science lab and the kitchen table is a 1960s original, tamed with old swivel stools that once accompanied Singer sewing machines.

It all combines to create a vibrant and wonderful jumble of character that is testament to Emma’s passion for vintage and handmade pieces.

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The Hovis sign was rescued from a skip outside a grocer’s shop 20 years ago and she’s converted an old wooden tray into a spice rack by painting it yellow and turning it on its side.

Hunting for the old and unusual a was a hobby. It became a full-time job when she gave up her career in the mental health service four years ago to open her shop, Cakewalk.

The first floor boutique in Railway Road, Ilkley, has become a magnet for those who, like Emma, enjoy buying something a little bit different. It stocks everything from homeware and fashion to a host of items from local designer makers.

“I enjoyed my job as a mental health worker but then I did an art degree and started selling stuff at vintage fair,” she says. “I’ve always loved second hand clothes and quirky things from junk shops and I started recycling old satin and making bags and the shop evolved from all that.

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“I love finding vintage pieces, but I also enjoy finding exciting new designers. About 90 per cent of the hand made pieces are by local people.

“There is an incredible amount of talent out there and a lot of people who like vintage also like handmade. It’s different and it’s ethical and people who buy it love to know where it has come from and who made it.”

One of her favourite finds for her own home is a handmade rug given to her by her neighbour. “He came round and asked if I wanted it. It was made by his sister and had never been used. It is so beautiful and there’s so much work gone into making and designing it. I was thrilled. I love the stories behind old things.”

The 1970s rug in the sitting room is from her parents’ home as is the wicker chair, which has been recovered. The TV stand is made from reclaimed wood by Stump Furniture based in Burley-in-Wharfedale.

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The kitchen table is from Swiss Cottage Antiques in Leeds – one of her favourites, along with flea markets, car boot sales and auctions.

Although she doesn’t collect anything specific, Emma has accumulated cupboards full of vintage crockery and cake tins from a variety of eras.

“My tastes are eclectic and I buy from all different eras, but the most popular in the shop is the 1960s and people who buy it tend to be in their 30s.”

Fortunately, her partner Steve Moore, a musician and counsellor, shares her preference for the recycled, old and unusual and it suits their Victorian home.

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The couple bought their cottage after renting in Leeds. “We wanted somewhere outside Leeds that had good public transport links and we saw this. It had a wonderful atmosphere and as soon as I walked in it felt good. Even though the decor wasn’t our style we could see it had potential,” says Emma.

It also had three bedrooms, which enabled them to have a music room for Steve and a workroom for Emma, which now houses her sewing machine and vast collection of old fabric.

They added some features including the fireplace in the sitting room but the redecoration uncovered some interesting original ones including the wood panelling in the kitchen which was discovered underneath the plaster.

“I had a feeling it might be there so I knocked a hole in the plaster one day and there it was. It’s one of my favourite bits of the house,” says Emma, who has lived there for 17 years and has no intension of moving.

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“We knew we would stay long-term and so there was no rush to do it up,” says Emma.

“It’s just evolved over the years this is the end result. I know it’s not everyone’s taste but we love it.”

Useful contacts

Cakewalk Vintage, 7a Railway Road, Ilkley, www.cakewalkvintage.co.uk

Andy Scott designer and maker using recycled wood tel: 07816 852310

Stump Furniture, Burley-in-Wharfedale, www.stumpfurniture.co.uk

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