Time in the kitchen punctuates India Cardona’s day. From making breakfast with her young son in the morning, to prepping for a dinner party and clearing up before bed, India welcomes us into her 24/7 Suffolk family kitchen.
In the summer of 2024, India Cardona, lifestyle creator and writer of weekly Substack ‘Edited’, and husband James became the newest residents of a Georgian terrace in South London, buying the 200-year-old property at auction. Drawn to its period character and leafy, peaceful setting, the couple saw its potential as a family home, despite the need for some love and attention. They lived with the original layout for a year before embarking on a 10-month renovation. ‘The largest transformation being the charming, but small, dark kitchen – enlarged and opened up to bring in more light,’ explains India.
Working with kitchen designer Claire at Neptune Swindon alongside their architect, the new kitchen soon felt warmer and more welcoming. With a long row of skylights above and double French doors out to the garden, the kitchen became an invitation to gather and entertain. 'The goal was for the kitchen to work for our family life and for hosting loved ones,’ says India. ‘I've had friends walk in and say they feel like they're on holiday, which is a delightful thing to feel when you're in central London'. India’s visualisation came to fruition when she hosted her sons first birthday party with over 40 people in the summer, with doors opening to the garden for a kitchen that blurred boundaries.
India chose the Suffolk kitchen, drawn to its simplicity, beautiful oak interiors and graduated drawers. 'I saw a picture of someone's kitchen with these gorgeous, simple drawers and knew they had to be part of our kitchen design,' adds India. Opting to forgo skirting or cornicing to keep the kitchen more contemporary, India's dream was to have a classic range cooker where she could create meals to share with her family and friends.
Alongside drawer storage, the decision was made to leave wall space free and instead opt for a glass-fronted countertop cupboard and built-in larder. 'We have a long run of cabinetry and the open shelves were a priority for me to display pretty crockery that I've collected over the years, while also providing a practical storage solution.'
When it came to the details, India drew on her creative friend’s advice and her own travel inspiration. Colour consultant Harriet Slaughter was enlisted and visited Neptune Wimbledon, returning with Lead Light as a palette base for the Suffolk kitchen. 'Because I had chosen these beautiful terracotta diamond floor tiles that I was inspired by after staying in a hotel in the South of France, I needed a colour that would anchor the space and Lead Light has turned out to be the most beautiful choice. I love how it changes from a mushroom-taupe shade to khaki and I don’t see myself every getting bored of it. I say it's somehow both a statement colour and a neutral,' India laughs.
Pulling together natural materials, with brushed nickel hardware, terracotta tiles and Carrara marble worksurfaces, it’s a kitchen that feels lived in. 'I really gravitated towards the softness of the natural materials, the matt satin finish of the worksurfaces and hardware, materials that really stand the test of time and get more beautiful with every mark and moment lived in the kitchen. I figured if Carrara marble can be used on the streets of Italy for thousands of years, it can survive my kitchen.'
Similarly to India's choice of materials, great consideration was taken for dressing the kitchen. From artwork found on The Beaux Store, pieces seen on Instagram and a particular Sardines painting picked up on Bruton High Street in Somerset by artist Colette Woods, to the decorative crockery displayed on shelves and discovered on travels to Greece, Morrocco and Puglia, India's collection is a lesson in the power of eclectic and mismatched pieces coming together. More than simply a kitchen, this is a family space that works around the clock and is brought to life through India’s unique touches making it feel lived-in, personal and full of character.
India Cardona's top kitchen renovation tips
Understand the sequencing of events
From knowing the lead time on cabinets, appliances and installation, to what needs to go in first and allowing time for the space to be closed off for walls to settle before installing. All these things you learn as you go along, ask lots of questions!
Interrogate your own taste
Mining your inspiration and working out what the themes are that you keep coming back to, and what is something that you actually love rather than think that you should. I'm a big believer in rebelling a bit from what other people tell you that you need to do. And when you're drawn to something, working out why you are drawn to it and getting very specific.
Add your own personality
There's so much that changes from your choice of knobs and handles. I feel even the placement and handle heights makes such an impact. Just working out where you can add your own spin on things, through colour, hardware, decoration; it changes everything.
Invest in quality
I think the things that you touch and use every day, like the range cooker, are important to invest in because it's so visual, versus the integrated fridge. Also, having the bones of the kitchen being so beautifully crafted, that's the best thing to invest in really, isn't it?
