SUSAN SAYS NO WAY TO THROW-AWAY SOCIETY Words: Kate Thompson. Photos: Anya van Nieuwkerk
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hen Susan van Nieuwkerk and her family moved into their central Southsea home, they reckoned they would be there for five years at the most. Twenty-three years later, she still loves the four walls that have witnessed her young family grow up and fly the nest. And it is the walls that have provided the inspiration for Susan to express her natural ability with colour, texture, and creating a distinct look.
have bought a bigger house but it was the outside space that was important to us,” she said. The kitchen has been the one room that has received the most attention, with an extension to the back and side to substantially enlarge the space. “We’ve got a south-east facing garden and the kitchen opens onto it — in the summer my children were out there all the time.
“We never dreamed we would be here this long but the house has evolved with us.
“Having lived here this long, the house has had several incarnations. My friends joke that if you stand still long enough you will be painted.
“We were looking for a house with a decent size garden — for the same price we could
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