Every detail matters a great deal in this renovation. Even the utility space, tucked away in the back, hasn’t escaped a bit of over thinking. There was a practical but pretty ugly black particle board worktop sandwiched between some overbearing, heavy duty prescription cupboards that had never been used . The whole utility area seemed to jut against William Morris’s quote “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”…

The search for an appropriate new worktop led to an incredible company making an incredible, original, recycled glass surface. Fixated by the alchemy of the process to make these extra special worktops and having learnt the process originated in Sheffield, this became the one to source.

But sadly, after initial interest in supplying a worktop, they stated they were too busy to even give a quote. “We wish you well in your project”. So, it was a reluctant return to the drawing board and the hunt was back on. Google. Etsy. E Bay. FB marketplace. Formica, chip board, engineered wood… the choice of materials for worktops is apparently endless. But none would ever be as amazing or as appropriate… That is, until by chance, or by magic, you happen to stumble upon an old graffiti ridden, reclaimed science worktop, salvaged from a local school on EBay.  A worktop that bizarrely happens to be the exact size for the space and made from stunning, incredibly hard wearing, practical Iroko wood and complete with science sink. Chemistry and Alchemy at work here literally. Holes where the gas taps would have been. And its located in Sheffield. Only small problem is it says it’s in 45 people’s baskets.

Worse still, when you press Buy, it leads you to a frustrating message that says there is a problem with postage that you didn’t want anyway so it wont let you buy it. What to do? This is the exact worktop the space needs.

The wonders of Google offered an address in the back end of the city centre, an area where you need to keep your wits about you. A long night waiting for the sun to rise. Then set sail for the Golden Fleece. Suffice to say, after the previous lesson in perseverance, ‘Jason’ did get the fleece. In the process, stumbled into a true Aladdin’s cave of reclaimed furniture. But like the myth, this place is off the map and only available to anyone who can successfully navigate the various challenges to gain access. If you succeed, there is true treasure to be found… Pollardesque art school tables, complete with colourful graffiti, vintage chairs, tables and worktops for every trendy alternative cafe, creative business, conference hall out there. Stacked to the warehouse rafters. Somehow loaded the quite long, extremely heavy Golden Fleece into the back of my little car and sped off triumphant. So thrilled with my true alchemy worktop, which i’m sure could tell a story or two if it could speak. Now lightly sanded, sealed and ready for its next chapter in its eventful life.