This is my baby. She is Adams Family meets Alice in Wonderland and I adore her!
When I found her she was abandoned for over 40 years, ransacked and left empty and unloved. She was a dirty, big, but grand monster! This house was a decaying wreck. My friends and builders thought I was totally crazy. In fact, some were actually concerned. I have done some loopy things but when I got the keys and walked in even I thought I had gone too far! It is the first time I have ever doubted my vision.
We got there and all in 4 months! It was organised chaos, a hectic schedule of demolition, building and hunting and gathering from auction houses, antique shops and markets. This would not have been possible without my amazing and dedicated team of helpers.
My vision for this enormous monster was to create a totally cooky and eclectic yet grand, inviting and interesting home. In a heartbeat most would have plastered the walls and finished them off with a lick of white paint. I on the other hand flung my arms open wide and passionately embraced her for all her layers of characterful decaying beauty and crumbling charm. It is rare that anything is given 40 years to get to that stage! I took great pleasure in restoring her to the decadent and inviting beauty she now is.
We played with scale, combining large grunty industrial pieces with fine antiques marrying unexpected pieced together together to create an unusual and interesting combination that works together.
This grand house has now become a hub of creative and social activity. As well as this exciting environment being my home and office, we also host large dinner parties, cocktail events and all kinds of wonderful photo shoots. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else!
