This article was originally published on Christieβs International Real Estateβs lifestyle blog, Luxury Defined.
All artists need somewhere to make their art, where creative urges can be explored and energies expended β these inspiring spaces reside happily within domestic interiors, proving that it is possible to combine home with work successfully.
Many of us work from home, often in a dedicated study or home office. But what do you do if your work involves paints and canvases, or cameras, tripods, and lighting? When it comes to residential workspaces, artists and creatives have quite specific requirements. Architects working in this sphere find themselves juggling the needs for functional spaces with a highly developed aesthetic. And, of course, they also need to blend these areas seamlessly into a home.
Over the past 20 years, UK-based architect Mike Rundell has designed properties for many world-renowned artists, including Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Sam Taylor-Johnson, and Keith Tyson. He says that, from his experience, an artistβs combined home and studio needs spaces that fulfill many different roles: βMost people like to keep the various parts of their lives separate, so home and work are often very different. Bright studios dominate, while even the most minimal contemporary artist requires warmth in their home environment.β
This echoes the experience of Australian architect Adam Kane. The rural Victoria studio and exhibition space he designed for artist Lawrence Walsh has βa sense of separation from the existing house, but without isolationβa space free of distraction,β Kane explains. βWindow placement within the studio was critical, and the incorporation of a large south-facing window provided an indirect light source, suited to painting.β This light is enhanced with an integrated LED strip light at the ceilingβs ridge, βdesigned to mimic a thin slice of sunlight, while providing a wide spread of functional diffused light.β
At an artistsβ retreat on the Mexican coast, meanwhile, Japanese architect Tadao Ando articulated the need for separation succinctly: with a concrete wall measuring 1,023 feet long by 12 feet high (312 m by 3.6 m). The barrier divides the private and public elements of the Casa Wabi Foundation, established by artist Bosco Sodi and directed by Patricia MartΓn, founding curator of Latin Americaβs ColecciΓ³n Jumex.
And, in Brazil, as in Victoria, natural light may require an artificial boost. In a double-height studio space in SΓ£o Paulo designed by local firm AR Arquitetos, a wall of glazing is supplemented by pendant lamps suspended from the ceiling.
Lofty Ambitions
High ceilings are not just good for letting the natural light flood in. For artists working at scale, height is paramount for access. βMost [professional] artists aspire to create large and important works suitable for exhibiting in leading museums and galleries,β explains Rundell. βThis means that studios have to be large enough to replicate the viewing conditions of those galleries.β And, of course, to get finished works of art out of the studios in one piece.
On the Essex coast in the UK, Lisa Shell transformed a derelict holiday home into a house-cum-studio on stilts for artist Marcus Taylor. The salt marsh it sits on floods every high tide, leading Shell to have a little fun with materials. βThe idea of using cork, due to its buoyancy, started as a joke,β she says. βBut the more we explored its characteristics, the more appropriate it became.β
In an even more remote spot, Olson Kundig architects created Outpost, a live/work studio and sculpture garden in the high desert of Idaho in the United States, shielded from the wild landscape by thick masonry walls. The structure is designed around one open, multifunctional room overlooked by a mezzanine bedroom, both with 360-degree views of the surroundings.
Back in Victoria, Kane played with the local vernacular, referencing the gable roofs and construction methods of barns and sheds built locally by past generations. βWith unnecessary ornamentation stripped from the faΓ§ades, the buildingβs contemporary exterior is clad in a compressed cement sheet cladding and corrugated metal,β he says.
ββMost people like to keep the various parts of their lives separate, so home and work are often very different.β Mike Rundell
When embarking on a project in Beijing, China, German firm Knowspaceβs choice of materials were in part driven by local legislation and labor issues, in the form of unskilled, seasonal construction workers. The compound they designed for two painters in the artistsβ colony of Songzhuang is constructed from brick. βEven though the limitations were constraining, they turned out to be very generative and inspiring for the final design,β says Knowspace architect Erhard An-He Kinzelbach.R
Like the Songzhuang project, a brief in The Hamptons also had to accommodate two artistic minds. Architect Josh Weiselberg of TBD Design Studio in New York used disparate materials as a way of distinguishing the disciplines of his married clients Jeffrey and Lynn Leff. The studio comprises two intersecting volumes: one is a steel frame with a translucent polycarbonate curtain wall, and the other is a wood frame with cedar siding and punched windows. The first volume houses Jeffreyβs collage studio; the second is a ceramic studio run by Lynn.
βThe two uses of the space were somewhat at odds with each other,β admits Weiselberg. βOne involves a relatively sterile environment of paper and glue, while the other was likely to be filled with moisture and dust. The collage studio was conceived as a very still environment with lots of diffused natural light, hence the polycarbonate cladding. The ceramic studio, meanwhile, was conceived as a more open-air environment with lots of operable windows.β
The common thread running through all these projects? They demonstrate the imaginative solutions required to fulfill the requirements of artist clients. According to the architects, theyβre often knowledgeable, keen to be involved, and happy to push boundaries. βArtists are generally visually very well-informed and enjoy the overall creative process,β observes Rundell.
Shellβs experience backs this up. Taylor βbrought skills to the table that are rare in most clients. He is a maker and doer, rather than a talker and worrier.β Likewise, Knowspaceβs painters βwere open-minded in terms of how they could imagine living, helping to create unconventional spaces and spatial connections.β
Shell, meanwhile, thinks that this approach could inform other residences: βHomes always have spaces with the potential to stimulate or accommodate creativity, and this consideration should always be part of residential design.βR
On the market
This six-bedroom residence, complete with art studio, spans 2.3 acres (0.9 ha) and is inspired by Moroccan opulence and minimalist design. A dramatic open-air foyer leads to soothing sight lines and seamless indoorβoutdoor living, while pivoting iron and glass doors link the great room with lush gardens and hidden courtyards.
Private Waterfront Residence in Quebec, Canada
A bright loft art studio is just one highlight of this four-bedroom, three-bath home located in a peaceful cul-de-sac. Views of the Lake of Two Mountains meet top-quality design over 7,500 sq ft (697 sq m) of interiors, which include polished travertine floors. There is also a spectacular gourmet kitchen and main-floor master suite with walk-in closet.
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Your choice of 4 interior paint tones! The structural design includes a side entrance to garage which provides access to the lower level. The exterior facade is stone veneer on the front elevation with complimentary brick on side and rear elevations. Backyard includes a covered deck and fully sodded lot with paved double-wide driveway. Located in a great family neighbourhood, quiet community, walking distance to schools, parks and amenities.β
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This custom built bungalow offers 2295 sq. ft. of finished living space with numerous upgrades including finished recreation room, two additional bedrooms & fireplace, additional rough-in bathroom and second laundry room on the lower level. Hardwood floors on main and lower level, hardwood staircase, gas fireplace in living room and in recreation room. Cathedral ceiling in living room with amazing open concept design in kitchen and living room area that expands the living space, for optimal living. The primary suite boasts a spacious bedroom, walk in closet and 4 piece bathroom featuring two sinks and walk in tiled shower.β
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Step inside this beautiful detached home at 277 Orr Street in Stratford! This brand new home is in its final stages of construction, and to bring the interior to life, the talented design team at Form & Function Design Studio has worked their magic to create absolutely stunning visualizations!β
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The weekend is on itβs way! What do you have planned?
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Where the charm of the countryside meets the serenity of blue hues π
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Who doesnβt love a beautiful counter arrangement? πΈ
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Southern charm inspiration β¨
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Beautiful flowers are in season! πΈπ·π»
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