Categories / Architecture

Retro home for sale: Augustus John Studio in Hampshire

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Fancy a modernist house with a history? You might want to get saving for the Augustus John Studio in Hampshire.

As the name suggests, this Grade II-listed building was built for the artist Augustus John in 1933, with a design by celebrated architect Christopher Nicholson. Located in Fordingbridge in the New Forest, it consists of three bedrooms and a bathroom on the ground floor and a large, light open plan space on the first floor that incorporates a living room, dining area, kitchen and cloakroom. The first floor was the space used by John as a studio and features in-built window seats on which his models would have posed.

It’s a stunning property that comes with a third of an acre of land and its own private driveway. And if you have £699,000 to spare, it could be yours.

More photos and additional information at the Modern House website

Categories / Architecture

Retro home for sale: Long Wall in Suffolk

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Got £695,000 spare? You could be the proud owner of what’s been described as on one of the finest post-war houses in Britain – Long Wall in Suffolk, a Grade II listed building which was designed and completed by Sir Philip Dowson (of Arup Associates) in 1963.

And it’s still true to that design, having been refurbished referencing the original plans by architect Hugh Pilkington in 1995.  The three-bedroom house takes its name from the long brick wall that runs through it and extends to the back and the front, providing privacy and shelter. It also has a large open plan reception room/kitchen that leads to a brick terrace and two acres of garden and a swimming pool. The low-lying house is also glazed on three sides – giving a real sense of light and space.

Check out the Modern House site for more details, images, the floorplan and the full background. It’s not cheap, but it’s a better investment than that mock Georgian footballer’s place down the road.

See the full details at the Modern House website

Categories / Architecture

Buy an authentic 60s home in Staffordshire

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Not a retro room, but a retro home – in fact, not even retro – this is a stylish 60s home almost unchanged from the day it was built – and you could be the next owner.

The house in Edgefields Lane, Stockton Brook in Stafffordshire is on the market for a whopping £525,000. For your money, you get an architect-designed home from 1960 that was raved about at the time by Ideal Home magazine. And all those original features are still there – including the original kitchen, bathroom and decor. There’s also underfloor heating, glass walls and "outdoor rooms"  – and all it’s all set in two acres of land.

See over the turn for a picture of the kitchen or check the estate agent’s website for even more images.

Find out more at Savill’s website

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Categories / Architecture, Music

Rent the old London flat of Hendrix and Lennon

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There’s an endless number of flats for rent in London – but few have the past of 34 Montagu Square in West London, which was the former home of Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon – and it could be your next home.

The ground/lower ground apartment  has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a reception room. It was bought in 1965 by Ringo Starr, who sold it to Animals’ bass player Chas Chandler, then Hendrix, then John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968. And if you’re after creative inspiration, Paul McCartney wrote Eleanor Rigby there and Hendrix penned The Wind Cries Mary at the flat.

These days, it’s the property of a music label owner, who is offering it as a rental property. But you’ll need £795 per week to set up home there.

Find out more at the Cluttons website

Categories / Architecture, Design and Interiors

Alvar Aalto Exhibition at the Barbican

Aalto Finnish architect/designer Alvar Aalto is one of the leading lights of modernism – a fact that’s being recognised by London’s Barbican Gallery, which is hosting his first UK retrospective, curated by contemporary Japanese architect Shigeru Ban.

The exhibition primarily focuses on Aalto’s architectural style, featuring models, drawings, photographs and artefacts from 14 key projects across six decades, including Paimio Tuberculosis Sanatorium (1929-33), Villa Mairea (1938-39), AA-System Houses (1937-1945), Experimental House (1952-53), North Jutland Art Museum (1958-72) and the development of the urban centre for Seinäjoki (1952-87).

But Aalto is probably just as well known for his interiors, which are also featured. Items on display include his famous stacking stool and other furniture, as well as glassware, light fittings and textiles, many of which are still manufactured today by Artek. Also featured are works by the exhibition curator, heavily influenced by Aalto’s past work.

The exhibition runs from 22nd February – 13th May 2007, with tickets priced between £6 and £8. The gallery is open daily from 11am – 8pm, excluding Tue & Thu (11am – 6pm).

Find out more a the Barbican website

Categories / Architecture, Travel

Retro Retreat: Midland Hotel in Morecambe

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Today’s Retro Retreat is a little different – because you can’t actually stay there right now – though all that might change in the next couple of years.

The Midland Hotel was built in Morecambe in 1933, the first Art Deco hotel in Britain. It’s got outer walls electrically polished (creating a marble effect), a huge spiral staircase, curved balconies and hallways (for sea views), carved stone seahorses by Eric Gill on the facade and a covered terrace pavilion with views of Morecambe Bay.

It received Grade II listed status in 1976, but declined in line with Morecambe’s decline as a resort, finally closing and falling into disrepair in 1998. But here’s the good news – developers Urban Splash are currently re-developing the hotel to return in to its former glory as a 46-room hotel. It’s in conjunction with the various development agencies, tied in with investment in Morecambe itself.

When completed, it should be the coolest place to stay in the north of England.

Keep up with the development of the hotel at the Midland Hotel website