'When Richard Nightingale stumbled across a
tiny plot of land for sale in north London during the property boom
of the 80s he couldn't believe his luck. "I was recently
down from Cambridge, had a very limited budget, but
wanted a place of my own. My friends were all buying
broken-down houses in Hackney, and I watched with horror
as they
discovered
dry rot, subsidence and other unforeseen problems.
Most ended up with an empty space between two party
walls, which
would cost a fortune to restore. I thought it would
be more interesting and cheaper to design a house
from scratch."
'The site, sandwiched between a Victorian semi and
a garden wall, measured 14ft by 40ft, cost £15,000
but, most importantly, came with planning permission. And,
contrary to popular prejudice, Richard discovered that
planners are not as fearsome as they are made out to be. "Providing
they feel included in the process, they can only object
on valid grounds," he says.
'Richard got a mortgage for £30,000 on the basis
of the drawings that he and his partner, Hugh Cullum, presented,
and the money was released as the building went up. After
six months, he moved in. "The basic structure was
in place. I had heating, lighting and a bathroom, but the
windows were still boarded up and the roof hadn't been
finished."
'To date, the house has cost Richard £75,000. Despite
the recession, it is now worth at least three times this
amount, partly because he and Hugh have made a small space
appear huge, and partly by ingenious use of materials.
Planning regulations restricted the house to two stories.
Says Richard: "With a limited space, the temptation
is either to go for open-plan living, which the eye soon
tires of, or to squeeze in as many box-type rooms as possible.
Instead, we decided to create one large, double-height
main room, with small well-defined, but not enclosed, areas
feeding off from it."
'Entering Nightingale House is rather like a trip
through Wonderland. Mirrors flanking the tiny entrance
hall give a glimpse of what is to come, but it is not until
you round the corner that you discover a cathedral-like
space. Light pours in from a perfectly geometric central
skylight. A modern fireplace acts as a focal point, its
glittering, stainless steel, industrial chimney emphasising
the unexpected height of the room. At one end, an asymmetrical
breakfast area curves invitingly towards the garden, and
at the opposite end a dining area is defined between a
column and a glass wall. Behind this is the kitchen, with
double-height windows on to the front that are angled to
catch the sun.
'A decorative balustrade marks the upper gallery
where there is a sleeping area, a study, a separate bedroom
and a bathroom. The stairs leading up to it are concealed
behind a thick curved wall that doubles as a screen for
the fireplace. Perforations in the wall give a sculptural
sense of depth to the main room, and provide useful storage.
'The materials that Richard and Hugh used are cheap,
but with inventive twists. Says Richard: "The floor
downstairs is simple cement, but screed with a crackled
glaze finish and sealed with varnish so that it belies
its industrial origins. Where the floor joins the walls,
we inlaid a solid oak strip that matches the oak skirting
of the wall. By using oak sparingly, the floor looks elegant,
but it was a cheap solution."
'Throughout they have teamed the basic with the beautiful. "We
used standard items wherever possible, such as a plain
kitchen sink, but custom-designed a terrazzo work top to
fit around it. It cost little more than an off-the-peg
work top, but looks special." Another space-saving
touch is the use of underfloor heating. "In a small
space, radiators always seem to be in the wrong place.
Underfloor heating gives a nice, even heat, and makes the
cold cement floor warm underfoot."
'Tricks of perspective also make the house appear
more spacious. Says Richard: "The balustrade around
the gallery is lower than conventional height, and more
intricately detailed than anything else, so it creates
an illusion of being further away. Outside, the path is
narrower at the far end, and the wall is lower by 18 inches
to make the garden look longer."
'One of the charms of the house is the way in which
the rich earthy colours and materials used at ground level
get paler and more refined as you progress towards the
top. Richard says: "The dark mud-like floor reminds
me of Kenya where I was brought up, and leads to the more
sophisticated green slate of the hearth, and the unfinished
steel of the fireplace, rising to the stainless steel of
the chimney. The crowning of the room is the roof light,
which is the purest white, glass and shiny chrome."
'His advice to anyone interested in building their
own home is not to be daunted. "It can be more straightforward
than renovating an old place. I've ended up with a home
exactly to my taste, in an area that I couldn't otherwise
afford."'
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