Former builders’ yard transformed into a home and studio by Studio MacLean
This new project, a former builders’ yard in the Cotswolds, by Studio MacLean, showcases the design and build skills of Jason and Jenny Rose MacLean
The owner of this former builders‘ yard-turned-home, designer and craftsman Jason MacLean, is no stranger to the pages of Wallpaper*. His previous house, Harfield Gardens, a single-storey 1960s gem in Camberwell, was featured not once but twice, following a programme of comprehensive restoration and enhancement. MacLean’s 15-year tenure at the property, which he’d bought as one of the first-ever transactions through The Modern House website, recently came to an end.
From builders’ yard to home and studio
Together with his wife, Jenny Rose MacLean, the family needed more space. ‘I was so in love with the Camberwell house,’ MacLean admits, ‘[that] if we ever did something else, we knew we’d have to do as good or better.’ Moving west to the Cotswolds not only got them more space (4,000 sq ft instead of 700) but invited a whole new perspective on design and interiors.
‘Harfield Gardens was tiny, but it was designed so well that it didn’t feel it,’ the designer says. The couple’s business, Studio MacLean, works on commercial and residential fit-outs, big and small, from whole buildings to bespoke kitchens, installations and art pieces. Family connections decided on the location, and in the end the property they found was, quite literally, in the family, having once belonged to a member of Jenny Rose’s family.
A part residential, part commercial building in the heart of the village of Minchinhampton, it had served as a newsagent’s and a builders’ yard, amongst other things. Grade II-listed, the house had sat empty for many years. ‘It was in a real state,’ says MacLean, ‘We did the build in just ten months – I really went for it.’
The family rented a house just across the road, making long working days somewhat easier and more convenient. The listing proved not to be a barrier. ‘The planners were very sympathetic, so we were able to make some radical changes, like opening up whole floors,’ says MacLean. What is now their main living room, complete with centrepiece de Sede leather sofa, was originally an entire two-bedroom flat.
Elsewhere, workspaces and storage areas had to be converted to domestic use. The old paint mixing room is now a minimal bathroom off the main bedroom, which occupies the beam-bisected eaves of the original house.
With three bedrooms, that expansive living room, a large kitchen/diner and a studio/gallery space, the new property sets Studio MacLean up for their next chapter. ‘We will be doing shows in the future,’ MacLean says, although for now the space is home to their meticulous VW Type 3 Notchback.
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
In addition to a little bit of help from friends and family, practically everything was built on site by the MacLeans, including the kitchen, all the cabinetry and woodwork. The studio’s signature bold colours are much in evidence, set alongside classic pieces of design acquired over a lifetime of working in interiors.
For example, the de Sede DS-600 sofa is an original dating back to the mid-1970s, and once took pride of place at La Hautefage, the French farmhouse MacLean transformed into a chic retreat in the 2010s. Like the Camberwell home, the French property was sold to finance the new home and studio space. ‘This is our Cotswolds showcase,’ says MacLean, and it’s hard not to be seduced by this meticulously crafted blend of old and new.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Tour the Natural History Museum’s new gardens, a Jurassic lark in London
The Natural History Museum in London has unveiled two new gardens, with resident dinosaurs, after a transformation led by architects Feilden Fowles
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Drama Republic moves into a colourful, handcrafted workspace in London
For the new creative HQ of production company Drama Republic, Emil Eve Architects remodels a warehouse into office space in London’s Holborn
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Hideaway House in London features timber panelling inspired by the New York hospitality scene
The elegantly refurbished Hideaway House by Studio McW in London features timber panelling inspired by Philip Johnson’s The Four Seasons Restaurant
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
‘Modern Buildings’ tours south-east London through a guide to post-war Blackheath and Greenwich
‘Modern Buildings: Blackheath and Greenwich’ is a detailed survey of a London borough’s rich trove of new modernist architecture
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Triangle House invites you to its inner world of colourful surprises
Triangle House by Artefact is a private home in Epsom, outside London, combining Caribbean style, colour and functionality
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Tour the refreshed Saint Andrew Holborn: an icon reveals its crisp new interior in London
DaeWha Kang reimagines Saint Andrew Holborn church through a sensitive architectural solution that blends tradition and modernity in London
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A Suffolk house by Studio Bark pairs a fresh visual language with low-energy design
Suffolk house Water Farm is off-the-grid but defiantly on the map, a bold new object in the landscape with a strong visual impact and minimal carbon footprint
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Westminster Coroner's Court renovation delicately blends moments of softness and austerity
Westminster Coroner's Court gets a refresh and addition, courtesy of Lynch Architects and artist Brian Clarke
By Ellie Stathaki Published