Living over the Shop

Commuting from the suburbs to a place of work in the city is a comparatively recent phenomenon, made possible by improvements in transport. Historically though, people lived and worked in the same place; from the humble blacksmith's forge, up to the renaissance palazzi of Florence & Venice, or the medieval merchant houses to be found in most old cities. Such homes would have functioned as shops, warehouses or workshops at ground level, with living space above. A great surviving example in this country, is the 13th century Merchant's house in Southampton, built by a prosperous wine merchant. Then in the last two centuries, as people sought the peace and clean air away from grimy city centres, the tradition of living above your work premises gradually declined. It was therefore quite a surprise to find someone living very much in the merchant tradition in 21st century Clerkenwell. Jan Wilson may not trade in silks and spices, bake bread, or manufacture hats and corsets, as her predecessors may have done. Like much of today's economy, her business is in the service sector. On the ground floor, and basement, of her handsome courtyard building, she runs a successful design business, RPW, which specialises in hotel interiors (see earlier post: Nights on Broadway). Meanwhile upstairs, and with separate access, is the comfortable apartment she shares with her partner. For those who run their own business, the overlap between home and work is inevitable, so such an arrangement makes complete sense. To that end the grand boardroom on the ground floor, also makes a great dining/entertaining space.

The 'Shop'

Main entrance on the ground floor, with the studio to the left and the boardroom on the right.

Jan Wilson

Jan's office at one end of the studio

The studio

The studio overlooks a secluded courtyard garden

The boardroom across the hall

The elegant furniture and lighting in the boardroom, make it perfectly usable as a entertaining space too

The Apartment

Olympic Lions

So much seems to have happened while I was away on holiday, not least the spectacular Olympic opening ceremony. I also managed to miss the publication in the Times of 2 of my features, including one about the home and work of artist, Shauna Richardson, whose larger than life project, Lionheart forms part of the Cultural Olympiad. Shauna's home outside Leicester is dotted with examples of her extraordinary work which she refers to as 'crochetdermy'; lifesize and anatomically convincing replicas of lions, bears, baboons and horses, in wool. With or without the stuffed creatures, the cottage itself, along with owners Shauna, her partner Mark, and their Jack Russell called Bean were a delight.

Lionheart is on tour and can be seen at the Natural History Museum until September 20th.

Heart Home Magazine - Summer Issue

My first visit to Islington was as a student back in the summer of 1990. My interior design degree work was being exhibited at the Business Design Centre as part of that years New Designers show. Within a year I had moved into a flatshare in the area, and so began a long attachment to London N1. In 2006 I migrated south of the river, and these days, trips back to my old stomping ground are comparatively rare. So I was delighted to spend a day with Arianna & Carol from Heart Home Magazine trailing local textile designer Clarissa Hulse round some of her favourite haunts. We started at her Highbury studio, where we saw work in progress, before heading out for a nostalgic (for me) wander around N1.

Out & About in Islington

Folklore

Little Angel Theatre

Camden Passage

The Elk in the Woods

Annie's Vintage Clothing

Wyoming

I dreamed of majestic landscapes, as captured by the great photographer, Ansel Adams. The Rocky Mountains, The Great Plains, Yellowstone Park. Instead I find myself just off Oxford Street, at a centre for market research. For, Wyoming is the name of the business owned by Sarah Jameson, whose home I shot for the Times magazine not so long ago. It consists of suites of studios with two way mirrors and all sorts of gadgetry, which can be hired out by companies to test products on customers.

But if the rugged landscape of the western United States is more your thing, click here. This particular image can also be seen in the V&A photography gallery.