A class act
THIS WEEK: Homes in old schools, including this neat nursery conversion
IAN and Natalie Cosier were first attracted to The Old Nursery by its location – and the fact that it was in such a terrible state of repair. ‘It was a former children’s nursery that closed about six months before we saw it,’ says Ian, 45, a consultant. ‘The main building was a Victorian billiards hall that had been used as a classroom. There was a modern dining hall and the garden was wild and overgrown. It had children’s toilets and no actual bathroom but we felt we could make something of it.’
The site, in Twickenham, South-West London, sits on a large plot that used to be an orchard and allotment and is shielded by high stone walls, which date to the 18th Century. It backs on to a tiny, cobbled side street, a stone’s-throw from the Thames.
Regulations restricted new development to a single storey, so the couple used the best elements of the original building as a base for creating a fabulous, contemporary home. They kept the billiards hall but demolished the dining hall and added several new single-storey extensions, to create an elongated, flat-roofed design.
They also added a basement that mirrors the size of the main first-floor. ‘When we were digging out the basement, we had to be monitored by archaeologists. They found clay pipes, and the bones of animals from the 1800s,’ says Ian.
The design of The Old Nursery seamlessly bridges contemporary and historic style. ‘We wanted a house with heart and soul, not a developed box,’ says Ian.
The old billiards hall has been transformed into a beautiful lounge, with its original features unmasked. Ian says: ‘The brick fireplace was boarded up and the unusual lantern window was covered and fitted with wired safety glass. It’s a beautiful feature.’
They added five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a cinema room on the lower level. A toughened glass floor panel allows light from upstairs into the basement.
Much of the house is open-plan, with the focal point being the large and glamorous kitchen and dining room that opens out on to the garden via bi-fold doors. Vehicular access is awkward, so they’ve added a Bond-style car turntable on the drive.
The house has proved a popular location for TV and photoshoots. Celebrity visitors have included chef Heston Blumenthal; musician Nick Cave, who filmed parts of his movie 20,000 Days On Earth there, and Gary Lineker. ‘I think he was making one of his crisp adverts,’ Ian says.