Home that also acts as display space
This beautifully restored mid-century home designed by Arthur Quarmby is opening its doors for an exhibition of work by glass artist Louise Watson. Sharon Dale reports.
ARCHITECT Arthur Quarmby is best known for Underhill House, the remarkable, earthsheltered property that he designed for himself and his family in 1969. Burrowed into a moorland hillside in the village of Holme near Holmfirth, it was constructed in stone and reinforced concrete and topped with grass.
Most of the living space was underground but was awash with natural light. The house was deemed so special, it was later Grade II listed and eclipsed everything else he had designed, including a number of fabulous mid-century properties constructed in and around his native Huddersfield.
One of those properties was Somerton, designed in 1965, which was in a parlous state and at risk of being bulldozed when Jill Hayfield and John Sandford stepped intorescueitsixyears ago.
The couple bought Somerton after selling nearby Holme Castle hotel, a live-work property that also included gallery space where Jill, a Crafts Council accredited felt maker and textile artist, could showcase her work, along with contemporary and abstract art by other artists and makers.
“We had done 30 years there and decided that it was time to retire and the same week that we found a buyer, Somerton came on the market.
“It needed a lot of work and the worry was that it could be demolished because it wasn’t listed and there was space on the plot for two or three houses,” says Jill.
“We knew Arthur Quarmby and his work because he was our neighbour at Holme Castle and we could see that Somerton was a gem that had to be saved.”
Their efforts saw them stay true to the best of Quarmby’s ideas while eco-renovating, updating and extending the property under the guidance of Julian Harrap Architects and with the help of building firm NDAP, aka Neil Davidson and Andy Parr.
The result is a beautiful mid-century home fit for the 21st century that reflects Jill and John’s ecological concerns. It follows on from their work at Holme Castle when in 1992, they won BBC CountryFile’s ‘Big Green One’ award as the most sustainable business in the country.
“We kept the exterior as it was, apart from new roofs from German firm Bauder, and we added a side extension to create a new kitchen/dining room,” says Jill.
The property is packed with insulation and has underfloor heating powered by an air source heat pump. Somerton is also houseplant heaven, with over 40 varieties including several specimens that touch the ceiling.
The two ground-floor reception rooms are designed to also work as exhibition spaces when required and are used to display both 3D and wall-hung artwork
Outside, where there is a hillside backdrop, the garden and patio can be used to showcase sculpture in a domestic setting.
The house, which sits just less than a mile from Holmfirth, is open for Holmfirth Art Week in July and for specific events and at other times by arrangement.
It often features an exhibition devoted to an individual artist. The first was a solo show of paintings by Andy Fullalove who also upcycled the property’s original Hygena kitchen for his own home.
Now, the exhibition area, known as Somerton ArtSPACE, is about to be given over to Yorkshire-based glass artist, Louise Watson.
Her exhibition, Formed Glass Geometry, is running from May 4 to May 26.
Louise trained at Goddard and Gibbs Architectural Glass Studios, London, and has an MA in Glass from the Royal College of Art.
She is renowned for her work and creates architectural and kilnformed bespoke glass installations for interior and exterior locations.
They are wall mounted, freestanding, suspended or physically integrated into the fabric of a building.
Her latest work, Journeys ,isa backlit contemporary glass panel on the grand staircase of the now reopened Rochdale Town Hall.
She says: “In 2019 Jill and John visited my studio at Upper Mills, Slaithwaite, when it was open as a Holmfirth Artweek fringe venue. We got chatting and they told me about their plan for Somerton ArtSPACE.”
She was invited to the house, which was mid renovation. “I was instantly captivated and in awe of their ability to remain completely undeterred by the dustbin in the middle of the living room collecting water from a significantly degraded flat roof.
“I was impressed with their determination to continue with the eco-renovation as I have a love of architecture which influences my work.”
She adds: “I was absolutely delighted when Jill and John asked me if I’d like to exhibit my work at Somerton ArtSPACE.
“I knew instinctively that the contemporary interior materials and natural light would be the perfect space to showcase my work.”
The exhibition runs from May 4 to May 23 and from May 25 to 26 from 10am to 5pm. Somerton ArtSPACE is at Liphill Bank Road, Holmfirth, HD9 2LQ, Just 3 words, offer.servers.waged.