This is a tiny terrace in Newcastle for dear friends of mine who are committed artists making a name for themselves in a difficult, but vital profession. Like a lot of old houses, it’s a weird snafu of spaces but it intuitively works. The bathroom is pink and brown and sits in the void of the stairwell in a Escher-like way and James put a couple of motifs in the mosaic tiles. He also painted mural on the the ceiling in one of the rooms and cast all the kitchen handles and bathroom hooks in bronze.

Citation from the AIA awards jury:

The interior architecture of Fronte Oceano at Newcastle East is the result of a fascinating collaboration between the architect and his clients, both highly respected visual artists. The house, a small terrace approaching 150 years in age, is the artists’ family home, shared with their two young children and family pets.

A small brass plaque facing the street next to the front door, a work of one of the artists, reads: ‘Be generous with your heart’. This could have been the brief that informs the transformation of the house’s interior. Though small in area, each volume is at once treasured and exploited – creating a simultaneous sense of shelter and adventure. Light is treated as a precious commodity – carefully introduced and meaningfully orchestrated within the intricate volumes. Artworks cover almost every surface, including a large ceiling mural in the front living room – a nod to John Olsen’s earlier practice. Bespoke elements beautifully crafted in fine materials including bronze and Italian glass tiles are used meaningfully but without any preciousness.

The result is a welcoming, robustly functional and highly unique family home that well and truly delivers on the promise made at its front door.