CRAFT WORK

First-time renovator James Barnes looked to the artisanal approach of the arts and crafts movement to perfectly blend form and function in his 1930s home

- WORDS EMMA J PAGE | PHOTOGRAPHY ANNA STATHAKI

For someone who claims that they would give themselves a blister just thinking about changing a plug. James Barnes has pulled off a deeply creative reinvention of a classic 1930s home, whose architecture riffs on the arts and crafts movement.

Taking inspiration from the integrity and craftsmanship associated with that period. James, a private equity investor, spent four years reworking the space with the help of interior designer Serena Pitchers and a trusted architect and builder team, with the aim of creating a flexible home that could accommodate his extended family.

including two grown-up sons and two teens on the cusp of adulthood. 'I had actually walked past the house on the school run, but it hadn't jumped out at me,' he reflects. 'Then, when it came on the market, I realised it could be a great option due to its location and potential." Having been lived in by the same owner for more than five decades, the house needed plenty of attention.

What followed was a back-to-brick renovation which saw James reinstate metal windows to the facade, rework an existing central turret, replace the roof, add a basement and introduce two sympathetic side extensions, expanding the footprint both upstairs and down.