Church Lane, Walberswick, Southwold, Suffolk, IP18

Artist’s home and studio: An original Passive House

Description

Originally built for esteemed Suffolk artist Eveline Hastings, this five bedroom, four bathroom home has been the subject of extensive, stylish renovations, including air source heating, new bathrooms, kitchen and flooring, an electric car charging point and wild flower meadow. An interconnected wing houses a huge artist’s studio.

The New House was completed in 2002 for acclaimed local artist Eveline Hastings, who continued to live and paint in the house until her death in 2019. Hastings, who studied at The Slade School of Fine Art under William Coldstream and Lucien Freud, planned the house as a 'Passive House’ and a working studio to exhibit her landscape paintings.

In 2020 the house was the subject of a major renovation project by our client - a writer, artist and yoga practitioner, who updated the house to conform to contemporary standards. Additions included an open plan modern staircase, new bathrooms, a modernised kitchen, an air-source heating system and an electric car charging point. Our client also extended the flower gardens and revived the wild flower meadow, originally planted by Hastings.

This exquisite home offers family living at its finest, whilst embracing the challenges of a changing climate. The flow of the home encourages family time, but also offers the space and privacy for quiet contemplation. The studio is the quintessential creative space. With both northern and southern light for painters, it has also been used both for private yoga retreats - fitting eight mats comfortably and the occasional (large) party!

The front door opens into a large, light filled hall with an open plan staircase and east facing picture window. Leading off in various directions are the study/bedroom 5, the downstairs shower room and doors into the large open plan kitchen/dining/living space. Glass doors lead onto a double height conservatory (forming part of the original passive house) and out into the south west facing garden. A door from the dining space opens into the utility room, which in turn has three doors - one leading to the garden, another to the boot room with access to the front drive and car parking. The final door leads directly into the studio.

Upstairs leading from the spacious landing are four bedrooms, three en-suite. Two of the bedrooms - the principal and the guest suite have access to the internal conservatory balcony, whilst the third guest suite and smaller 'nursery’ room, face onto Walberswick Common.

The Studio
The Studio, which connects directly with the main house, has soaring ceiling heights, glass doors to the garden and an extensive series of north facing Velux roof lights. Another separate door exits directly from the studio to the drive for direct access of guests and deliveries. An extensive storage space is accessed by an extending ladder. The studio also offers the potential for a separate self-contained living space, subject to planning.

Grounds
The New House sits in verdant wrap-around gardens. The rear of the house is immensely private with extensive lawn and a collection of mature trees and shrubs. A flourishing wild flower meadow forms part of the garden, which has two paved seating/eating areas. Outbuildings include storage and a potting shed. A large drive-in garage is located in the driveway, which has parking for four cars.

Location

Walberswick has been a favourite spot for families and artists over many generations, with painters including Philip Wilson Steer and Charles Rennie Macintosh famously depicting its beach and environs. Today, the village is a thriving community and home to an increasing number of young families.

Village amenities include a small local Co-op shop, two public houses including Good Food Guide recommended restaurant, The Anchor, and a highly regarded delicatessen, The Black Dog.

Southwold offers boutique shops, restaurants and cultural amenities including an independent cinema and the Southwold Arts Centre. The town also hosts the Southwold Arts Festival’s annual celebration of arts and literature.

RSPB Minsmere is a world-class nature reserve. Classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, its 2,500 acres are habitat to exceptional wildlife.

Aldeburgh is a popular coastal town closely associated with composer Benjamin Britten. It offers an excellent selection of independent shops and restaurants and, along with Snape Maltings, is a venue of the internationally renowned Aldeburgh Music Festival.

Square Footage: 3,192 sq ft


Acreage: 0.3 Acres

Additional Info

Services: mains electric, water and drainage; air-source heating; electric car charging point.

Agent Note: Please be aware that there are various infrastructure projects proposed for east Suffolk including plans for a new nuclear power station at Sizewell. Wind farm expansion in the North Sea is also taking place and bringing power ashore along with associated cabling and substation works are also being proposed.

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