Grand designs at 78 Derngate
by Laura Malpas
Unexpectedly, in the heart of Northampton town there is a unique home given a spectacular makeover and redesign by two talented gentlemen over 100 years ago. The name of Charles Rennie Mackintosh is familiar to many, WJ Bassett-Lowke less so, but together they created a strikingly contemporary look for a Georgian terraced townhouse that even today makes visitors gasp with surprise. This time I am visiting 78 Derngate, the last great project undertaken by Mackintosh.
The volunteer guides offer a warm welcome and a great tour around this remarkable house which bears the unmistakeable Mackintosh influence. So how did the famous Scottish designer come to create his only significant work in England by remodelling the interior of a relatively modest home in Northampton?
The owner of the house was WJ Bassett-Lowke, the son of a Northamptonshire boilermaker. He was an innovative and entrepreneurial designer himself, creating scale models and miniature model railways. On his marriage in 1916 he wanted to create a special home for his new wife Florence, and it had to be modern. His mantra was ‘have nothing in your home that pre-dates your birth’ There was no new house building during the First World War, so Bassett-Lowke decided to update a house already over a hundred years old, turning to Mackintosh to help him create the interiors.
It seems extraordinary these days, but Mackintosh never saw the house he was designing for until after its’ completion. He and Bassett-Lowke communicated by letter and meetings in London. Bassett-Lowke was a demanding client, letters and photos exist with his precise demands. The house today shows a remarkable combination of Mackintosh’s elegance and theatricality with Bassett-Lowke’s severe and simple tastes.
Today, visiting the house one still feels the personalities of both men with their own design aesthetic. The front door itself hints that this house is like no other, and the entrance hall takes the breath away. The colour scheme is predominantly black and yellow, the staircase is screened with spectacular panels of stained glass in a triangular design, the walls hung with stencilled silk, the fireplace stepped, and the central light fitting is like no other. The kitchen, dining room and bathroom are all full of practical modern looking design elements very liveable with today. And the guest bedroom is strikingly stripy, black and white highlighted with kingfisher blue.
In addition to the house there are exhibitions explaining more about Bassett-Lowke and Mackintosh, and exhibitions of contemporary art.
For me, an important and essential part of any visit is the opportunity for cake! Luckily there is an excellent tea room serving light lunches and a spectacular afternoon tea. It’s very popular, so booking is a good idea.
It’s a wonderful house to visit, so much domestic detail to explore and design to marvel at. It’s a real gem in the heart of Northampton.
For more information, visit their website.
