Artist in residence
The home of an artist and a marketing guru, this architectural masterpiece by Maya Vuksa Architecture is an ode to creativity and a celebration of natural beauty. Situated on the coast in a coveted corner of Southwold, it illustrates precisely what can be achieved when luxury living, attention to detail, reverence for the environment and personal style come together. That pedigree needed an interior to match, so we wove together the couple’s artistic style with the architect’s vision to bring their particular alchemy into the details of everyday life.
Living art
Like living in one of the artist’s very own creations, there’s a fusion of culture, community and artistry in this elegant home. It’s at once warm, welcoming and brimming with charm but calm thanks to its simplicity and free flowing energy.
Infused with natural light and defined by the materials used in the structure of the space, a bold use of colour is the signature leitmotif that ties the home to the work of the artist herself.
The eye of the beholder
Philosophical as she is, the beauty of the artist’s work and attitude is that it’s also rooted in functionality. This is a home, not a gallery, and yet the line between the two is perfectly balanced to make it feel like the best of both. There’s seamless interaction between the display of sculptures on floating shelves, and their influence, which clearly infuses the space as a whole – as if you’re existing in her mind’s eye.
The structure is almost sculptural; for example, the kitchen is a central part of the home with the rest of the property orbiting around it. Seamless, pass-through doors reveal passages to other parts of the property – the utility room in one direction, the artist’s studio in another.
You enter the house from the main entrance and are immediately awed by an impressive dining area, before gliding through to an oasis-style pool that mimics the azure colours on the walls and the sea outside. Every aspect is intuitive and easy to navigate, unobstructed but carefully secluded to create the ultimate, quiet luxury lifestyle.
Elemental influences
The artist’s work is inspired by a deep love for the vastness of the water and the sky. This has led to the use of a distinctive ultramarine blue akin to the Jardin Majorelle in Morocco, accompanied by a secondary hue in vibrant turquoise. Each colour sits in a block, uninhibited by the other, and creating clear delineation between one area and the next.
These two colours allow the space to truly sing, offset by the tranquil simplicity of stainless steel, lotus white, and black velvet matt cabinetry, raw stone and smooth concrete. These all have a grounding effect, connecting the contemporary space with the earth.
The feeling of lightness, both literal and metaphorical, is enhanced by high ceilings, vast windows and skylights. These have been carefully placed to allow the sunlight to travel through the space, creating different formations and altering the atmosphere throughout the day.
Playing with space
A combination of displayed artworks, a kitchen island, varied ceiling heights, and sculptural floating cabinetry allows us to play with the space on multiple levels. By using all aspects of the environment, and oscillating unexpectedly between levels, the experience is maximised as you move from one area to the next.
In a feat of true attention to detail, the clean lines and simplicity accompanied by such clarity of intent makes it uniquely characterful. There’s an immediate sense that you’re stepping into the memories, the dreams and the mindset of the artist and her family from the moment you walk into the home, greeted by paintings, photographs and nods to their well-travelled life.
One of a kind
In many ways a dream house, the beauty of this Suffolk haven lies not merely in the exquisite details and the quality of the materials – which are second to none – but in the realisation that this is a dwelling that’s unequivocally true to the character, values and lifestyle of the people who live in it. The result is a perfect harmony, where you can almost feel the walls echo with the happy sigh, ‘I am home’.
