78 Derngate

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Steve Maskery

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Hi All,
Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting 78 Derngate, Northampton. It's the only house in England that Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed (the interior - the building was already 100 years old), and you nay have seen it on H&L. It's still work in progress, but it's already an excellent experience, most of the rooms are furnished and there are some splendid examples of his later designs.
I can thoroughly recommend it as a trip for anyone interested in design. You do have to book ahead though, as it is not big.
Plenty of other good demestic architecture in Northampton as well, I noticed.
Cheers
Steve
 
Steve, After seeing the house on H&L i plan to visit it one day. I think one of the best rooms would be the master bedroom with that lovely Mackintosh bed. What was it like in the flesh so to speak?

I believe that there is a museum next door, did you see that?

Cheers

Woody
 
For any one else sufficiently interested; http://www.78derngate.org.uk. I think it was featured on old-fashioned hydraulic telly, 'cos it's ringing a bell with me. Possibly on Restoration? Wasn't it taken on by a chap 'cos his wife got interested or something and dragged him into it? Fascinating place anyway.

Cheers, Alf
 
So Steve,
Were you inspired? Any Mackintosh style items on the drawing board??
Or do I have to wait for my issue of Good Wood? :lol:
regards
Philly :D
 
Woody:
The Master Bedroom is unfurnished :cry: but the guest bedroom, where GBS stayed a couple of times, has copies of the twin beds which you can also see at the Huntarian in Glasgow. This is the room with the B&W stripey ceiling. One of the problems is that the light levels are rather low, so the guide (very good, Sweet Young Lady doing her first tour) had to use a torch to show us the detail on the tailboard!
The Trust actuall owns 3 buldings, 78 The House, 80 which houses the staircase and a few glass cases of memorabilia ( the owner was a maker of model trains and boats), and 82, which houses the office, the video room and exhibition.

Philly:
I'm in the process of making a Mackintosh-inspired wardrobe. It's not a copy of anything of his, but I have already made the bed and bedside tables, which you may have seen in GW. The wardrobe is breakfront, bowfronted, has dark cabinets with natural doors, all in oak (well, apart from the oak-flavoured MDF), and will have the Mackintosh squares on the front.
Trouble is, I'm also doing a cabling contract, which is the first proper income I have had for 2 years, so it takes priority. I'm getting bored with the wardrobe and today I have done lots of activity resulting in very little progress. If I say collet-slippage you can imagine the rest.
The cabling should be finished within a fortnight, and I don't have another job to go to, so maybe I'll get to finish the wardrobe then. But I'm having to do most of it outside because of the size, and the year is getting old.
I hope it will appear in GW in due course, although the mag does hold rather a lot of my work in its vaults. I hope they get to use it before the media becomes obsolete. (I found an 8 1/2" floppy disk today!).
Incidently, I laughed out loud when the SYL tourguide told us that the alcove cupboards were actually pine, only the front edges were lipped in oak. My wardrobe is more authentic than I had realised!
I think that's enough exclamation marks for one message.
Cheers
Steve
 
Steve Maskery":3plokpi9 said:
One of the problems is that the light levels are rather low
Aaargh, don't get me started on that topic. :evil: The current generation are going to marvel at why anybody ever bothered to actually visit any museums or art galleries 'cos you can't actually see anything any more due to the stygian gloom. :roll:

Collet slippage? Oh dear... :(

Cheers, Alf
 
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