Ian Finds Beauty In A Great British Relic
A piece of Great British history has found a new lease of life thanks to artist Ian Lettice, who saw beauty in an abandoned air raid shelter in Putney Southwest London.
Instead of seeing the ‘candy floss’ of spiders’ webs and dark, dank interior, Ian saw an artists studio and a unique and inspiring working space.
Ian believes that old industrial buildings can still be useful to new generations if they are converted imaginatively. Throughout his own renovation process he has focussed on improving natural light into the building, reusing old materials and keeping the design simple and true to its origins.
He rescued the floorboards from a skip, made the window frames from some mezzanine floor joists found in a warehouse and established a small kitchen area using a salvaged workbench.
Ian has also left parts of the shelter in its unpainted and distressed condition in homage to the original shelter, and has original artefacts - gas masks and a tin hat - which adorn the hallway and enhance the history of the building.
The result is a light and functional studio which gives Ian the space and solitude he needs as an artist.
There are many more inspirations for you to find in the my cool shed book if you are thinking of creating your own magical space.
