Home Style: Ancient & Modern

Recycling architecture is a concept that fascinates designer Mirka McNeill Farmer. Her talent for creating a unique character property is clearly evident with this mix of ancient and modern

Mirka McNeill Farmer was born and brought up in Warsaw, where she studied anthropology and archaeology, but in the early 1990s she came to London to improve her English, met and married an Englishman and became a successful web designer. However, some ten years later, she decided it was time for change.

“I’d always been interested in interior design so I enrolled on a modular course run by the KLC Interior Design school at Chelsea Harbour in London.” Mirka learnt fast – within three years she had the satisfaction of having her work included for the first time in Andrew Martin’s Interior Design Review and in three subsequent Reviews.

Mirka’s first projects were two run-down flats, that she and husband Iain had bought as an investment, in Warsaw. “I had a free hand as far as design went, but being in charge of a team of builders, and making sure the work was scheduled so that the workers were kept busy, was stressful. Keeping to the budget was a challenge too. It was a steep learning curve but worth the sleepless nights.”

Once the Warsaw apartments were completed, Mirka returned to London where she worked for Andrew Martin for several years, designing furniture and undertaking special projects. “It was exciting being involved with such a successful and innovative design company, but we both love being in the country, so we sold our London house to look for a more rural property.”

The house the couple eventually bought was a historic property in a small village not far from the coast. Mirka explained, “The building has medieval origins, and I found that fascinating. During the renovations we uncovered a section of medieval herringbone brick wall, which we’ve left exposed and in the foundations, we unearthed another section of medieval brickwork.”

Situated close to the Norman village church, the building has clearly had a long and varied past. Until it was converted into a house in the mid-20th century Mirka believes the building might have been a barn. Mirka’s approach to creating a home could be described as dedicated, if not mildly obsessive. Rather than a quick trawl around local builders’ merchants, she would habitually spend weeks searching for the unusual architectural details, which would give the house its unique character. “I like to incorporate reclaimed materials and architectural details into every project. Creating a scheme using elements from different periods in a variety of materials, textures and colours, which makes the whole process more challenging, but it gives me a lot of satisfaction.

“Recycling is very important to me; when I was working for Andrew Martin I began designing industrial style furniture using redundant machinery; my father was an aviation engineer, so I knew where to source aeroplane parts such as wings, seats and fuselages which were then cut, polished and fashioned into desks, chests, armchairs and coffee tables. There are several pieces around the house which I don’t think look out of place.”

Long before work could begin on reconfiguring the house, Mirka was busy assembling architectural features. “My vision was to create a sense of harmony rather than impose a wholly medieval or Tudor look on the place.” She continued, “Most old houses have undergone alterations, and this is no exception.

You could argue that designing a house around reclaimed materials isn’t authentic or honest but by re-using beautiful or useful artefacts rescued from buildings that were being demolished, their craftsmanship and skill can be appreciated by future generations. “However, I also wanted to incorporate contemporary features, hence the  stone stairs and the glass balustrade on the landing. The bathrooms are contemporary although the fossilized timber which the basins are carved from is thousands of years old – everything is a mix of old and new.”

The couple lived in the house for a year whilst Mirka planned the alterations. “Then we moved into the self-contained garden studio which the previous owners had built.” Structural work began with replacing the roof. “The house is in a conservation area, but it isn’t listed, which made things easier. All the external changes and materials were scrutinised, but as the original ‘A’ frames were bowing out, the roof had to be renewed.

“I searched online and found reclaimed terracotta tiles in a reclamation yard in the south of France. The existing dormer windows had to go; I designed others which I think are more sympathetic. While the work was going on, we took the opportunity to improve the roof insulation, which has certainly helped reduce the heating bills.

“The chimneys were rebuilt using locally sourced medieval bricks. I copied the existing 16th century Elizabethan chimney pot and had a matching pot made for the second chimney. The chimney breast in the living room was also rebuilt, and we installed another at the opposite end of the house so we could have a fireplace in the kitchen. It was a great day when all three fire surrounds were finally in place.”

The interior layout was designed by Mirka to suit their informal lifestyle. The new front door, framed by a limestone surround that was reclaimed from a demolished 15th century monastery, leads into a small entrance hall, which opens into the kitchen dining room. “We eat in the kitchen like most people these days,” said Mirka, who has little interest in cooking. “I leave that to Iain.” However, she did design the kitchen,

The dining table made out of a recycled Indian door and the bench seat upholstered in printed Brazilian cowhide came from the couple’s previous home. “Wherever possible I used the furniture we already had.” The staircase was designed by Mirka to accommodate a tall leaded light window, inset with fragments of ecclesiastical stained glass. “When the sun shines through the glass, the kaleidoscopic effect is magical.”

The focal point in the adjacent living room is the 16th century fireplace between two sets of French doors leading to the garden. “There is so much tonal variation in the bricks and the wood, that I kept the wall colour neutral throughout the house,” explained Mirka. She also adopted the unusual approach of lining all the walls with Spanish limestone. “They would have had to have been plastered and painted in any case, so it wasn’t such an extravagance.”

The large coffee table is another illustration of Mirka’s fondness for combining the rough with the smooth – curved stainless-steel feet support the weathered wooden table-top surface. Other unusual pieces include the steel industrial style chest of drawers by the fireplace and an 18th century black Danish Mora grandfather clock. “They are of widely differing periods but mixing styles and materials is what this house is all about. It’s certainly what I’m all about!”

Photographs: Andreas von Einsiedel/living4media

Words: Amanda Harling/living4media