House for an Art Lover

This was a house that Mackintosh never built. He and his wife Margaret Macdonald submitted a portfolio of designs to a competition run by a German design magazine. The competition brief was to design a 'grand house in a thoroughly modern style' and challenged artists to develop ideas which were fresh and innovative. In 1998 a crazy Brit decided to take the designs and try to build what Mackintosh envisaged. This was quite a challenge as the designs were in many cases limited in specific detail. Making Mackintosh's concept become a reality provided a challenge and learning process for many contemporary artists and crafts people. What really appealed to us about this house was that it had been designed without the constraints that were evident in Mackintosh's earlier works, where the desires of the house owner needed to be considered in the design (such as Hill House). The House for an Art Lover really allowed us to experience the incredible creativity of both Mackintosh and his wife. The music room in particular, with it's ornate piano and almost fantastical design features, was a real stand out for us. We were very glad we'd made the effort to get to this out-of-the-way tribute to Mackintosh.Read more