THE HOUSE
Voewood was built between 1903-1905 and stands as an enduring testimony to the Arts & Crafts movement. William Morris, the founder and ‘grandfather’ of the Arts & Crafts movement in the UK, famously said: ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.’ With owner Simon Finch’s extraordinary vision, Voewood’s interiors have been meticulously styled with beautiful pieces from high-culture to counter-culture, placed to impress, enchant and amuse.
THE BOOKSELLER’S HOUSE
Simon Finch is a rare book dealer and lifelong collector. He never intended to buy Voewood. Viewed on a whim, with a small child and puppy in tow, he found himself drawn to the house, even in its forlorn, post-institutional state. Driving back to London, Simon realised he’d left the puppy behind, returning some hours later to find it happily gambolling around the gardens. Taking this as a sign, Simon made an offer and found himself the new custodian of this extraordinary building.
FROM INSTITUTIONAL TO INSPIRATIONAL
With partitioned rooms, unsympathetic additions and all the trappings of 100 years as a retirement home and hospital, the house needed to be completely stripped back to reveal its true identity.
Resisting the temptation to overly plan or programme, Simon worked with a range of artists to develop the interiors organically and in response to the house. The process was thoughtful and unrushed, working with the unique nuances of the building to create spaces that delight, amuse and surprise.
AN EVER-EVOLVING SPACE
Objects, pictures and pieces of furniture were chosen because of their relationship to each other. A series of duck brushes alongside a Mickey Mouse rucksack, an Augustus John etching above a modernist lamp or framed taxidermy butterflies opposite a series of telegrams from John Lennon’s drug dealer.
The environment Simon created is endlessly visually stimulating and sparks intrigue and joy in guests from 8 to 80 years old, whatever their backgrounds and whatever their cultural references. It is an ever-evolving space that will never be truly ‘finished’.