AN INCREDIBLE Grade II-listed house belonging to an artist is up for sale for £400,000 – complete with quirky room installations.
Waxwing, in Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland, is owned by artist Tod Hanson, and has caught the attention of house-hunters due to some of its unique rooms.
Images show a mixture of both sleekly decorated rooms alongside some zany, hypnotic artwork in the five-storey house.
One room, listed as the piano nobile – meaning ‘noble floor’ in Italian, an empty room bare features an array of layered blue circles across the floor, walls and ceiling.
The skirtings, cornicing and edges are all painted white with an edge of black to make the design pop.
Another room has been designed in similar style – bare from any furniture with a quirky print that has been installed on the ceiling, walls and floor.
The same purple design is shown throughout the room – only broken up by white panelling, again framed with black edging.
The rest of the five-bedroom home appears modest in comparison and boasts a more traditional decor.
The lounge has been painted modestly in a sage green colour, with two modern grey sofas and an eye-catching collection of artworks on the walls.
The kitchen, situated in the basement, features original exposed brickwork and a Rayburn by Aga cooker.
The property was listed on Monday for £400,000 and has been advertised as containing Tod’s two “extraordinary art installations”.
Estate agent Inigo said: “This magnificent Grade II-listed house lies in the historic centre of the coastal market town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland.
“Unfolding over five storeys, the house extends to over 2,400 sq ft internally and contains four/five bedrooms.
“The current custodian is artist Tod Hanson, who has transformed two of the rooms into truly extraordinary art installations, using the influence of the architecture to inform the optics of the works.
“A large room on the first floor runs the width of the building. Likely to have been the drawing room in days past, this now forms the pinnacle of Tod’s installation.
“However, it could easily be returned to its original use as a drawing room; it would work equally well as a main bedroom.
“The space retains its original fabric, including an elegant 18th-century fireplace with a cast iron, Victorian insert.
“Ascending another level leads to two generously proportioned bedrooms.
“One of these contains another of Tod’s brilliant installations, focusing on a frame-grid motif that directly interacts with the structure of the room.”
The listing was shared to a property thread on Monday with the caption: “Brace yourself for pictures 17 to 21.
“To quote the estate agent’s blurb: ‘The current custodian is artist Tod Hanson, who has transformed two of the rooms into truly extraordinary art installations, using the influence of the architecture to inform the optics of the works.’
“Extraordinary indeed!”
Users were left astounded at the listing, and the spectacular paintwork on the walls of Tod’s rooms.
Bluebell1000 said: “Stunning, I would love that!”
FreeBear said: “Wonder if he had Listed Building Consent to do that to those rooms. Going to be a nightmare if he doesn’t…”
GDB222 said: “I’m not sure whether he has done anything except a very clever paint job? Would that need consent, assuming the panelling was painted previously?”
Waxwing was constructed around 1750 for a merchant whose interest lay mostly in the activity of the port and River Tweed.
The house backs directly onto the town walls, which would have allowed for great views of the river.
According to Tod’s website, Waxwing not only serves as a house, but as a gallery space and a space available for artists residencies.
