Living on a converted farm with extended family on either side is architect Simon Bell’s idea of bliss.
When and where did you buy your first home?
I bought my first home in 1999, which was a Tyneside flat in Sandyford, Newcastle. I couldn’t afford a car at the time and it meant I could walk to work. I then bought my first home with my wife near Jesmond Dene and as we started our family there it feels more like my first home than the bachelor pad ever did.
How much did you pay?
£52,500 in 1999 and then we sold it for £120,000 in 2003.
My wife and I have just finished converting some old farm buildings at Greens Farm, Lobley Hill.
Who do you live with?
We live with our two sons Dexter, two, and Myles, eight months, but, my brother-in-law and mother-in-law also live on either side of the farm with their families and pets, so it feels like we’re part of a much bigger extended family.
How would you describe your own home style?
The converted buildings date from 1860, but the interior is a blend of traditional natural materials and contemporary finishes including travertine floors and beech screens. The clutter-free dream, though, disappeared with the arrival of a young family.
What would be your dream home if you won the lottery?
Having spent the last few years converting the farm, we can’t imagine living anywhere else, so I think we would have to buy a weekend property in the Lake District.
What are your favourite interiors shops and why?
There are many imitators, but Habitat is still the king of cutting-edge affordable style.
What’s your best buy for the home?
It’s a close thing between the kitchen which nearly bankrupted us (but we get to enjoy every day) versus our HWAM log burner in the living room. Our toddler prefers watching the burner to the television and it’s free heat as I can scavenge all the timber from the building sites I get involved with.
What’s your biggest decorating mistake or most cringeworthy buy?
When I was a student at the School of Architecture in Newcastle, we rented a flat from a slightly unpleasant landlord who would only decorate if he paid for the paint and we did the work. So we brought the brightest glossiest paints and did every wall, cupboard and stair spindle a different colour. It wasn’t so much a decorating mistake as revenge.
What’s hot and what’s not in the world of interiors?
What’s hot: Clients are becoming braver and more open to suggestion. We are seeing the use of much darker timbers and stronger colours to offset the neutral finishes that form the backdrop to any room or space. As an architect I like to create light and airy spaces that give clients the opportunity to stamp their own personality. Design is a very personal thing and it’s essential to work closely with the people who will actually use the buildings.
What’s not: I think as clients become more sophisticated they will tire of the one-size-fits-all style of a certain Scandinavian superstore.
What’s your favourite TV property show?
Anything with Sarah Beeny. She has an appeal to a male audience of a certain age – enough said!
Simon Bell is an architect at SMC Parr, Percy House, Percy Street, Newcastle. Tel: (0191) 222-1116.
Do you work in the world of property or interiors? Perhaps you’re an interior designer, architect, estate agent, surveyor or have an interior-related business or shop. If you want to answer our questions email karen.wilson.ncj@ncjmedia.co.uk
