Over the past decade, architect George Clarke has shown the world that an old horsebox, an abandoned boat or even the nose of a disused aeroplane need not be something that merely clutters up your garden: it can be turned into an astounding home.
George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces tracks people who have converted unorthodox objects into remarkable places to live. The architect is especially interested in the imaginative ways in which people employ tiny spaces.
Clarke, 49, is an expert in offering advice about how to transform an unconventional place into a home.
“You’ve just got to make it personal,” he says. “Do something that’s completely unique to you and your family and get them involved in design ideas. A lot of people will let kids design their bedrooms, but that’s not really enough.
“If it’s going to be your home for the next 15-20 years, you’ve got to make it personal. Have strength in your conviction and ideas. Don’t be swayed by opinions. If you really like a colour or fabric, go for it.”
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One of George Clarke’s big gripes is badly decorated bathrooms. “Every time I go into a vinyl-floored bathroom, I feel I’m in a hospital, care home or weird institution, or a really cheap hostel somewhere.”
Clarke’s other key tip is not to fill amazing spaces with too much stuff.
“I don’t like spaces that are too busy and cluttered. I always like my house to be homely, cosy and comfortable. Decluttering is something that I do a lot.
“Sometimes I realise that I’m hoarding stuff and that the house is too busy. I will literally spend an entire day going through things that I don’t like, and it feels great when you’ve done it.”
The architect believes that, “We all have a lot of stuff that we don’t really need and we tend to keep stuff because it might come in handy one day.
“Decluttering and having less is probably the best tip.
“I used to want everything but I think I’ve become less materialistic. Your space becomes better. Decluttering clears my head.”
Clarke also thinks that in the long run it is counter-productive to buy inexpensive home furnishings.
“When it comes to buying stuff, I don’t really buy cheap things because they become disposable. I try to buy lovely things that last a lifetime – maybe even longer than a lifetime. They’re more beautiful, you cherish them more, and value them more because they haven’t just been made from a factory in China.
“If I’m buying cups or cutlery, I try to buy them from makers. We buy so much cheap tat and clutter our houses with them. That’s not great for the planet or anyone really. If you’re paying peanuts for something that’s really badly made, it’s probably not going to last that long anyway. You’re going to have to replace it.”
The architect is equally forthright about woeful trends in decor. One of his big bugbears is terrible lighting.
“I’ve seen the most amazing spaces ruined by bad lighting. Put power points in the wrong place and you end up with cables everywhere, especially in open plan spaces.
“If I’m sitting at a dining table with a downlight overhead – so your body casts a shadow over your plate – that drives me mad. And don’t put downlights over a bath – you lie back and you’re looking at a glaring light above your head. It’s awful.”
Clarke recalls a recent example of appalling lighting.
“I was in a kitchen the other day and there were 20 downlights in there. You could just tell that they didn’t want to make a decision about where the lights should be. It wrecked that space. You think about all the hard work that’s gone into it – flooring, fabrics, colours, everything – and it looked rubbish because all the lighting was wrong.”
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George Clarke believes decluttering is key to creating an amazing space. “Sometimes I realise that I’m hoarding stuff and that the house is too busy. I will literally spend an entire day going through things that I don’t like, and it feels great when you’ve done it.”
However, there is one thing that tops Clarke’s horror at dismal lighting: badly decorated bathrooms.
“One of my gripes at the minute is where people, particularly in bathrooms, are putting in very cheap vinyl flooring. It seems like vinyl is making a bit of a comeback.
“Every time I go into a vinyl-floored bathroom, I feel I’m in a hospital, care home or weird institution, or a really cheap hostel somewhere. People think it’s cool and trendy, but the reality is that they’ve been blinded by what it really looks like.”
The other trend Clarke hates is shower curtains.
“You are meant to change a shower curtain every six to eight months because they get grotty and stained. But for some reason we just leave them in there. Sometimes you stand in the shower when the shower curtain sticks to you, and then you’re wrestling with a sheet of plastic.”
Not the sort of decor disaster you would see on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces.
George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, TVNZ 1, Wednesday November 22
