For those of you who read the entry about my tour of 48 Storey's Way, Cambridge, you'll know one of my favorite things to do is visit an Arts & Crafts house. I recently made a visit to the only Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed house in England: 78 Derngate in Northampton. Now lovingly restored as a museum open to the public, this modest terraced house was among Mackintosh's last executed commissions.
The interiors are stunning and the story of the complex relationship between Mackintosh and WJ Bassett Lowke, a very hands on client, is fascinating. The meticulous restoration of the house makes interesting viewing via the short film shown in the museum. I particularly liked the bathroom with all mod cons for 1917 and the stencil work and screen in the hall/lounge, with shades of Art Deco, are stunning. I love the Mackintosh wall lights either side of the fireplace in the dining room (see photo). For those of us who can't make the trip to Glasgow often enough, it is a real treat to see Mackintosh's work closer to home.