A charming little home on Pittenweem’s seafront has had a stunning artist’s studio added to it.
18 West Shore dates from the late 1700s. It sits on the Fife Coastal Path and looks directly out to sea. On the sunny late spring morning when I visit, a group of seals are basking on the rocks.
Gina and Andrew Wright bought the cottage in 2016 but their connection to it goes back much further.
Full-time artist Gina has been exhibiting her work at the cottage for the past 25 years. “It was owned by a lovely old lady called Mary Campbell,” Gina explains. “One day I was sitting on the wall opposite her house doing some sketching and she came out to chat.
Pittenweem studio used at the arts festival
“We both had cats. We got talking about our pets and things just grew from there. She invited me to exhibit my work outside her cottage at the Pittenweem Arts Festival. We started with a table with an umbrella above it and then a gazebo to protect us from the Scottish weather.”
The following year Mary allowed Gina to exhibit in the old washhouse next to her cottage and Gina displayed her work there every summer for many years.
In 2016 Mary sold the cottage to Gina and Andrew, who were then based in Wormit. “We used it as a holiday home for a few years but our intention was to make it our main home eventually,” Gina continues.
Andrew, 60, has worked for NCR in Dundee for more than 30 years and Gina, 64, had a variety of jobs before becoming a full-time artist in 2003.
The cottage itself is small but lovely. It has a snug little living room with a wood burning stove, a tiny galley kitchen, and a bedroom and bathroom upstairs. A ladder leads to the attic where Andrew works from home.
Architect Jon Frullani behind design
The couple wanted to replace the adjacent washhouse with an artist’s studio for Gina to work from.
They brought in Dundee-based architect Jon Frullani to come up with the design.
“The owners of the house at the end of the row used Jon as their architect and they couldn’t recommend him more,” Gina says.
“He came in and did a few quick sketches. He changed the angle of the window so it gave more privacy and a better view over the garden.
“We would never have thought to do that. He also managed to fit in a utility room, which is something we hadn’t thought about but that has been so useful.
“One of Jon’s youngest staff members, Rachael, had designed an artist’s studio as the main project of her architecture degree so we were her dream clients. She did much of the design work with a bit of supervision from Jon.”
The original cottage had no back door to the garden. “Even when she was an old lady Mary used to sometimes clamber out the window to get to her garden instead of going out the front door and around the cottage,” Gina smiles.
“We spend a lot of time in the garden so we wanted a back door to make it easy to get out there.”
Starting work on the Pittenweem studio
The couple knocked through the side wall of the house to make a new entranceway. They also created a small internal courtyard area that is lit by a huge skylight.
This covered courtyard connects the original house with the new studio. As you enter the studio the utility room is to the left and there’s a shower room to the right.
The main space is divided into the studio facing the front and a living space at the back, with views over the garden. It’s open plan but a sliding pocket door can divide the space into two separate rooms.
“This was another great idea by Jon and his team,” Gina says. “We can enjoy an open- plan area most of the time but if I’m exhibiting or have clients in we can close the studio off.”
The studio has a modestly sized window to the front that neatly frames the view out to sea.
Its front door has an inset window that offers another sea view. “The door lets me have the public in to see the studio and view my work without using the main entrance to the house,” Gina explains.
Gina has set up her easel on one side of the studio; it contains a striking canvas of two hares boxing.
Most of Gina’s work is in pastels, ink or oils, and she is inspired by landscapes and nature.
Numerous modestly sized skylight windows let in plenty of natural light.
“Being able to control the light is important”, Gina explains. “I want plenty of soft natural light but not lots of harsh direct sunlight.
“We’ve got it just right here. The amount of light in here is perfect. I don’t get tired and can paint for much longer.”
Inside the new living space
Behind the studio is a nice living space. A picture window is angled neatly to give the best view to the terraced rear garden. Meanwhile, a window seat has comfortable cushions and is an excellent spot to while away an afternoon.
No detail has been overlooked. The window seat has storage beneath it and there are further hidden storage compartments between the top of the window and the ceiling.
The project took around nine months to complete and Monifieth-based JT Empire were the main contractors for the build.
“They were fantastic,” Andrew says. “It’s not an easy site. There’s no road access so they could only get a small digger along here.
“The concrete for the floor used a hose that was double the normal maximum length of 75 metres.
“They did a lot of problem solving on our project – and they managed to bring it in on our budget.”
Pittenweem Studio completed in April
The couple sold their home in Wormit last year and moved into their Pittenweem cottage in December. They completed the artist’s studio in April.
“The studio was phase one,” Andrew says. “The second phase will be the cottage itself. We want to remove the wall between the living room and kitchen to give more space, put in a new bathroom, and decorate.
“We love it here and the intention is for this to be our forever home.”
Gina is looking forward to inviting the public in for the East Neuk Open Studios on the last two weekends in June and then for Pittenweem Arts Festival from August 2-9.
One of the things Gina and Andrew like best about Pittenweem is its sense of community. Gina says: “One day when the studio was nearly completed I was out the front of the house. A lady who lives in the village but who I don’t know gave me a big hug and said: ‘You’re almost there – well done!’
For more information on Jon Frullani.
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