Artist Nicola Turner has embarked on a meticulous restoration of a Georgian home in Bath, blending her creative ethos with architectural preservation. The three-story end-of-terrace house, built in 1790 and untouched for five decades before Turner and her husband, Alf Coles, acquired it three years ago, serves as both a residence and an extension of Turner’s artistic philosophy.
Turner, an artist known for large-scale sculptures incorporating reclaimed materials such as raw wool, horsehair, and found objects, describes her approach to the home as “rustic minimalism.” She and Coles, a professor at the University of Bristol, have preserved layers of history throughout the property, gradually revealing patination in the stripped wallpaper and even uncovering a 20-meter well beneath the kitchen floor during renovations.
The couple’s move followed the sale of their family home, allowing them to invest in an industrial space to create Form-ICA, a community centre featuring artists’ studios, exhibitions, and events, including Turner’s own workspace. Now empty-nesters, they have turned their Bath home into a sanctuary that reflects Turner’s artistic values of reclamation and memory.
The house’s interiors feature a restrained colour palette, with each room uniquely painted from ceiling to skirting board. Turner favors muted earth tones inspired by natural elements, such as deep plums, mustard yellows, greens, and soft pinks reminiscent of fig hues, asserting a preference to avoid traditional white ceilings and frames. The kitchen is painted in “Clove,” a rich tone by Edward Bulmer, while other rooms feature shades like “Fallen Plum” from Atelier Ellis.
Turner’s practice of repurposing is apparent throughout the home’s furnishings and architectural details. An iroko wood worktop salvaged from her studio, a chemistry cabinet sourced via online marketplace, and reconfigured furniture all demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and layered history. Panelling has been installed across several rooms, serving functional purposes such as insulation and sound absorption, while a Bath stone wall retains its characteristic water stains.
The couple frequently entertain in spaces that juxtapose contemporary functionality with age-old charm, including a former Natural History Museum specimen case repurposed for displaying crockery. The bathroom showcases a copper tub amid walls painted “Warm Brown Mud” by Atelier Ellis, where Turner and Coles share time reflecting on their days.
Turner’s artistic background spans stage and costume design for major institutions including the Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company before she transitioned to fine art later in life. Her sculptures—often monumental, monochromatic, and woven from discarded materials—mirror her approach to home restoration: investing value in the overlooked and reanimating hidden narratives.
Together, Turner and Coles have created a living space where history, memory, and creativity intersect, turning a once-forgotten Georgian house into a vibrant home and tribute to reclamation.