The Colour Cabin
Forest Gate, London
A self-built cabin with a colorful interior, serves as a sanctuary where an artist can create in solitude.
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An unassuming cabin clad in black corrugated bitumen sits discreetly at the end of an East London garden. This was a collaboration between architect and self build client
“We wanted to replace our existing garden shed with an interesting building that made use of the angled footprint of the garden, and that would be large enough for our storage requirements, and also a decent sized and beautiful working space.
Nic worked with the size and angle of the garden, and some must-haves that we wanted to include, designing a structure to maximize space and incorporate interest with the irregular shape. He also introduced the garden seat and skylight, and convinced us to go slightly larger with the build, all of which have proved to be excellent decisions.”
With little building experience, The Colour Cabin was designed as a simple timber-frame structure that anyone who could master cutting wood square and learn to use a hand drill could build. Inexpensive plywood has been carefully finished to shape the cabin's interior. The contrast between the natural wood grain and vibrant paint finishes makes the cabin both welcoming and visually exciting—a perfect setting for artistic work.
“By doing a self-build, we have had the architectural and construction expertise and experience of Nic and also the flexibility to go at a pace that suited us, taking into account the limited space for storage of building materials and allowing us to spread the costs throughout the process. We've finished the project with a great sense of accomplishment, and a building better than we could have imagined. Thank you, Nic!”
