The first thing that strikes you about Oliver Heath’s home is its colour. Many
of the streets in the North Laine area of Brighton have houses painted in
every pastel hue. Those on Heath’s street, however, are mostly white –
except for his.
It’s not just the slate-grey facade of this three-storey, two-bedroom
Victorian terraced house that makes it unique. Heath, 36, an architect,
interior designer, former presenter of the BBC’s Changing Rooms and
eco-evangelist, has spent four years turning it into as environmentally
friendly a home as possible. “I don’t want to compromise on design, but I’m
always looking for an environmental way to achieve it,” he says.
Inside, colour is just as important; the walls are painted in muted, earthy
tones to mirror the exterior. These are part of a sol-vent-free range Heath
created with Earthborn.
Attention to detail is key: no part of the house has been left to chance.
Walls have been knocked down, then reshaped, and the rooms filled with
reclaimed objects, as befits Heath’s vision of true eco-chic.
The front door opens onto an open-plan sitting room and kitchen-dining area.
Heath had a bathroom at the back knocked down and built a sun deck with a
glass floor outside, above the basement garden. “It creates a perspective as
you walk in from the street,” he says. “Now you can see all the way through
to the outside at the back.”
Heath and his girlfriend, Katie, a jewellery designer, often have breakfast
there, at a table and benches made of reclaimed scaffolding wood (one of his
own inventions). Because the outdoor space is tiny, the wood panels – which
are bolted against the brick wall between properties – are hinged so they
can be folded away when not in use.
It’s ingenious, and all part of Heath’s belief that you don’t have to spend a
lot to be environmentally ethical. “The whole thing cost less than £10,” he
says. “That’s cheaper than a couple of nasty plastic chairs.” The glass
floor serves another purpose. “We don’t own a tumble dryer,” he explains,
“but we can dry clothes outside all year because the floor protects the
basement garden from bad weather.”
Heath is brimming with such ideas: much of his ethos is about creating
something individual. He stops at the top of the stairs to show me the
mismatching banisters. “They’re reclaimed,” he says. “It adds character.”
Upstairs are a master bedroom and a bathroom, converted from a second bedroom.
Their 18-month-old daughter, Lyla, sleeps in the basement, next to the
couple’s work space.
There isn’t a room in the house that doesn’t feature reclaimed wood, and the
same goes for some of the stained floorboards. “I feel the house captures
the spirit of the city,” he says. “It has elements of the beach, as well as
the glamour.”
For Heath, who grew up in Brighton, creating a seaside feel was crucial.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the bathroom, where the floor is made
of pebbles set in solvent-free resin. “It gives a wonderful textural feel to
the room,” he says. And it is good for the environment: “Tiles require a lot
of energy to produce and there are toxins in the glazes. These pebbles come
from a beach in southeast Asia, where they have been ground down to make
them smooth.”
The lighting has all the wow factor you could wish for: hundreds of tiny
fibreoptic lights dangle an inch from the ceiling over the double-ended
bath. To add drama, the tap is in the ceiling, so water cascades down into
the bath, creating lots of bubbles. The lights, activated by an infrared
panel, all come from one source, so are suitably low-energy.
The master bedroom next door isn’t huge, but Heath had a few design tricks up
his sleeve, knocking through into the loft to give more height. “There is
still attic space above the stairs and bath-room,” he explains, “but it
wasn’t high enough to convert, so I had the flat ceiling raised to a point.”
The partition wall was also moved back, allowing for wardrobe space.
The most magical creation in the room, however, is the bed itself. Heath built
it from reclaimed wood, fixing the legs about 1ft in from each corner. With
fairy lights underneath, it looks as if it is floating on light. “Always
have the bed off the floor,” he advises. “It gives an impression of space.”
A wooden panel behind the bed is made from an old piece of fencing. “Everyone
thought I was mad, but it provides a textural backdrop and contrasts with
the chandeliers,” Heath says. The two antique chandeliers, which “add a
touch of glamour”, hang either side of the bed, above old breakwaters that
function as bedside tables. As Heath pulls back the heavy red drapes (from
the local Sunday market, where he is a regular visitor), sunlight catches in
the crystals and tiny rainbows dance across the wall. The effect is
effortlessly romantic. “This house isn’t lavish or expensive,” he says.
“Being environmental doesn’t have to be about money.”
For all his dedication to Brighton, Heath is moving to London. He has made an
offer on a south-facing house with a garden in the heart of Covent Garden,
and is already planning ethical home improvements. “We can have solar panels
installed on the roof,” he says, “and a vegetable patch, so Lyla can learn
about growing, composting and the cycle of nature.”
After so much effort, won’t he be sad to leave? “I’m looking forward to a new
challenge,” he says. With all his creativity, you can well believe it.
Oliver Heath’s house is on sale for £425,000, with Brighton & Hove Family
Homes; 01273 689087, www.brightonandhovefamilyhomes.co.uk
Top tips for an ethical home
Recycled wood Heath’s reclaimed floorboards are from Brighton &
Hove Wood Recycling Project (www.woodrecycling.org.uk).
Bedside tables and bench supports are pieces of groyne or breakwater,
rescued from the beach.
Loft insulation Heath used Thermafleece sheep’s-wool insulation from
Second Nature (about £7.10 per square metre; www.secondnatureuk.com
).
Heating Heath invested in a condensing boiler by Vaillant. It has a
weather sensor, which means that it heats water more in winter and less in
summer. Prices start at £910 (www.vaillant.co.uk).
Lighting LED lights are much more energy-efficient than low-energy
light bulbs, lasting 100,000 hours compared to 4,000.
Television A projector throws 5ft-wide images onto what was the chimney
breast and is now a smooth concrete wall. It uses far less energy than a
plasma screen.
Cooking The Miele induction hob has an electromagnetic field over each
ring. It heats the bottom of the pan – unlike gas, which flames around the
base – preserving energy. The rings cool as soon as a pan is removed. The
KM5940 model costs about £980 (www.miele.co.uk).
