house renovation

art-in. has grown out of the slow renovation by Emma Rushton of a semi-derelict house dating from 1886 in Whalley Range in Manchester. Originally a gated community of large properties for the upper middle class, the area fell out of fashion from the 1960’s, for a period becoming the red-light district. Most of the Victorian homes were divided into flats or shared houses. Now a multi-cultural community, with a mix of flats, large houses and social housing, the house of art-in. escaped being sectioned or modernised but didn’t escape holes in the roof and large cracks in the walls. The renovation, on a very low budget, has involved re-used and donated materials and many second-hand finds. The house / home has become an art-work in and of itself and a space in which to display the various artworks Rushton has collected over the years; gifts from artist friends and those with whom she has exhibited and the occasional purchase from students she has taught.

framing/the environment/combinations

Renovation of art-in. house threw up many issues and through research led to the use of organic and natural based paints and strippers, proving to make the job of working with a Victorian property easier. The house is painted throughout in eco distemper.

To keep costs down almost all objects and furniture are gifted or second hand - with long hours spent searching eBay and similar for designer items at a fraction of their original cost.

Driven to take on a semi-derelict property, do most of the labour, and to recycle and convert through financial limitations, this route interestingly has avoided toxicity, embracing the existing quality craft-person-ship of the Victorian house and subsequent additions.

In the considered placing of art and objects, inventive and affordable methods of ‘framing’ have become an integral design element of art-in.

Ethos

Current interiors often juxtapose different styles or objects from different era’s - it makes sense to be led by personal taste and quality rather than fashion - whilst being friendly to the environment, more sustainable, affordable, and accessible.

Recommended tradespeople who have worked on the house in SouTh Manchester M16:

Recommended stockists for items bought new: