Creativity abounds in this fabulous timber lodge with great interiors full of clever ideas

A Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf’s extended essay published in 1929, makes the point that for women to achieve their full creative potential, they need financial independence and a room of their own.

Times have changed and most women in Britain are emancipated but those wise words still apply.

They certainly ring true for artist and project designer Katie Davison who has achieved both of the goals that Woolf extolled, though she went a stage further when it came to her “room”.

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It is a timber lodge in an idyllic location on the beautiful Scampston Hall estate, which has been in the same family since the late 17th century and is known for its parkland by Capability Brown and its glorious gardens, including those designed by renowned Dutch designer Piet Oudolf.

The sleek kitchen with islandThe sleek kitchen with island
The sleek kitchen with island

The historic house and its land sits in the Vale of Pickering between the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds with easy access to York and the coast.

Katie’s lodge there was a purchase prompted by the pandemic and its lockdowns.

“My husband and I bought it because we wanted somewhere the family could escape to and it really is a wonderful place,” she says.

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While it was bought primarily for leisure and relaxation, the lodge has also proved to be an invaluable and inspirational place for Katie to work from.

The dinng table doubles as a place to workThe dinng table doubles as a place to work
The dinng table doubles as a place to work

Her latest venture is Tarttu, which specialises in beautifully designed temporary tattoos, aka wearable skin art.

Her talent as a designer was spotted early when at 21, she was given the job of creating product ranges for Heal’s and Harrods by an English factory specialising in luxury homeware for top brands.

While there, she was sent to Paris and Italy to gain inspiration and when back in London, she was lucky enough to find a wonderful mentor in Jon Moore, who was fashion director of the then Royal Couturier company Hardie Amis.

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“Jon was a wonderful man and took me under his wing, taking me to catwalk shows and showing me round his studio, including where he dressed the Queen,” says Katie, who later settled in York and put her artistic career on the back burner for a while when she had children.

The timber lodge offers peace and tranquilityThe timber lodge offers peace and tranquility
The timber lodge offers peace and tranquility

When the youngest of her three daughters was about to start school, she was all set to apply for a well paid job for a temporary tattoo company based in New York, which would’ve meant regular travel to the Big Apple but after researching that market, she decided to start her own skin art business instead.

She says: “I looked at the forecasts for growth of that sector and they were enormous and that’s how Tarttu was born.”

She began thinking she would sell her own design temporary tattoos on Etsy while enjoying having a creative outlet but it became clear that an influx of demand dictated a different approach.

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She now commissions artists and designers from around the world to design tattoos for Tarttu, while also creating some of them herself.

Bedroom with a backboard rather than a headboard. This can be papered or repapered easilyBedroom with a backboard rather than a headboard. This can be papered or repapered easily
Bedroom with a backboard rather than a headboard. This can be papered or repapered easily

The dermatologically tested transfers are applied to the skin with a damp cloth and they last up to two weeks and are easy to remove.

“Having the business has been a great experience because while I do designs myself and use some established designers, I also use others who are just starting out and my commissions are helping them to become more creative while having work they can put on a C.V, “ says Katie, who put her skills to good use when creating the cabin.

After purchasing the plot, she and her husband chose a location overlooking a small lake and also had a say in the layout which, thanks to some reconfiguration, gave them extra room.

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The interior aesthetic is best described as “sophisticated minimalism” with a variety of textures including wood floors, a paper lamp, concrete fittings, a marble island for the kitchen, copper finishes and of course, a variety of fabrics.

All the switches and sockets are matt black and the TV is black as is the wall behind it, which effectively hides the telly in plain sight when it’s not in use.

“I worked very hard on the sourcing and the idea was to use muted tones, including brown, grey and black, to give the lodge an earthy feel and make it a calming place,” says Katie, whose large abstract floral and other nature inspired paintings adorn the walls.

Katie working in the lodge on her temprary tattoo businessKatie working in the lodge on her temprary tattoo business
Katie working in the lodge on her temprary tattoo business

The open plan living/dining/kitchen area works wonderfully and the calming colours and unfussy accessories do their job in making you feel relaxed, though there is a pop of colour via an orange giraffe print chair and footstool from Emma J. Shipley.

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The dining table is from La Redoute and the rug underneath anchors it and was a bargain at £16 from Jysk. The concrete and glass pendant lights are from Garden Trading.

A clever idea carried through two of the bedrooms is the use of backboards rather than conventional headboards. One of them is covered in a very convincing wood panelled effect wallpaper.

“It’s easy to ring the changes then by simply re-papering the backboard,” says Katie, who adds: “I love working here overlooking the water. I come in the week when the children are at school and the place is really quiet.

“I am much more productive when I am here, compared to working at home, because it is so still and calm and there are no distractions and nothing to pull me away from my focus.

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“It’s a wonderful place here by the water. You see otters, deer and hares and at night there are barn owls.” says Katie. “It makes it very easy to be creative.”

*For more information on Tarttu temporary, non-toxic tattoos, visit www.tarttu.com

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