A renowned designer’s modern home which hosted fashion shows in the Sixties for Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent is up for sale for £795,000.
Klein House in Selkirk in the Scottish Borders was built in 1957 by celebrated architect Peter Womersley, who was regarded as one of the UK’s finest modernist architects.
It was commissioned by textile designer Bernat Klein, whose fabrics were used by brands such as Dior, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent in the 1960s.
Klein House in Selkirk in the Scottish Borders was built in 1957 by celebrated architect Peter Womersley, who was regarded as one of the UK’s finest modernist architects
It was commissioned by textile designer Bernat Klein, whose fabrics were used by brands such as Dior, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent in the 1960s. All textiles in the house were specially designed, dyed and woven by Klein
The house is entered via the carport and the entrance hall leads into the main living area, which has a study area and library and a ‘wall of plants’ dividing it from the dining area (above)
Fashion editors from Vogue would attend casual fashion shows at the designer’s house and Klein even had photo shoots for his catalogues there.
The single-storey house has kept its original form, divided into eight foot modules, a testament to Womersley’s creativity, and the interior looks like it is still inspired by Klein’s heyday of the 1960s.
The property is Category A listed, the highest grade given by Historic Environment Scotland in recognition of its exceptional and rare architecture.
Klein had seen some of Womersley’s earlier work, Farnley Hey in Huddersfield, and commissioned him to build him a modern home.
Womersley designed the house in his classic geometric modular design, creating an expansive feel. Womersley used changing floor levels and cupboard blocks to define separate areas.
It also has a kitchen, which still features the original units, a family room, three bedrooms and a studio wing, which was added in 1982 with Womersley’s approval
Womersley designed the house in his classic geometric modular design, creating an expansive feel. Womersley used changing floor levels and cupboard blocks to define separate areas
A broad mixture of materials were used, including travertine floor tiles and exotic hardwoods such as idigbo and obeche, as well as colourful tiling added by Klein
The house is entered via the carport and the entrance hall leads into the main living area, which has a study area and library and a ‘wall of plants’ dividing it from the dining area.
It also has a kitchen, which still features the original units, a family room, three bedrooms and a studio wing, which was added in 1982 with Womersley’s approval.
The house sits in a beautiful rural plot of more than three acres with far-reaching views of the countryside. The area is renowned for its unspoilt beauty and salmon fishing in the River Tweed.
A broad mixture of materials were used throughout the property, including travertine floor tiles and exotic hardwoods such as idigbo and obeche, as well as colourful tiling added by Klein.
All textiles in the house were specially designed, dyed and woven by Klein.
Klein had seen some of Womersley’s earlier work, Farnley Hey in Huddersfield, and commissioned him to build him a modern home
The house sits in a beautiful rural plot of more than three acres with far-reaching views of the countryside. The area is renowned for its unspoilt beauty and salmon fishing in the River Tweed
Klein, who died at the age of 91 in 2014, was renowned for his textiles, most notably his Tweed creations.
After studying textile technology at Leeds University and graduating in 1948, he began working for textile manufacturers Munrospun where he made fabrics for ladies coats and skirts.
Despite Tweed traditionally being in green or brown, he began creating more colourful fabrics in mohair, which were eventually noticed by Chanel and featured in Elle magazine.
Vogue said Klein ‘revolutionised traditional English fabrics to win them new recognition abroad’ and soon several other designers were proudly using his textiles.
Some of his fans included Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon.
Peter Womersley: The modernist architect whose work was iconic
Peter Womersley, above, was admitted to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1952
Peter Womersley was born in 1923. Originally destined to study at Cambridge, he was called up for service in the Second World War before deciding to study architecture at the Architectural Association in London.
His first commission was a house, Farnley Hey, which was built for his brother as wedding present in Huddersfield.
It won the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) bronze medal in 1958.
He later moved to the Scottish Borders from London where he built The Rig, his home and studio in Gattonside before he designed and built Klein House for Bernat Klein and later a studio.
After building homes, he moved on to commercial properties including the Roxburgh County Offices (now the headquarters of Scottish Borders Council), a sports centre at the University of Hull and co-designed the The Nuffield Transplantation Surgery Unit at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital in 1963.
Klein House, the Bernat Klein Studio and Gala Fairydean Stadium are now protected as Category A, the highest level of protection for a building in Scotland of ‘special architectural or historic interest’.
Albert Hill, founding director of The Modern House, said: ‘My job involves travelling around Britain looking at some really exceptional houses.
‘Even though I have been doing this for over 12 years, once in a while I still get completely bowled over by a property and the Klein House was certainly one of those places.
‘In my opinion it is one of the very best Modern houses in the UK, with its winning combination of so many appealing elements.
‘Peter Womersley is without doubt one of the most underrated Modern architects, not only in the UK but in the world, and this is one of his masterpieces.
‘The richness and variety of the materials used, the elegant way that the architect plays with forms, and his lightness of touch are all evident here.’