My House: They Said Farewell to London and Moved Into a 17th-Century Water Mill

For artists Miriam Nabarro and Simon Quinn, the transition from living in a London apartment to a 17th-century mill in rural Hampshire marked a new chapter in their creative practices. From the moment they set foot on site, the couple were captivated by the property’s potential—a sentiment shared by architect Oliver Cooke, cofounder of London-based Cooke Fawcett Architects.

"It’s the kind of amazing site where you visit, and you have to try not to get too excited," he says. "The way it’s embedded in nature is extraordinary—it’s this historic mill surrounded by woods and water. It’s a really provocative place."

While the couple had initially dreamed of transforming the 17th-century mill into a studio, it soon became apparent that its historical importance and listed status would make this impossible. Instead, it served as inspiration for a new, separate studio and an extension that wraps around the Victorian-era mill cottage, framing the past with the present. 

The design process was intensely collaborative, and Miriam’s Australian heritage and love of architect Glenn Murcutt was a driving inspiration for the project’s embrace of indoor/outdoor living.

"It was such a shared passion," says Cooke. "That Australian, tropical interpretation of modernism is very lean and utilitarian, but elegant. It felt like an interesting fit for a utilitarian space that needed to inspire. One of the things I found so interesting about the brief was this combination of very practical yet very atmospheric elements."