Ask Jeremy and Lena Armitage what they like most about their home and, without hesitation, they choose the stairs and entrance hall. Not the beautiful living room, nor the sleek kitchen or, indeed, their chic master bedroom.
But this area wasn't always their favourite. When the Armitages moved into their upper villa conversion in Kirklee, Glasgow, the entrance hall was unremarkable. Now, the area has been transformed by an intervention which transcends the term ''home improvement''. Think art installation instead. A
Seventies botch of a Victorian staircase, a thing of banality, was torn out and replaced by a breathtaking metal sculpture, a thing of beauty.
Created by the master silversmith and blacksmith John Creed, an accomplished Scottish artisan (and father of Turner prize winner Martin) whose work graces public collections as diverse as the National Museums of Scotland and The Vatican, the unique sculpture makes a stunning impact.
Almost three metres tall at its highest point, at the foot of the stairs it arcs and curves its way up to provide a dramatic introduction to the Armitage home. They couldn't be more delighted with the result. In fact, they threw a party to celebrate its completion.
''It was a very awkward, enclosed space before - a large newel post confronted you as soon as you walked in the door and there was no circulation area,'' says Lena. ''People had to head straight out of the door when they were leaving - there were no lingering goodbyes.
''We discovered how effective the new staircase was when we threw the party - you could actually stand in the hall and chat.''
Jeremy adds: ''We wanted something which would open out at the foot of the stairs and embrace visitors, welcome them in.''
The piece is the result of a quirky barter. Jeremy, an architect with his own practice, Armitage Associates, had worked with John Creed on the RGI's Kelly Gallery in Glasgow. Impressed by each other's work and enjoying the collaboration they made a pact: Creed would make the staircase if Jeremy designed a sun room extension for John's workshop at his home in Lenzie.
The Armitages worked closely with John on planning the sculpture and the complex dimensions were painstakingly plotted. The trio have designed an optical illusion which William Adams would be proud of. From the top of the staircase, the handrail seems to run parallel with the wall although it ingeniously creates a fake perspective and slopes out further at the bottom while the subtle undulation of the main structure turns the seemingly straight steps into a sweeping vista.
Twisted steel rope wires enhance the sense of energy and fluidity and visitors, myself included, remark on the harp-like quality of the work.
''It would be nice to get the wires tight enough to play but we can't,'' says Jeremy.
In fact, John included the wire ropes as a reference to Lena's background - she studied woven textiles at Edinburgh College of Art.
It's an exceptionally glamorous piece of art and one complemented by careful accessorising and decor. ''There is such a warmth to the metal, actually a brownish timbre to it, and I wanted to pick that up subtly,'' says Lena.
The walls have been painted in a soft taupe shade from Fired Earth's Kelly Hoppen's
Naturals range while the facing main wall at the top of the stairs was picked out in the contrasting, exuberant Madder Red, also from Fired Earth.
The vibrant cerise tone is echoed up in a small tapestry which the couple, who met at Edinburgh College of Art in the Seventies, bought at an exhibition of Anne King's work. ''It's quite small but we were students at the time and it was the only thing we could afford,'' says Lena.
The duo have always been as interested in arts and crafts as contemporary architecture and design and the decor of their home, which they share with their youngest son Jamie, 14, reflects this. Daughter Hannah, 22, has followed in her father's footsteps and is studying architecture at Edinburgh College of Art, while John, 20, is studying physics at Imperial College, London.
While the Armitages have tamed some of the more extreme Seventies interventions which had been made during the earlier conversion and have restructured the apartments substantially - moving the kitchen and extending the master bedroom - they decided against going the whole hog and reinstating all the Victorian features which had been ripped out.
''When we moved in we decorated everywhere and put down a a hardwood floor in the living room. There was no cornicing in this room - it had been taken out and we did think about replacing it and then decided not to as we liked the modern feel to it,'' says Jeremy.
The kitchen boasts an impressive sleek stainless steel range but Lena has been
careful to create a homely feel, with a bright array of framed prints and a few of her own watercolours clamouring for attention on the vibrant orange wall.
The artwork includes an unusual painting which the couple bought years ago from a young man who was exhibiting at a community arts show in Maryhill. ''It's a self-portrait painted in emulsion on to newspaper; it's very striking and we often wonder what became of the boy with one blue eye and one brown eye,'' says Lena.
In contrast, their master bedroom on the first floor - the children all have bedrooms and share a bathroom on the spacious upper floor - oozes tranquillity, decked in neutral shades and complemented by a stunning, chic en suite, which has been painted in a sultry violet shade.
The spacious light-flooded living room, which links to the adjoining dining room via glass sliding doors, is full of stylish objects, such as a Marcel Breuer tubular steel and leather chair and a reproduction Eileen Grey table and personal mementoes, including a pen and ink drawing of Papa Stour, the Shetland island Lena hails from, a watercolour of the area in India where Jeremy was born and a quirky flying dragon which was a gift from friends. ''It has hung in every house we've lived in,'' says Lena. ''It's just a little toy but we like it and everyone who comes here always stops and plays with it.''
The hallway is host to an eagle, swooping from the ceiling, which Jeremy made with John years ago; an exquisite gilded mirror which was designed by his grandfather, Joseph Armitage, an acclaimed master stonemason; and a chic, flexible aluminium tall light from Dallas and Dallas.
More illumination is shed from a striking plaster of Paris Vestal Virgin who stands watch over the doorway. The lantern she held has been replaced by a dainty
electric light in her palm.
''I got drunk one night at a dinner party and offered to buy six of the statues from a chap at BP who was organising the clearance of stuff from old buildings in preparation for
the company's move into their new headquarters,'' explains Jeremy.
''She's rather plain. I keep meaning to make an extravagant Venetian mask for her to liven her up,'' says Lena. ''An architectural student who was working for us gave us the shawl which is from Czechoslovakia so we draped it over her arm to add a splash of colour.''
At six foot tall, the Virgin would be a
powerful, even overwhelming, presence in any room but there can only be one focus in this space and next to Creed's glorious
staircase she seems dwarfed, a testament
to the power and beauty of this unique domestic artwork.
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