The art of the 'slow build': How one man built his wife a writing studio for $3200

Surrounded by leafy gum trees and situated behind their bohemian family home in Hamilton, NSW, is the beautiful weatherboard studio built by Christopher Saunders for his wife Vanessa Bates, an award-winning playwright.

General Manager of Renew Newcastle by day, Christopher hand-built this peaceful sanctuary for less than the price of a week’s holiday, and all during his spare time.

“I was inspired by a local artist’s garden studio that was almost entirely constructed from windows. I knew I could create something similar on a paved area at the bottom of our garden that we barely ever used.”

As an actor and creative producer by trade, it was Christopher’s side job restoring antique furniture that gave him the skills he needed to turn his vision into a reality.

“Many years ago, I took on a furniture restoration apprenticeship to get me through university that gave me a real love of carpentry and wood. It also turned me into an avid collector. I dragged bits of timber and old furniture from house to house, knowing they would eventually be useful.”

It took Christopher almost three years to complete the studio, but the build was a creative labour of love, completed in his spare time and only using recycled and reclaimed materials from a variety of sources.

“I felt a primal desire to build something from scratch that would provide a unique shelter for Vanessa to work from. I started the project on our 20th wedding anniversary and finally handed her the keys three years later.”

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While he purchased some second-hand timber from gumtree, Christopher was lucky enough to be given most other supplies from friends and neighbours who were genuinely interested in what he was trying to achieve. He kept a close eye on the overall cost and spent just $3200 on the entire build.

The distinctive leadlight windows at the front of the studio came from a house around the corner belonging to a friend and colleague who was renovating

“The windows were just sitting in their garden getting worn by the weather, so it was a pleasure to be able to freshen them up and give them a new home in the studio.”

Other materials came from a variety of interesting sources including an old municipal building, a cinema and a church.

“The painted red door, sash windows and Oregon timber came from a local school of arts building that was undergoing renovations after a fire. I had some timber from an old cinema screen and two small leadlight windows from a neighbour who thinks they may have come from a stone church. I incorporated and repurposed a piece of etched glass I have had sitting in the garage from when we lived in Paris, leftover timber floorboards from our previous home in Sydney and even some wood from the back of an old wardrobe.”

Before he began the build, Christopher received a phone call from a neighbour to alert him to the fact part of an old house was being pulled down around the corner.

“I went and chatted to the demolition crew at the house who were happy to help me load up a few trailers full of perfectly useable 100-year-old timber and wheel it home. It saved the labourers an expensive trip to the tip, and I got most of the wood I needed for the studio’s joists and frame work in exchange for a case of beer.”

Friends and family were roped in for the first job of de-nailing and prepping this century-old timber, but from that point on Christopher attempted to do most of the work by himself.

“I was always grateful for the offers of support but ultimately it was my creative endeavour to finish. I did however accept all material donations and it was a great feeling when the studio was complete to invite everyone over to a thank you party and show them where their pieces were used.”

Christopher hopes his slowly-does-it approach to building will inspire others to feel they could achieve the same attractive, yet environmentally friendly result on a budget.

“When it comes to building, it is not always just about adding value to a home, sometimes it is about having the passion and determination to create something beautiful that has a purpose. In our case, my creative project has given Vanessa a special place from which to create exciting new written work, so it really is the gift that keeps on giving!”