Damien Hirst’s Chelsea houseboat renovation
Artist Damien Hirst and his Californian wife Maia Norman restored a houseboat as a city bolt-hole
Artist Damien Hirst and his Californian wife Maia Norman wanted a city bolt-hole. Maia found a floating houseboat in Chelsea – a sort of pied-sur-mer – and set about restoring it.
Running up a £65,000 bill at London’s Metropolitan Hotel meant that it was high time artist Damien Hirst and his wife Maia Norman bought a base in the capital. But instead of the edgy enclave of Hoxton, they chose to restore the Signe Maria, a dilapidated houseboat moored on the Thames at Chelsea – it was the perfect choice for Maia, who hails from Pacific-lapped California. ‘It’s the closest thing in London to the beach,’ she pronounced.
California-born Maia leapt at the chance to live on the Thames at Chelsea, seeing it as the closest thing to the beach in London. Photo: James Balston
The £160,000 houseboat renovation quickly became Maia’s baby. She didn’t like the grungy interior, so it was stripped back to the steel framework. Add the cost of the dry-dock, essential during the restoration and refitting, and the budget rapidly escalated, but Maia remained undeterred.
The tongue-and-groove walls of the main living space conceal insulation that protects the interior from damp and draughts. Photo: James Balston
When it came to the interior, she was clear that didn’t want ‘anything too clean and brand-new looking’ and articulated her ideal look as ‘Ralph Lauren beach hut with patina’, which has translated in real terms to tongue-and-groove walls and squashy banquettes.
Neutral backgrounds are matched with touches of bright colour, such as the Mexican jaguar heads that decorate the dining area. Photo: James Balston
Though the furniture looks built-in, much of it can be reconfigured for different purposes. Outside, the laid-back nautical look continues, with cladding in duck-egg blue. The draughts and damp of houseboat living were eradicated by insulated walls and underfloor heating.
Damien Hirst’s houseboat, the Signe Maria, has the appearance of a traditional beach hut. Photo: James Balston
But what this couple love best is the stillness of this comfortingly compact ‘pied-sur-mer’. Which, despite its London setting, has proved far more peaceful than the busy social whirl of their country home.
