Turner's Sandycombe Lodge Reopens After £2.4M Restoration

Sandycombe Lodge, the Twickenham villa designed and inhabited by J.M.W. Turner, will reopen to the public in September after a £2.4 million restoration. Built in 1813 along the Thames according to Turner's precise specifications, the house had fallen into severe disrepair and was placed on Historic England's Buildings at Risk register in 2013. Donated to the nation in 2010, the restoration was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and private sponsors. The meticulous project restored the brick facade and original interiors based on Turner's sketches, removing later architectural additions. The garden is being replanted to evoke Turner's painted landscapes, and prints of his works are displayed inside. The reopening follows a trend of artist house museums, including recent openings of Casa Modigliani in Spoleto, Renoir's summer home in Essoyes, Pirandello's house museum in Agrigento, and a Mondrian museum in Amersfoort.