Painter's paradise

Jeni Johnson is an artist based at Havelock Walk in Forest Hill, south east London. To see her work click here or visit www.havelockwalk.com

What dark forces compelled you
to move to a live/work unit?

Affordability was a big factor in that we were able to include the cost of the studio in the rent. When we moved to a live/work I’d just come from the country to London to further my career, so that was another reason, and also for the community because there are lots of other live/work units here. It was great for meeting people because I didn’t know anyone before and now I know lots of people.

Did the term live/work mean anything to friends and family or did describing your new home/studio entail tedious explanations?

My father knew about it. He has a little shed that he’s turned into an office so he disappears off on his own to work there, which is what I like doing as well. But no one else really knew about it – they were surprised by the large open living space.

How long have you been based there and how long do you plan to stay live/working?

Three years, and we’re hoping to buy the unit. It’s actually better than I expected – I wasn’t expecting such a sense of community. I did it for the affordability more than anything else.

What attractive features did your unit have to offer?
For example, floors, walls, plumbing, a roof...?

I was having a child so space was a major factor. They’re very nice live/work units – they’re very large spaces and the owner has done them up to a very high standard.

What extras have you added to make it functional, comfortable and easy on the eye?

We’ve added a few screens to cordon off certain areas. The studio is separate from the living space because we’re a family. I had my office upstairs which was quite messy so I added a screen to separate that off. We’ve moved the space around quite a bit depending on what we needed at the time.

What motivates you to start and
stay working each day (or night)?

Well I love painting, so I find it quite easy.

How long does it take to reach your studio in the
morning and what mode of transport do you use?

I go down the stairs.

Do you ever find work takes a back seat to valuable conflicting interests like going back to bed, watering the plants or staring out the window?

No. If anything I find I work more and ignore all the cleaning and stuff like that. I’d much rather be working.

Do you ever feel slightly cut off from the rest of the world or is that an advantage in your line of work?

Because it’s part of a big live/work community I never feel cut off – there are always people around. Even having children it’s nice to know that people are at home – we meet for coffee and things like that.

Is there anything that you miss about the more conventional home/studio divide?

No! Not me.

On what terms would you contemplate
a return to the other side?

It would be nice to have a garden, although some of the units here have roof terraces. I know other artists who’ve changed their houses around and converted part of it to a studio, but I don’t find that works as as well. I’d always avoid that if I could.