Artist Kitty North was searching for a home/gallery in which to showcase her colourful landscape paintings when she came across a disused tannery in Bermondsey, south-east London. Although the space was bare and unloved, the bones of the building were exactly what she was looking for – and she knew precisely what she wanted to do with it. Kitty commissioned John Pawson, whose minimalist aesthetic had caught her eye, to transform the old warehouse into a clean and calm space for displaying art.

That was in 1996: Kitty has now lived in and loved the space for nearly 30 years. She describes it as cosy and creative – words you might not typically associate with minimalism. But she’s quite right: the stripped-back space is, in fact, full of life – the natural light casting beautiful, tonal shadows across the white walls; the characterful patterns and golden hues of the wood creating warmth. But, having split her time between Bermondsey and her native Yorkshire, where she has her art studio, Kitty is ready to make the permanent move back north. Here, over a coffee at her dining table, we sit down with Kitty to discuss working with John, why less is more and what she’ll miss most about the space. Plus, check out the listing here.

“When I first came across the building in 1996, it was an old leather tannery. There were just brick walls, and the air was cool, but I immediately saw what we could do with it. Back then, you couldn’t get a coffee between here and London Bridge. The whole of Bermondsey Street was empty. It was just warehouse after warehouse, but it was obvious things were going to take off because it’s so close to the city.

“I’m an artist and I wanted something that was like a minimal gallery to showcase my work. I was familiar with John Pawson because he’d done galleries in London. I love his aesthetic – the gallery white walls and natural materials set artwork off beautifully. He’s a Yorkshireman, too!

“John kindly said he’d come and look and the space for me. He had been in Hong Kong, and he literally drove straight here from the airport. He arrived and drew the plan there and then on the back of an envelope. That was the start of it.

“The table, stools and beds were all designed by John for the space – six ash trees made the floor and the furniture. There’s such beauty in the simplicity of the wood. You feel enveloped in it all – and it’s really cosy. I like to just sit at the dining table with a bowl of soup and just be.

“I totally get John’s thing with natural materials and simple design. It’s the Yorkshireness. In Yorkshire, you can’t get away from them, you work and live with them. That’s what I like about this space – it just contains what you need.

“I do think less is more. How much stuff do we really need? Do you need to fill a space with soft furnishings? I like to have one really nice thing and live with it, not change it often. I think cherishing places and things is really important. And that’s what I’ve done here.

“It’s a great space to live in. All the spaces work so well together. I don’t think it gets much better than this. To me, the kitchen is one of John Pawson’s best kitchens because of its scale. There were several things he said that stick in my mind – one of them is ‘you never see a dirty sink in a minimal property’ and ‘if you want to sit, go to bed.’ Ever since then, if I leave anything a bit untidy, I always think of John saying, ‘no, go on, clean it.’ I don’t ever leave a dirty cup in the sink!

“I will miss the space itself the most. It’s just wonderful. Being in this space makes me feel so creative. I like the versatility of it. There’s massive potential to take it to another level. You could do so many different things with it.

“It certainly feels like home. I’m very attached to it. All the memories come flooding back when I’m here. I have had so many exhibition openings here – it’s absolutely perfect for hosting exhibitions. Also, I have had great summer parties on the top floor with the door open to the outdoor space.

“I had three dancer friends live here once – they were like three little angels dancing around. You could hear the lovely sound of their ballet shoes tapping on the wooden floor from the level underneath. There’s something about the little noises the wood makes. It was the same in 1996 as it is today, which I love. I know the sound of every single board and that’s such a special thing.

“It’s such a beautiful space. I can really imagine it attracting so many different people, because it really is a blank canvas for any kind of lifestyle.”