Carrie Reichardt’s home (AKA the Mosaic House) is tucked away down a quaint and quiet suburban street in Chiswick. And it’s a pretty remarkable sight. A building covered from top to bottom in colourful mosaic tiles; it tells a thousand stories – each reflecting the various influences and artists who helped to create the mosaic masterpiece since the project first began in the 1990’s.
The exterior of this five bedroom house, owned by artist Carrie Reichardt, is now an eye-catching piece of public art. Without the restrictions of the galleries that she once worked in; Carrie decided to use her home as the canvas, and so she could do exactly what she pleased. The house is adorned in loads (and we mean loads) of moasaic tiles, bright colours, and strong political messages. And standing proudly in the middle of an ordinary street in a rather affluent area – it certainly doesn’t blend in!
Credit: @mosaichousechiswick via IG
You could spend hours gawping at the house, and you still wouldn’t even come close to spotting every teeny-tiny detail hidden amongst the plethora of tiles. It’s riddled with secrets and stories. Amongst other things, you’ll find various tributes to American prisoners, which represent part of Reichardt’s long running art campaign against the death penalty. Perhaps the most significant memorial is that of Luis Ramirez, who was Reichardt’s pen pal while he was on death row in the early 00s. He somehow managed to send her his prisoner ID card and it is now contained in resin on the back of the house.
Beady-eyed visitors may also spot a blue plaque on the front of the house which, at first glance, looks just like the English Heritage ones that you may have seen elsewhere. But, upon closer inspection, it is in fact fully mosaiced and reads: “The Treatment Rooms. 2002 – Now. Lots of people lived here and partied hard.” You’ll also find a giant mosaic recreation of the famous Hokusai Wave on the back of the house, which Reichardt claims is a representation of climate change and rising sea levels.
The Mosaic House truly is a spectacular sight to behold and well worth visiting. But remember that although this is, of course, a piece of public art and is there to be enjoyed – this is also a lived-in house on a lived-on street. So, as always, please be respectful of that.
You’ll find the Mosaic House at 4-6 Fairlawn Grove, Chiswick, W4 5EL. Find out more about it and plan your visit here.