It took him a further six years to build Sandycombe Lodge on the larger plot, to his own designs. Turner apparently said that if he could have his life again, he would have been an architect, and the development of ideas for his home can be traced through sketchbooks now part of the Tate Britain archives.

Turner used this peaceful spot, with no other buildings nearby, to retreat from the pressures of the London art world, to walk and sketch along the Thames, to fish with one or two close companions, and occasionally to entertain larger groups of friends.

One of the fishing companions was John Soane, 20 years older than Turner, and a fellow Royal Academician. Soane was the architect of the Bank of England, and many other prestigious commissions. His influence on Turner's designs at Sandycombe was very strong, particularly seen in the series of arches in the small entrance hall and corridor, and in the graceful top-lit stair.