Spaces

HIGHGATE HILL

20th June 2014

Maybe it’s because of the summery weather here in the UK but I can’t help but be drawn to properties with a great indoor-outdoor flow at the moment. There’s something about that spilling-the-indoors-out that feels so appealing on these warmer days, and this five bedroom Victorian terraced house at Highgate Hill highlights this connection brilliantly.

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Located a short walk from Highgate Village in London – and near the open spaces of Waterlow Park and Hampstead Heath – this traditional house was remodelled by Dow Jones Architects in 2010-11. The owner is a gallery owner who opens the house for exhibitions, so the new design had to incorporate dual functions as both a family home and a private gallery – a light-filled bay-windowed reception room on the ground floor is currently used for displaying art.

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The house was refurbished from top to bottom, including new wiring and plumbing and insulation. The old concrete-tiled roof was replaced by a lighter structure that has created generous ceiling heights on the top floor. The bathroom on the first floor is a knockout space in its own right – just look at that freestanding bath, which is all the more striking when juxtaposed with the period fireplace and with the walls lined in art. Very inspiring (and an idea to steal) as even one piece of art can change the whole feel of a bathroom.

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It isn’t hard to define the highlight of this lovely house though: surely, that has to be the open plan kitchen, dining and living space that opens onto the rear garden. A rooflight was introduced to pull light into the deep floor plan here, and the blond large profile tiling (which is combined with underfloor heating) accentuates the effect of all this natural light streaming in.

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This interior reflects the quality of the materials and the craftsmanship poured into the project, and this feature is particularly evident in the kitchen with its bespoke oak cabinets and with a beautiful textured granite worktop.

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Some properties are about the drama of the unexpected, and true, from this property’s traditional façade you might not be anticipating the open plan living zone here either, but this house doesn’t have a shock factor as such. It isn’t radical; it’s just beautiful, really beautiful, with light, comfortable spaces you could imagine living in, and with an understated and timeless palette of materials – and all combined with the existing Victorian features in a very pleasing blend of old and new.

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This property was marketed by The Modern House.