We’ve covered some pretty outrageous properties in this segment: the former residence of a Countess, a John Nash-designed townhouse, Charles Dickens’ former home… all very lavish, very lofty. But, despite preconceptions, there are plenty of HNWs with understated appetites.
So, for this Property of the Month, we’re going back to basics. Consider this your real estate palate cleanser. Which is not to say that this home is humble – oh no, its position within a terrace of white stucco-fronted houses on Maida Vale’s Blomfield Road, and a £3 million price tag to match, ensures that.
This triplex home, set over raised ground, lower ground and garden levels, has both a communal entrance and a private one accessed via a stairway lined with wrought iron railings. There’s not one, but two private outdoor spaces, with direct access to landscaped communal gardens. Blomfield Road also forms part of Regency-era square Bristol Gardens, making it one of the most sought-after streets in one of West London’s most desirable neighbourhoods.
The maisonette is directly opposite Regent’s Canal, which snakes from Paddington to Limehouse, but this spit is particularly lovely, fringed by cute cafes and proper pubs. It’s also a stone’s throw from Little Venice (people disagree over whether it was Robert Browning or Lord Byron who coined the name), a confluence of canals where picturesque narrowboats dock. Alan Turing, Kate Moss, Jennifer Saunders and Noel Gallagher, to name a few, have called this area home.
But, at three bedrooms, the Blomfield Road property is comparatively small. The sensitively-restored home is just that: sensitive – no OTT fireplaces or chandeliers to let everyone know that ‘THIS IS A PERIOD PROPERTY’. The interiors have been given a rather less dramatic reinterpretation: smaller rooms have been knocked through to create open-plan living spaces, and everything is flooded with natural light via sash windows and glazed doors.
The decor, as mentioned, is tasteful, with stripped wooden floors and a palette of neutrals and blues throughout. The levels are linked by a contemporary wooden-tread and glass-balustrade staircase – all masterminded by interior design firm Camerich, which has worked on major London projects such as Gasholders in King’s Cross and Battersea Power Station.
We particularly love the bespoke country-style kitchen – with its mellowed-oak floorboards, marble-topped cabinetry and brushed brass fittings – and the lichen window shutters and Chinoiserie-inspired statement wall of the second bedroom. But the heart of the house has to be the mezzanine-style dining area which overlooks the garden floor below, which in turn leads into the main private garden via a pair of huge French doors.
Up on the third floor, meanwhile, the principal bedroom boasts floor-to-ceiling windows and a Juliette balcony, plus indulgent touches including a freestanding cast-iron bathtub and one entirely mirrored wall.
So there you have it: low-maintenance but lovely, candid yet quirky. This property proves that sometimes less really is more.
The Blomfield Road property is on the market for £2.9 million. Visit astonchase.com.
Read more: Gorgeous properties with access to London’s garden squares
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