As their antique-filled home on the top floors of a Victorian print works in Clerkenwell comes to the market, owners Paul Chaplin and Stephen Sprake open their doors for a look at why the apartment has been a special place to live.

Stephen: “Oh God, I’m so hesitant to call myself an antiques dealer because it sounds as if I spend my time looking for polished copper kettles and horse brasses. But yes, for lack of a better word, that’s what I do!

“In my work, I like to mix different furniture, light and art of different eras and I like to play with scale a lot too. At my shop, Sans Pretention, you might see a petite 19^th-century European oil painting next to a chunky 1950s bamboo chair or an African tribal mask. And I suppose it’s the same here, just in a domestic context.

“I grew up in the 1970s. My parents and their friends had inherited 18th and 19^th-century furniture, and they bought new pieces, which of course now is vintage. So, I grew up with that mix, and I still think it keeps things interesting. I try not to be a one trick pony as the people that I sell to are confident, creative types who enjoy mixing this up.

“Unfortunately, I think there’s a movement at the moment towards things looking a little bit too similar. To me, injecting interesting stuff and colour into your life is a more exciting prospect, really. That’s what we’ve tried to do here, but still kept it liveable, we hope.”

Paul: “We were in Chelsea before, in a flat we did a number on. It was a convenient place for both of us at the time, but when we came over east to see this we fell in love with the area. There was a greater sense of community here, and a feeling of belonging, which has endured since we’ve been here. You might not expect a tight-knit community in such a central location, but it’s really here.

“The place was virtually a squat when we bought it, so we had to start again. Downstairs, one of the most compelling things about the space is that it’s triple aspect, with uninterrupted views over St Luke’s Gardens on one side, and London’s skyline on the others. Adding rooms would have meant walls that blocked the light and views off, and so we came up with a glass partition instead to separate the space.

“Then, upstairs, we added a dormer to create a master bedroom and en-suite and outdoor terrace. Stephen’s the son of an engineer and he worked hard in ways you’d never notice to get the design right so that the space feels generous and airy.

“It was important to get the right balance between old and new. Thankfully, the cheap laminate floors that were here had actually done a perfect job of protecting the original ones underneath. All the windows are original and have been beautifully restored, but we’ve added modern acoustic glass so they’re better performing.”

Stephen: “It’s remarkably quiet in this flat, which is lovely. We’re in the middle of the city but between the quietness and the fact we’re not overlooked at all, it’s a very calm, restful space.

“The area couldn’t be better, as it’s so centrally located to everywhere we need to be. We cycle most places, and when we walk home we pass St Luke’s Church with its surrounding cobbled streets and beautiful old streetlamps that have a wonderful historic feel.

“What’s been really interesting to see is the metamorphosis of Old Street for the better. It used to be hectic and aggressive, but since they’ve diverted the traffic and new businesses have opened up it feels much more genteel.”

Paul: “It’s also a great cultural spot, as we have Sadler’s Wells, Guild Hall of Music & Drama and the Barbican Centre all within walking distance. Hopefully when we move, we’ll stay in this area.

“We have a second home on the beach in Kent, near Dover, that we’re spending more and more time in. It’s a tiny cottage that we’ve built a hull around to make look like a boat, which we gave the tongue-in-cheek name of Tuggers. We looked at it one day and the way the chimney comes out of the wall reminded us of the wheelhouse of a boat – the cogs started turning from there.”

Stephen: “My version of that story is that I had to get him drunk and say, ‘Darling, let me turn our house into a boat’! It wasn’t done for investment, so it’s entirely for our own enjoyment, and it’s wonderful.

“But, because Paul’s not tied to a desk, and my shop can operate without me there day-to-day, we’d like to upsize in Kent and keep something smaller in London.

“I think it’s the peacefulness here that will be hard to find again in this area. In our bedroom, we wake up, open the curtains and look out onto trees and sky, with no onlookers. That’s a very rare thing in London.”