Meet the Team: Director of Digital Marketing Emma Mansell’s favourite first homes
In our ‘Meet the Team’ series, we’re getting to know The Modern House staff. Here, we’re talking to Director of Digital Marketing, Emma Mansell, about her favourite first homes we’ve sold over the last 12 years.
Emma joined The Modern House in 2016, after working in the art industry, with roles at the Wallace Collection, Modern Art Oxford and the Affordable Art Fair. Emma’s interest in Modernism stems from her time as an undergraduate at Oxford University, where she studied at the Arne Jacobsen-designed St Catherine’s College.
Taymount Grange II, Taymount Rise, London SE23
“This one is very small but it doesn’t feel like it. I really like the windows here, and from the outside the building looks really beautiful.
“It faces south-east, which means it would have loads of light coming through and in a smaller place I think that’s really important. I like the finish too, such as the bare plastered walls.
“It also has a communal garden, which would be perfect for me because I am terrible at gardening and don’t have the patience to look after one myself!”
Albion Works II, Sigdon Road, London E8
“I like that it’s all one space but there are quite distinct areas within that. Tying it all together are those wide wooden floorboards.
“Before being converted for residential use, the building was used for artists’ studios because of the amount of natural light that comes through the massive sash windows. It’s a great space, and to have a dining area in a first home feels like a luxury.”
Gibson Gardens, London N16
“I would love to live in Stoke Newington and this flat is really cute. I like the way you access it via a little cobbled street; it feels a little bit like Oxford.
“I think it feels cosy and homely, but not because it’s small. It’s relatively plain, with nice floors and windows, so you could leave your own mark, as the current owner, Holly Swayne, has done, which I really like.”
Keeling House IV, Claredale Street, London E2
“I really like this. Obviously, it’s a great building, and the views are great. I like that you can look out and see the city; it would make you feel very connected to London.
“It’s quite a small space, but the way that it’s been done with white walls, plus the levels of natural light, make it feel much bigger than it is and instil a sense of calmness.
“I think it also works well that the kitchen and living room are slightly divided because it gives a sense of having different areas in what is essentially an open-plan room.”
Tanner’s Hill, London SE8
“I think I just like how light it is, with those roof lights over the main space and the high ceilings. It’s very understated, and I think to live there would be quite calming because of that.
“It doesn’t have a bedroom as such, just a sleeping platform. But I quite like that because a first home should be about the size of the living space, and it doesn’t feel like wasted space in a limited footprint. And it’s got outdoor space; in a first home, that’s ideal.”
Read more: Meet the Team: Senior Sales Advisor Olivia Quirke’s favourite bedrooms
My Modern House: fashion editor Holly Swayne on small-space living in Stoke Newington
