Five years ago, when Daniel Baer and Jassim Ahmad were looking to buy, they were after “a certain kind of house”. They wanted an inspiring live/work space from which Daniel could run his tableware brand, Monoware, that could double as a home to raise their daughter. Having signed up for listing alerts on The Modern House, they received one that instantly caught their eye, featuring an extraordinary courtyard house in south-east London. “It blew us away,” says Daniel, recalling their initial viewing. “It was late afternoon and the way the light was shining on the building was just beautiful.” Fast forward to now – and a landscape project later – we return for our Checking In film series to see how they’ve settled in and made the place their own.

As long-term readers of The Modern House might know, this is not our first trip to Yard House. In fact, we met the previous owners, Steve and Tracy Fox, here when they put it on the market in 2018. After purchasing the plot of a disused milk yard in East Dulwich, the couple commissioned Jonathan Tuckey to design a house from scratch. Like us (we’ve featured Jonathan on our podcast and in a film about his own courtyard house), Daniel and Jassim are fans of the architect. “We’d been following his work for a while,” says Jassim. Visting Yard House, they took a shine to its intriguing structure, which was inspired by agricultural buildings, and its interesting palette – think translucent polycarbonate panels and breezeblocks.

Since moving in, the couple have not only put their stamp on the interiors, with a stripped-back material-led scheme, but they’ve completely overhauled the courtyard too. Daniel and Jassim worked with landscape designer Tom Massey to create a thickly planted garden of flourishing greenery. There are also perennials, such as Japanese anemones, and numerous birch trees casting the space in glorious, dappled light. Whether it’s in full bloom or on the cusp between seasons, the couple says the garden looks its best when their daughter is playing there, watching birds or interacting with nature – moments Daniel describes as “magical.”

Watch our film now and discover what Daniel and Jassim cherish most about life here – as well as the ways their home inspires Monoware. And make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay updated with our weekly film episodes. Enjoy!