Positioned on a secluded swooping terrace of grand Georgian villas is this exceptional five-bedroom house, recently renovated and extended by Casswell Bank Architects. Expansive interiors extend over four storeys comprising a sensitive fusion of streamlined contemporary materials with carefully preserved original features. The lower-ground floor living spaces open to a beautiful garden and patio, in keeping with the natural planting style and designs of Piet Oudolf. There are views of St Michael’s Church spire and grounds to the rear, while the cafes, restaurants and tube station at Stockwell are a short walk away.

The Architect

Casswell Banks is an award-winning architectural studio based in East London founded by practice directors Sam Casswell and Alex Bank. Working across various projects, the studio seeks to address the link between architecture and its impact on our wellbeing. Their hands-on approach gives life to exciting spaces brought together with specificity and care. Most recently, Caswell Bank was included in the Architecture foundation’s publication ‘New Architectures 4’ and won an Architects’ Journal Retrofit Award in 2021.

The Tour

The house presents a typically Georgian façade to the street; handsome London stock brick and white stucco lintels feature alongside large sash windows and a flight of stone steps. Access is gained via a front garden with grey wrought-iron railings set behind a mature Lime tree on the crescent.

Upon entry via an olive green front door, the contemporary elements of the house’s design begin to emerge. To one side of the entrance hall, a former pair of reception rooms have been opened up to create a single formal living room, bathed in natural light care of double-glazed sash windows at the front and rear elevations. There are engineered oak floorboards and a beautiful fireplace. Walls painted in pale pink tones chime wonderfully with the grain of the boards underfoot. Each of the paint tones chosen for the house have been carefully selected to match with traditional Georgian aesthetics, by renowned specialists Papers & Paints, based in Chelsea.

A bespoke staircase of solid oak leads down to the heart of the home, a newly created kitchen, living and dining room configured in a truly impressive open plan. These spaces have been the focal point of Casswell Banks’ interventions; a beautiful kitchen from Naked Kitchens, designed by Casswell Bank, is arranged around a large island with integrated Miele appliances and stainless steel work surfaces.  Cabinetry in the same olive green as the front door leads the eye across the top-lit dining space towards the garden and an elegantly arranged seating area. Two large format skylights over the dining and seating areas bathe these spaces in natural light, which resounds across the whole floor, care of beautiful terrazzo tiling by In Opera.

Oak cabinetry and panelling lines the walls and blends into an angular window, which traces the gentle curve of Stockwell Park Crescent itself. The window frames a raised flowerbed, and a large sliding glazed door opens to the patio and garden. This variation in glazing height and aspect is accentuated by a single mauve steel piloti that further emphasises this elegant departure from typical extension design.

There is a highly practical utility space on this floor, as well as an additional snug or television room positioned at the front of the plan. There is also lower-ground floor level access to these spaces, which has been cleverly created by a side-return extension that also results in the addition of a guest bathroom with a dramatic curved double-height ceiling.

The upper two floors of the house comprise four double bedrooms. All are of equal size and in the same configuration on both levels. On the first, the front-facing bedroom is fitted with full-length cabinetry in a warm Georgian yellow, which provides ample storage space. The main bedroom looks out onto the garden through the three-quarter length sash windows consistent throughout the house. The two bedrooms on the second floor are similarly decorated with engineered oak floors and pale walls.

Each floor has a bathroom furnished in grey-veined marble; the lower is equipped with a glass-fronted rainfall shower, and the upper has a deep-set bath.

Outdoor Space

A generous sunken patio opens out directly from the living and dining areas on the lower-ground floor. Terrazzo tiles flow from the interior spaces to the exterior, creating a seamless link between them. Raised concrete borders on either side are home to a wide variety of foliage, including ferns, tree ferns and perennial shrubs. A concrete step leads up to a long stretch of lawn, bordered by mature plants and trees, including pomegranate, quince and figs. At the foot of the garden is an additional seating area providing a tranquil shaded spot and views of the neighbouring church.

The Area

Stockwell Park Crescent is one of the finest residential streets within the Stockwell Park Conservation area. The crescent is a wonderfully peaceful enclave in zone two, backing onto St Michael’s Church and grounds, with the calm green space of Slade Garden Park just behind.

The neighbourhood known as ‘Little Portugal’ for its large and diverse Portuguese-speaking community is less than five minutes walk from the house and has a very good selection of pubs and restaurants, notably the Canton Arms. Nearby Brixton, a lively area, known for its excellent food and bar scene, is within easy reach, where Brixton Village, Market Row and Acre Lane are all highly recommended destinations. The Ritzy Cinema, Electric Brixton and Brixton O2 Academy are much-loved local institutions, and there are also regular farmer’s markets in Brixton and in nearby, Oval.

Clapham Common, Battersea Park, Brixton and the River Thames are all within walking distance. The greenery of Larkhall Park is only a fifteen-minute stroll away.

Stockwell Underground station is easily reached, with access to the Northern and Victoria Lines (providing quick access to central London) and connections to the London Overground at Clapham High Street. There are a number of buses that run into central London along Clapham and Brixton Road.

Council Tax Band: G

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.