This immaculate three-bedroom Span house is set amongst the manicured gardens and orchards of the Eric Lyons-designed estate at West Oak in Beckenham. A wonderful example of the architect’s renowned T8 design, the house retains excellent original features throughout and has been the subject of a loving restoration by the current owners. Bespoke hardwood joinery and mid-century details chime with contemporary interventions to create a truly exacting interpretation of the Span design.

This house has a private garden at both aspects, planted at the rear with sculptural tropical plants that provide an evergreen outlook. The estate has fantastic communal facilities, with a meadow and grassy orchard that the active community use for residents’ events. West Oak is a seven-minute walk from Ravensbourne Station which runs direct services to Elephant & Castle and Blackfriars stations.

The house sits behind lush foliage, its neat geometric façade shaded from view. Measuring almost 900 sq ft internally, the plan for these houses is incredibly efficient. A perfectly compact porch set with chequerboard tiles leads into the ground-floor living spaces, where the kitchen lies to the left, and the living and dining room open straight ahead. There are wonderful views directly through the spaces on entry, drawing the eye to the connection between inside and outside space through huge sliding doors at the rear.

The kitchen appears completely original, separated from the living spaces by a double-sided cabinet with a lovely serving hatch. However, it was custom built to the original Lyon’s design (using an iroko counter rather than rosewood) to replicate a neighbours’, after the joinery from this house was previously removed. This epitomises the unique approach to renovation taken throughout; a rare restoration, faithful to the original and beautifully paired with contemporary finishes including Vola taps and rubber floors.

There is a remarkable attention to detail throughout, with originals salvaged and reinstated such as Pilkington borealis glass in the doors, or replacements with contemporary alternatives such as FSB to supplement the original Wehag door furniture.

Golden-hued five-finger parquet runs throughout the living spaces, which are intersected with handsome freestanding Utile African hardwood cabinetry at one angle, and original sliding doors that enclose the study at the other. Windows throughout have been replaced with carefully-chosen Rationel aluminium-clad timber frames, and a set of Vision sliding doors open the ground floor spaces to the garden.

On the first floor are three bedrooms. Each has exposed ceiling beams, and the larger two have in-built wardrobes. The bathroom is mostly original, again with Vola taps, and retains its immediately recognisable black and white tiling and angled walls, typical of all Span designs.

The house can be found in leafy Beckenham, just south-east of central London in the Borough of Bromley. Nearby Beckenham Place Park is a wonderful green oasis, the largest in the south-east London. It is home to the newly-opened Homestead Café, for proper beer, pizza and Squaremile coffee.

West Oak sits amidst a triangle of stations. Ravensbourne Station is seven minutes’ walk from West Oak, and runs services Elephant and Castle in around 25 minutes and London Blackfriars in approximately 31 minutes. Nearby Beckenham Junction station runs services to London Blackfriars in around 19 minutes, London Victoria in just 22 minutes, and London Bridge in 36 minutes. New Beckenham station serves Charing Cross, Cannon Street and London Bridge. All stations are in Zone 4. Beckenham Junction is also connected to the tram network that runs towards Wimbledon.

Tenure: Freehold
Service Charge: approx. £96 per month (includes maintenance of communal gardens and grounds)

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.