Designed by Morales Finch architects in 2018, this acutely well-conceived four-bedroom house can be found on Blurton Road, in a coveted corner of Lower Clapton. The design reimagines the Victorian intentions to create a dynamic, open plan for modern living, introducing light throughout while employing a simple, grounding palette of natural clay-based finishes, concrete components, birch plywood and solid-oak detailing. The house reaches over 1,750 sq ft internally and has a wonderful private garden, landscaped with terracotta tiles and concrete planters and set beneath the dappled shade of silver birch trees.

Morales Finch’s intervention combines sculptural shifts in ceiling heights with clever spatial proportions. At the front of the house, behind a traditional facade, is a double reception with bespoke-plywood joinery that extends from the bay window. Flooring is birch-faced plywood and continues down a small set of stairs alongside a wonderful internal courtyard that distributes light to the plan’s centre.

At the rear, birch ply becomes terracotta tile, stretching from the internal courtyard, through the kitchen and into the garden, where they form raised planters. The kitchen is arranged along one wall, with oak cabinetry and stainless-steel worktops. Opposite is a dining area, bathed in light from a glazed section overhead. A utility room is positioned on the lower-ground level. The open-plan space is intimately connected with the outside; huge sliding doors open to both the garden which was designed by Miria Harris, and the courtyard where geometric tiles by Bert & May form a striking backdrop.

On the first floor, there are two bedrooms: one at each aspect and both with substantial built-in wardrobes. A large bathroom is positioned between them, set with concrete sinks, a bath and a separate shower. Restored sash windows remain one of few nods to the Victorian origins of the house while shadow gaps are used in place of skirting and cornicing.

The first-floor landing is a voluminous area which can be used flexibly as a workspace and is lit by skylights above the second floor. There are two bedrooms on the top level, one with an en-suite bathroom, the other with soaring double-height ceilings.

The redesign of the house also saw concerted technical upgrading, with CAT6 wiring and the installation of solar panels, double-glazed windows and underfloor heating throughout.

Blurton Road is well-located on the quieter residential streets of Lower Clapton between London Fields, Chatsworth Road and Clapton itself. It is intersected by Chatsworth Road, which runs north from Homerton to the green fields of Clapton and Hackney Marshes and offers a lively gauntlet of independent shops, cafes and restaurants such as P Franco, Jim’s Cafe, and specialist suppliers L’epicerie, London Borough of Jam and Hackney Draper. There is an excellent Sunday market and a number of good pubs in the area such as The Elderfield, Adam & Eve and The Spread Eagle, London’s first vegan pub.

Local Millfields park, the canal and the marshes are all a five-minute walk away and a fantastic escape amidst the urban setting. The canal path leads to the Olympic Park.

The house is situated approximately twelve minute’s walk from Homerton station, with Hackney Central and Hackney Downs slightly further, offering Overground lines to Stratford, Highbury & Islington and Liverpool Street.

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.