This former modelmaking workshop on the popular Hackney Road was built in the 1960s and converted to a three-bedroom family home some thirty years later. Retaining all the hallmarks of the original warehouse, the space was cleverly reconfigured to respond to the original fabric of the building with its strip of pitched skylights and textured stock-brick walls. In contrast, the fixtures employed are sleek and pared back: a combination of stainless steel, plywood and raw concrete slabs.

This home presents a tremendous opportunity as a project with rare, original bones and a discreet entrance in one of east London’s most desirable areas.

The Tour

The building occupies the site of a former timber yard that historically served the Shoreditch furniture trade and now comprises an office space and two apartments (including this one). It is accessed from the street. A long corridor leads to the apartment’s private entrance, which in turn opens to a wide lobby area flooded with natural light, care of the skylights above. This area is laid with large sheets of plywood, a material accent reflected in the open bookshelf that lines the staircase opposite.

Arranged in reverse, the bedrooms lie on the ground floor, while the open-plan living spaces occupy the entirety of the first. Upstairs, this striking room is defined by the quality of light that pours in from above and the original timber frame windows that punctuate the left-hand wall. A minimal stainless steel kitchen with integrated Smeg appliances spans the right side. Original pine floorboards traverse the length of the room. Expansive and voluminous, the space offers plenty of scope for multiple configurations.

At the opposite end, a glazed door leads to a mezzanine level with vast double-height ceilings and a void space, which looks over the main bedroom below. There is a useful utility cupboard here as well as a WC positioned on this floor.

Lights set into the wall flick on in response to movement within the hallway that leads towards each of the three ground-floor bedrooms. Each bedroom retains its original Crittall windows and plenty of storage in the form of chunky bright orange shelving or built-in wardrobes. The main bedroom sits at the rear, partly illuminated by the soaring triple-height ceiling that looks towards the mezzanine on the first floor.

Predominantly clad in large slabs of reclaimed concrete, the spacious bathroom has a separate shower, generous bath and double sinks. A door from here also leads to the courtyard.

Please note: the apartment is largely in its original condition and may require some updating.

Outdoor Space

Residents have access to a courtyard area, accessible on the ground floor, which could easily house a table and chairs, and some pot plants. Although communal due to the configuration of the building, this area feels wonderfully private and secluded.

The Area

The immediate area is renowned for its vibrant culinary scene with The Marksman, Brawn, Morito, Bistrotheque and Campania close by. Dom’s Subs make excellent sandwiches and O-Zone is a popular spot for coffee.

Columbia Road runs parallel, with its strip of well-preserved independent shops and a remarkable flower market on Sundays. Broadway Market is only slightly further away and has established a stellar reputation for its excellent eateries and weekend market.

The apartment is very well positioned for the green spaces of London Fields and Victoria Park. The Regent’s Canal path is under a minute’s walk away, for easy access to Broadway Market and Victoria Park in one direction, and to Angel and Islington in the other. For more inspiration, see our residents’ guides to Bethnal Green and to Hoxton and Haggerston.

Cambridge Heath Overground Station offers direct trains to Liverpool Street with a journey time of around seven minutes, and Bethnal Green Underground Station has excellent links to central London via the Central Line.

Tenure: Leasehold
Lease Length: Approx. 999 remaining
Service Charge: Approx. £1,800 per annum 
Ground Rent: Approx. £250 per annum
Council Tax Band: E

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.