This beautifully presented three-bedroom modern house was designed in the 1960s by renowned architect Norman Starrett as part of the Hyndewood Estate in Forest Hill. The house is oriented east-west, filling the thoughtfully arranged interior spaces and private garden with light throughout the day. At the end of the garden is a small workshop, and a garage on the estate is included in the sale.

Norman Starrett worked on several visionary small developments in south-east London, and this is an incredibly successful example of the attention to detail with which the young architect constructed his designs. The current owners have preserved the Starrett-designed elements with exacting care, complementing them with handmade contemporary elements where needed.

The house is set back from the quiet residential street, nestled behind a woodland-inspired front garden. Inside, a small porch leads to the open-plan living and dining spaces. Hardwood five-finger parquet runs underfoot and full-height sliding doors frame the view to the garden at the rear. Some original cabinetry has been repurposed to create inbuilt seating and a screen in the entrance hall, ensuring the flow of the ground floor spaces.

A long kitchen extends into the garden, separated from the living spaces by striking black 1960s cabinetry that surrounds a glass serving hatch. New plywood cabinets mirror the mid-century originals. At the end of the room, a back door opens onto a wonderfully private courtyard, which in turn extends into the west-facing garden.

On the first floor are two equal-sized bedrooms, each with deep fitted wardrobes and almost full-width windows that draw light into the spaces. Narrow board flooring leads across the hall and into the bathroom, which has been recently updated with cork cladding. Throughout the house an understated palette of white and natural wood and cork, seamlessly blends mid-century modern and new craft.

On the second floor is a third bedroom with a ply-panelled vaulted ceiling, that has views over the estate’s treetops from a row of clerestory windows.

Forest Hill has become an extremely popular area of south-east London with the help of the London Overground extension. As a result, there are plenty of very good independent cafes, restaurants and pubs in the area. The Horniman Museum and Gardens is a popular destination for young families, with a child-friendly café, anthropological museum and farmers’ market every Saturday morning.

The house is brilliantly located between Forest Hill and Sydenham, within easy reach of several green spaces and woodland parks including Dulwich, Sydenham Hill Wood and Crystal Palace. Mayow park is around five minutes away, with tennis courts, a playground and the charming Brown & Green Café.

Transport links are excellent with Forest Hill station approximately ten minutes’ walk, running services to London Bridge, Canada Water, Shoreditch and Highbury & Islington. Sydenham Hill station is also nearby and offers trains to City Thameslink and Victoria in under 20 minutes.

Dulwich College, Alleyn’s School, James Allen’s Girls’ School, and Sydenham High School for Girls are all close, as is an ‘outstanding’ German-British Kindergarten, around two minutes’ walk from the house.

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.