Built in 1961 by the revered Modernist architect John Winter, this exceptional three-bedroom house occupies a magnificent location, at the end of a quiet residential lane, overlooking the Regent’s Park in central London. Winter designed and built the house for his own use and lived at Regal Lane for a number of years in the 1960s, before notably building again on Swain’s Lane in Highgate.

This house on Regal Lane was the first that Winter built for himself and his young family after returning to the UK from America where he had worked with SOM and the Eameses. He and his wife, the graphic designer Val Winters, laid the bricks and mortar together in the cold winter of 1960, converting a set of former garages into a beautiful early example of his signature Modernist style. In this house it is possible to see how he became one of British Modernism’s greatest practitioners

Since its completion in 1961, and Winter’s subsequent move to Swain’s Lane, the house has been extended to plans of his own design, reconfiguring the layout and adding an extra room over the former garage. Winter felt a strong connection to the house and was consulted on all aspects of its redesign, until his death in 2012.

Regal Lane is a private leafy residential lane, directly overlooking the Regent’s Park. The house is positioned on a corner allowing for dual-aspect views to the south and west.  The façade of the house is formed of elegant cubed massing, in brick, shuttered concrete and glass, with a large balcony on the second floor, a typically large picture window on the first and external sun-blinds on the extension over the original garage block.

Upon entry, the house’s signature steel spiral staircase sits to one side, elegantly coiled through the core of the plan. A downstairs bedroom has been reconfigured as a yoga studio in recent years and has narrow floorboards, bespoke cabinetry designed by Winter and white-washed brick on the internal walls. There is an entirely original family bathroom in the middle of the plan, with original cabinetry. A recording studio occupies the remainder of this floor; a sound-proof live room is accessed via glazed door from the studio itself. These spaces have hessian-clad walls and storage spaces, as well as a built-in desk. They occupy the space of the former garage and could easily be reconfigured as a third bedroom.

The first-floor is arguably the most impressive space. Configured in an open-plan, a large living room looks out onto the tree-lined walls of Regal Lane, past white-stucco Georgian villas to the Regent’s park beyond. The space is bathed in natural light care of a large (12ft by 7ft) window to the south and smaller windows to the south-western aspect. There are narrow boards underfoot and bespoke shelving along one wall. These interiors remain largely unchanged since Winter first designed them. The steel spiral staircase suggests a delineation in the living areas which the current owners use to house their piano, opposite a fireplace of black slate and white-washed brick.

The kitchen and dining room sits above the former garage. Positioned two steps below the living areas, these spaces occupy an extension designed by Winter in the 1990s. There is a bespoke built-in seating area, orientated to a further full-height section of glazing with an externally-fitted Venetian blind. The table was an Eames design and the hanging pendant above was selected by Winter. The kitchen is simple and in need of some minor modernisation. It has a stainless steel worktop and a granite work surface adjoining the dining area.

The second floor is occupied by the master bedroom and en-suite bathroom. There is a dressing area between these two spaces with generous amounts of fitted wardrobe space. Full-height glazed doors face south-west, so that dramatic sunsets can be seen from the large balcony over the Regent’s Park. Fitted louvres sit over the glazed doors to create a partial sunshade and a visual dialogue with the external blinds below.

The front section of the former garage has been retained at street level, creating a perfect space for bike and bin storage, behind original wooden doors.

Regal Lane is a peaceful, verdant cul-de-sac in Primrose Hill. It is excellently positioned within walking distance of the cafes, shops and restaurants of Primrose Hill village and the bustling markets of Camden Town, directly overlooking the north-eastern edge of Regent’s Park.

The Regent’s Park with its boating lake, cafes, rose garden, open-air theatre and beautiful walks is five minutes from the front door, while the attractions of Central London are under thirty minutes’ walk, or one tube stop away. Primrose Hill itself is ten minutes’ walk from the house, offering unparalleled panoramic views of London’s skyline.

Camden Town station is the closest tube, approximately nine minutes’ walk from the house, running Northern Line services citywide. St Pancras International is a ten-minute drive, offering high-speed connections to the south coast and mainland Europe.

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.