This imaginatively renovated five-bedroom Victorian terraced house has undergone an exacting restoration and extension by Mesh Workshop that celebrates its original features using considered new materials and structural features. The expansive living spaces of the ground floor move from a contemporised Victorian parlour to a dynamic kitchen and dining room defined by the constantly moving shadows cast by the tryptic of skylights overhead. A luscious garden teems with greenery as a granite path leads towards a well-appointed studio. The restaurants, cafes, and wide-open spaces of Nunhead and Peckham Rye are a short walk away.

The Tour

Set on a quiet residential street in Nunhead the stock brick façade is accented by beautiful wooden sash windows and rendered detailing. The deep front garden has a bespoke wooden bike and bin store. The recessed front door opens to a wide entrance hall of geometric encaustic tiles and a whitewashed brick wall which leads towards the striking extension at the rear.

The overall feeling entering the house is one of light and connectivity. In the newly added kitchen, three wide skylights cut across the ceiling and a square picture window frames views of the luscious garden beyond. The movement of the sun throughout the day, and the changing of the seasons in the garden, keeps the light and sightlines constantly in flux establishing a strong connection to the outdoors.

The kitchen workspace runs along the right-hand side, bound by a deep island serving as a sociable congregating point at the centre of the plan. A large, glazed pivot door steps out from the kitchen to the garden. A thoughtful combination of textural finishes has been used to great effect to marry the raw original materials of the house with new additions. Maple worktops, ply cabinets and a salt and pepper concrete floor, warmed by underfloor heating, sit alongside exposed brick and beams. The new beams of the extension mirror the rhythm of those in the original house, which were exposed as part of the renovation, ensuring a continuity between the two. The current owners have established distinct sitting and dining areas within this space.

A clever dividing system marks the boundary between the original house and the extension. Metal framed folding doors with a delicate string insert create a semi-transparent screen separating the kitchen from the second reception room, currently used as a large workspace with plenty of built-in shelving. A reclaimed squash court floor runs from here to the living room at the front of the house.

In the main living room, ‘De Nimes’ by Farrow and Ball is carried from the walls over the ceiling; a playful twist alongside the traditional cornicing and ceiling rose that frame the space. Two elegantly curved sash windows bathe the room in natural light. There is a WC and plenty of additional utility storage on the ground floor concealed behind bespoke cabinetry clad in thin wooden louvres. Access to a large cellar is under the stairs.

On the first floor there are two generously proportioned double bedrooms with beautiful wooden framed sash windows. Each has room has newly renovated Jack and Jill en suite bathrooms, finished in terrazzo tiles and matt black fixtures and fittings. On the top floor skylights flood the space with natural light. It is currently configured as two bedrooms but a retractable partition could open this up to be one large room at the top of the house. Bespoke birch ply cabinetry has been expertly fitted into the pitch of the roof, the exquisite shadow gaps a testament to the craftmanship that runs throughout. From here there are beautiful views of the treetops to the rear of the house. A family bathroom on this level has been cleverly screened by wooden louvres on the exterior. Mosaic tiles wrap around the room and bathtub. There is more concealed storage around the edges of the room.

There is a well-appointed studio at the end of the garden. Clad internally in chipboard, this hard-wearing space has a kitchenette, en suite shower room and excellent internet. It would make a terrific office or guest accommodation.

Outdoor Space

The garden has been beautifully landscaped, by Rosie Bines of Petersham Nurseries, to create several distinct areas. Directly beyond the kitchen elegant slip bricks have been laid to create a patio area bound by jasmine, ivy and a reclaimed water trough providing a drink for the local bird life. This is tranquil spot with plenty of room for a dining table and chairs.

Mature plants wrap around the lawn including an acer, forest pansy and agapantha. Concrete planters have been cleverly fashioned out of reclaimed drainage pipes to provide more planting space. A granite pathway leads from the kitchen door to the studio at the foot of the garden. There is space here to appreciate the complexity of the rear elevation and the extensions clad in zinc and fine larch louvres.

The Area

Nunhead Cemetery is a beautiful woodland oasis, within walking distance from the house, with amazing views across the city skyline. The brilliant green spaces of Peckham Rye Park and Common and Telegraph Hill, are close by and convenient for dog walkers and children.

Peckham is well-known for its food scene with a vast array of independent restaurants, bars and cafes, including perennial local favourites Forza Wine, Levan, Artusi and Kudu, as well as Frank’s rooftop bar, Peckham Levels and the Bussey Building, which attract crowds from across the city.

Nunhead station is five minutes walk away and runs Thameslink services to Victoria and Blackfriars station. Queens Road Station is a under a 10-minute walk, running London Overground services to Shoreditch High Street and Dalston Junction in one direction and Clapham Junction in the other. Connections to the Jubilee Line can be reached at Canada Water in 10 minutes and the Northern Line at Clapham High Street in 11 minutes.  Peckham Rye is a 20-minute walk away and runs London Overground services as well as links to London Bridge in seven minutes and Blackfriars in 11 minutes.

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.