London SW9Sold

Kay Road

A kitchen extension has given new life to this historic home, opening to a secluded, southwest-facing garden and patio swathed in greenery

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This handsome Victorian terrace house sits just outside the Stockwell Green Conservation Area, a historically significant enclave of South London. Unfolding across three storeys and spanning over 1,550 sq ft, the house was previously renovated by architects Methodic Practice, who introduced a playful palette and a series of creative interventions, bringing a contemporary touch to the home’s many well-preserved Victorian features. The house has been sensitively reconfigured, extending the kitchen/dining area as well as the loft, where the primary bedroom suite is found, allowing the space to better serve modern living and to take advantage of the abundant light over the secluded southwest-facing garden. Thoughtful interventions have given new life to this historic home, as well as adding plenty of extra entertaining space at the rear of the plan, which opens to the garden and large patio swathed in varied greenery.

Setting the Scene

Stockwell is one of the oldest and longest established hamlets in the London Borough of Lambeth. It grew around the eponymous open space of Stockwell Green, which is still legible despite being built over in the late 19th century. The area was largely developed during the 18th and 19th centuries as wealthy merchants took advantage of available rural land to build stately villas away from the crowded city centre. Kay Road is a quiet street nestled in the heart of the Stockwell ‘triangle’; it’s less than a 10-minute walk to the centre of Stockwell and around 10 minutes to Brixton and Clapham High Street. The road is lined with Victorian terraces built in London yellow stock brick characterised by their ornate stucco-rendered vestibules, decorative trims and large bay windows. For more information, please see the History section below.

The Grand Tour

Behind a charming low wrought-iron gate, a chequerboard quarry-tiled path leads through a neat front garden to the main entrance, decorated with a generous transom light above. The bright entrance hall is painted the sunny shade ‘Yellow Pink’ by Little Greene, and solid ash timber flooring stretches underfoot. All of the timber flooring has been painted with Osmo Polyx-Oil, increasing its durability and resistance to all of life’s messes, and giving it a wonderful glossy finish. The hall extends to the kitchen/dining space, allowing ample light to flood in from both directions. A convenient WC fits beneath the staircase leading to the first floor, and a handy storage cellar is also accessible.

Off the entrance hallway to the left is a spacious reception room. A large wraparound five-bay timber-framed window is the focal point of this space, which, like all woodwork in the house—including the front door, internal doors and windows—is painted a deep, rich shade of green. Half-height plantation blinds and a landscaped hedge provide privacy to the front of the plan. Methodic Practice opened up this grand room by removing an internal wall, creating a dynamic, functional space without sacrificing character. Walls painted in the subtle shade of ‘Strong White’ by Farrow & Ball complement the ornate tiling of the original fireplace, which features a functioning open fire and granite hearth, and allow the moulded cornicing to shine. Built-in shelving has been added within one alcove, providing essential storage space, and the solid ash timber flooring continues here, its honeyed tone adding warmth to the space. Double-glazed timber sash windows have been installed throughout the house.

The reception rooms lead directly to the kitchen/dining space. This space was completely renovated and extended by Methodic Practice, opening up the previously dark space and allowing direct views from the reception room through to the expansive, light-filled kitchen and lush garden beyond. The bespoke Jewson kitchen has one long run of units topped with a granite worktop along one wall, top-lit by an extended roof light with exposed timber beams. A microwave and two ovens are integrated opposite. A floating shelf provides additional storage and display space above the sink, while smooth, wide granite flagstones with underfloor heating complete the room.

The dining area is opposite. A row of timber-topped cupboards and a wall-mounted bench provide additional storage along one wall, and wide, timber-framed bifolding doors with expansive glazing forms the exterior wall, blurring the distinction between the internal and external spaces and leading directly to a decked patio. This space has been left with a neutral finish, keeping the focus on the play of light and colours in the garden outside.

A staircase leads to the first floor, where three bedrooms and a family bathroom are found. At the front of the plan, a large bedroom painted the warm terracotta shade ‘Red Earth’ by Farrow & Ball is currently used as a study/snug. Two large sash windows flood the space with light, illuminating another original fireplace with a gorgeous marble surround and flanked by bespoke, built-in shelving on either side.

At the rear of the plan is a quiet bedroom currently used as a study, also painted ‘Red Earth’. A contemporary picture window frames a view of the neighbouring treetops, creating a truly serene space. A dual bath and shower room wrapped in granite tiles completes this floor.

An open-tread staircase with a glass balustrade ascends to the top floor, where the characterful principal bedroom and en suite is found. A generous floor-to-ceiling picture window at the landing provides excellent views over the rear garden; another one inside the bedroom is fitted next to a glazed door leading to a lovely glazed Juliet balcony, creating a tranquil perch to enjoy a morning tea while enjoying uninterrupted views of the garden below. Painted in ‘Oval Room Blue’ by Farrow & Ball – a charming teal hue – together with the pop of yellow from the landing, the space is reminiscent of a sunny blue sky. Built-in wardrobes run seamlessly along one wall. The en suite with a walk-in rain shower lies adjacent, clad in the same granite tile. Two large rooflights stretch over the en suite and additional storage/wardrobe space within the eaves, maximising light and space.

The Great Outdoors

Wide glazed bifolding doors in the kitchen/dining room open directly to the secluded, southwest-facing rear garden. The decked terrace extends from the house at the same level, creating a truly seamless interior/exterior space. There is space here for al fresco dining and entertaining, and leads up to wider paved stone patio area bordered with London stock bricks. A raised bed at the rear of the garden is planted with silver birches, and along with climbing and flowering plants such as roses, jasmine, lavender and canna lilies growing along the garden walls shroud the patio in shade and verdant greenery.

Out and About

Situated between the busier hubs of Brixton, Clapham and Vauxhall, Stockwell is known as ‘Little Portugal’ for its large and diverse Portuguese-speaking community. The area has several good pubs, including local favourite The Canton Arms; a short distance south is The Landor, with its large garden. Brixton, a lively area known for its excellent food and bar scene, is within easy reach, where Brixton Village, Market Row and Acre Lane are all highly recommended destinations. The Ritzy Cinema, Electric Brixton and Brixton O2 Academy are much-loved institutions. There are also regular farmer’s markets in Brixton and Oval.

Green spaces are abundant in the area, and the Stockwell Park Residents’ Association is very active and holds events in various parks and green spaces throughout the year. Slade Gardens, off Stockwell Park Road, is an eight minute walk from the house, with a children’s play area, adventure playground and One O’Clock Club. The beautiful Myatts Fields Park is a 20-minute stroll towards Camberwell, and for more expansive walks, the open fields of Burgess Park and Battersea Park are a 30-minute walk east or west, respectively. There are tennis courts, a café and a lake at Burgess Park. The beautiful Battersea Park has an extensive frontage and riverside promenade along the Thames, where wide, tree-lined avenues meander around a large boating lake and through open lawned areas.

For transport connections, Stockwell underground station is approximately eight minutes’ walk for Victoria and Northern Line services to Oxford Circus, London Bridge, Waterloo and Kings Cross. Clapham North and Clapham High Street stations are around a 10-minute walk away, with further access to the Northern Line and Overground services.

Council Tax Band: F

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. Inigo 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.

History

The settlement of Stockwell developed around the open village green during the Middle Ages, with the wider area remaining rural and agricultural. The village was relatively isolated between two historic Roman roads which formed principal routes to and from the city of London, until it was deemed a manorial estate in the 13th century. A now-demolished, large moated manor house was built on the north side of the green at the centre of the settlement, with a well on the other side. The manor was demolished in 1756 and its site is recognised by the modern street name Moat Place. Stockwell settlement also included market gardens and John Tradescant’s botanical garden, built over in 1880 and commemorated in the nearby Tradescant Road.

By the late 18th-century, improved infrastructure and the introduction of the Thames Bridges allowed gradual expansion into South London. Following the original roads, areas such as Vauxhall and Stockwell were gradually taken up by wealthy merchants fleeing the city in search of clean air and a semi-rural character, but still with easy access to their interests in the capitol. This began Stockwell’s transformation from rural hamlet to urban suburb.

The opening of Vauxhall Bridge in 1816 and the introduction of the railways in 1860 saw the area widely developed; in 1838, William Cox of Kennington began developing the area as a high-class estate, transforming it into a middle-class suburb with many stately villas. Later, several public, philanthropic institutions arrived, including an orphanage and college. By 1871, ordnance survey maps show the area of Stockwell Green surrounded by expanding roads of terraced housing and villas, supported by the opening of Stockwell Underground station in 1890.

Unique for its remaining architecture of significant importance, the Regency homes of Stockwell Green and the Stockwell Congregational Church are a fascinating example of a period of change in London’s history. Today, Stockwell reflects its diverse and varied history through its diverse townscape, many conservation areas and fine listed buildings such as St Michael’s Church and Stockwell Bus Garage.