The Grand Tour

Set on the tree-lined easterly side of the street, the west-facing house is one of a pair of semi-detached villas behind spearhead railings with a gate inset. Built from London stock brick, the house is three bays wide, incorporating a double-height porch to one side. Fenestration is comprised of newly installed double-glazed two-over-two box sash windows set in original housings. There is a Yorkstone path with space to the side for bicycle parking and steps lead up to the raised ground entrance porch, with the panelled door framed by fluted pilaster jambs. The four-panel door has a transom light set above, and door furniture is comprised of Banham security locks and a doctor’s knocker, both in a polished brass finish; further security systems in place include cameras to the front and rear of the house, and an integrated alarm system.

Entry is to the light and wide-set entrance hall, where fumed oak floorboards extend underfoot and walls feature wainscotting. As part of the extensive renovations recently undertaken, all services were renewed, with cast-iron radiators installed in the upper storeys and a total rewire (including Cat 6 cabling) and replumb – with a water softening system integrated – conducted. The home’s decorative elements, including bespoke joinery and new plasterwork cornicing in historical designs, are all offset with a series of beautiful colours from Little Greene Paint Company.

To the left of the hall is the bipartite drawing room, with a wide architrave connecting both front and rear spaces; large windows at both aspects flood the space with light. The front area has a striking marble chimney piece, inset with a gas fire and surrounded by bookcases fitted in the alcoves. The rear space is currently used as a study-cum-library, with views through the shuttered roundhead window to the raised rear garden and mature magnolia tree.

A contemporary staircase leads from the rear of the hallway to the lower-ground floor, and the focus of much of the recent structural reimagining of the home. Comprised of the dining room, kitchen, informal sitting room, utility room and a shower room, the floor was lowered to create a very generous ceiling height throughout, with underfloor heating installed in all spaces. The dining area has a particularly excellent ceiling height and was entirely rebuilt as part of the works with a handsome seamed copper roof inset with an expansive roof light. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors slide open to the garden terrace outside and raised garden above.

The kitchen is positioned in the centre of the lower-ground plan, with pocket doors that can be utilised to enclose it from seating areas, if required. Bespoke cabinetry in a panelled design is complemented by brass ironmongery by Armac Martin and pale Silestone rests above, with a double bullnose edge. The central island unit houses a Villeroy and Boch double butler sink with a Perrin and Rowe brass mixer tap with instant boiling water and Insinkerator, while fitted and integrated appliances include double Bosch ovens and a Neff induction hob, an integrated Miele dishwasher and a freestanding Samsung double stainless steel fridge/freezer is inset within the cabinetry. A built-in illuminated and mirrored cocktail cabinet also features in the kitchen, while Lewis and Wood’s ‘Windrush’ wallpaper lines the rear wall and lends character to the space.

The cosy sitting room is set to the front of the plan, leading to the utility and shower rooms. The utility room has been thoughtfully designed with the same cabinetry as the kitchen, with Diespeker terrazzo tiles and space for both a washer and a dryer. The shower room opposite also doubles as a guest WC, with the floor and wall lined with marble designs by Mandarin Stone. The remaining exposed walls are micro-cement in a bespoke colour, a material chosen for its durability and waterproof nature. Brassware is chrome-plated in a traditional design by Perrin and Rowe.

The principal bedroom suite lies on the first storey. Currently encompassing the entire level with a bedroom, adjoining dressing room and separate bathroom, the floor could be reconfigured as two separate bedrooms if desired. Sleeping quarters are set to the front of the plan, opening through wedding doors to the dressing room, with a wall of bespoke wardrobing with rattan panels. The wooden bed frame and headboard were custom-built to match the wardrobing and are to remain, if required.

The bathroom is set in what is a recent addition directly above the hallway, thoughtfully designed with exquisite materials and elements including further patterned marbles from Mandarin Stone and Fired Earth, a spacious shower enclosure and separate Japanese-style soaking bath. Brassware is in an art deco design by Perrin and Rowe and a large antique sideboard acts as a vanity for two under-mounted sinks with Carrara marble atop. A skylight inset into the ceiling allows further natural light into the space, in addition to the window beside the bath, and underfloor heating warms the floor tiles.

On the uppermost storey is a further bedroom, reached by a contemporary staircase with oak open treads. A sleeping platform has been thoughtfully constructed, with further butt-and-bead panelled storage set in the eaves. Two conservation grade roof lights are set into the pitch, allowing for framed views of the nighttime sky.

Although currently configured as a two-bedroom home, further plans have been designed by Emmett Russell Architects to reconfigure the existing plan to create additional sleeping quarters as either a three or four-bedroom home, subject to local planning consent.

The Great Outdoors

The private walled garden opens immediately from the dining area at lower ground level, through the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, allowing for a seamless continuation of the interior living space, and was conceived and programmed by award-winning garden designer Adolfo Harrison. Entirely redesigned and rebuilt as part of the recent main works to the house, the walls have been newly built from reclaimed London stock brick in a double pile formation, making them exceptionally stable and allowing for a private and un-overlooked exterior space.

Reclaimed Yorkstone has been used as a primary material for the terrace at lower ground level, and for the steps that ascend to the upper seating terrace, with the lower terrace also housing a barbecue area fitted with a gas supply. Flower beds are set in the series of ascending terraces, and jasmine winds its way around the balustrade and boundary walls.

A wonderfully mature magnolia tree features in the uppermost north corner of the garden and is a principal feature of the planting design. It blooms from June through to September. There are also Japanese maples, climbing hydrangeas, fuchsias, rosemary, irises and further hydrangeas. A fitted bench runs along the rear east wall set on reclaimed stone corbels, allowing for fitted seating for a dining table, if required. A Victorian cast iron garden lamp acts as a feature element within the garden lighting programme.

Out and About

Lambert Street is a peaceful tree-lined street in the largest conservation area in Islington, defined by its late-Georgian and early Victorian terraces. There are several weekend food markets within walking distance for fresh independent produce and excellent health food shops on Caledonian Road. The house is also close to SUNDAY, a neighbourhood favourite for brunch and coffee and Southpaw Coffee.

Two of the best pubs in the area for food and wine, The Drapers Arms and The Albion, are within walking distance from the house, as is The Tamil Prince, described by restaurant critic Grace Dent as “a sharp, bold reworking of the desi pub concept into the here and now”.

Upper Street is a five-minute walk away and offers a wealth of retail, culinary, cultural and design amenities, including Ottolenghi, Gail’s, Le Labo, Aria and twentytwentyone, as well as a host of national and independent retailers and restaurants, including The Wolseley group’s Bellanger on Islington Green, The Compton Arms and the Pig and Butcher.

King’s Cross and Coal Drops Yard are a short walk along the canal; the recently redeveloped space is home to a magnificent public square with choreographed fountains and restaurants, including Caravan, Vinoteca, Dishoom, Granger and Co, plus shops A.P.C, COS, Margaret Howell and Wolf and Badger.

Green space is provided by nearby Thornhill Square, Barnsbury Square, Barnard Park. Highbury Fields is also in proximity with its tennis courts, playground and swimming pool.

There are excellent schools and nurseries within the area, including St Andrew’s Montessori Nursery, William Tyndale Primary School and, slightly further afield, the independent Dallington School in Clerkenwell, St Paul’s Cathedral School in The City and North Bridge House School in Canonbury. City of London School and the City of London School for Girls are also within easy reach.

The closest transport links are from Caledonian Road and Barnsbury Overground, which runs direct lines to Hackney in one direction and Richmond in the other. The Underground and rail network are also within easy walking distance at Highbury and Islington station (Victoria line) and Angel (Northern line). King’s Cross/St Pancras International station is reachable on foot in just 20 minutes, or one stop away on the Victoria line for the Eurostar.

Council Tax Band: G