On a quiet residential mews near Crystal Palace is this exceptional RIBA award-winning three-bedroom house with a private south-west facing garden. Originally built in 2013 by MW Architects, in conjunction with developers Solidspace, the house has been recently extended with an emphasis on light and volume-enhancing design by the original architects and now extends to just over 1,500 sq ft. Essex Mews is conveniently located close to a number of beautiful parks, as well as the Crystal Palace triangle.

The Architect

The house is a result of a forward-thinking collaboration between MW Architects and Solidspace. MW Architects is a dynamic architecture and interior design studio based in London. The studio’s mission is to enrich lives through design, with core values of care, creativity and joy. Never afraid to be bold in its designs, the studio focuses on connecting to the buildings’ environment and working with honest and raw materials, collaborating with craftspeople wherever they can. Solidspace is an independent architect-led developer. Across their award-winning and collaborative projects, there is a strong emphasis on carefully crafted and innovative homes.

Environmental Performance

The house was built with energy efficiency in mind and incorporates high-performance double-glazed windows, high levels of insulation and superior air-tightness to help eliminate drafts and reduce heat loss. A mechanical ventilation and heat-recovery unit offers improved air quality and energy efficiency.

The Tour

Externally, the house’s traditional brick façade and pitched roof belie the exciting reinterpretation of a family house within. The interior arrangement is entirely modern and employs Solidspace’s trademark ‘split section’ layout, which uses half levels to create interlocking open-plan living spaces with outstanding levels of natural light. The key social spaces of the house – the areas for eating, living and working – feel connected but semi-private. This design not only establishes volume but also eradicates traditional areas of wasted space, resulting in a wonderful flowing plan.

The house is split across five half-levels. At the heart is the sunken kitchen and dining room with full-height glazed sliding doors open to the lawned garden. A light-filled extension has recently been added, sympathetic to the design and by the original architects, and currently houses an office and music room. It has beautiful garden views, air conditioning and a gas fire. Up one half-level is the living space, and a half-level up from that is a study and a bedroom. Across the final half-level and roof space are two further bedrooms, one en suite, and a family bathroom. The house has an attic, under-stair storage, and a wealth of built-in cabinetry.

A combination of hardwood-engineered oak floors and slate floor tiles, warmed by underfloor heating, run across the main living and kitchen areas. Solid-core kitchen cabinets are topped by hardy granite worktops and conceal fully integrated Bosch kitchen appliances. The house has off-street parking, an electric charging point, and a shared bike/bin store.

Outdoor Space 

The living and office spaces wrap around and provide direct access to the garden. Acting as both a secluded space and a light well serving the interior, the garden is partially laid with slate floor tiles while the remainder is made up of a luscious grass lawn. A perimeter brick wall means there is plenty of space for climbing plants, as well as room for planters in the garden. Conveniently, there is a built-in barbeque, making the garden the perfect space for alfresco dining. The garden can also be accessed via a side gate for easy access to the front of the house and its driveway.

The Area

Essex Mews is a short walk to the centre of Crystal Palace, included in Lonely Planet’s “Greatest little-known neighbourhoods in the world” and Sunday Times’s Best Place to Live in London 2022. It is a vibrant area with award-winning restaurants and bars, thriving independent boutiques and an Everyman cinema occupying a carefully restored Art Deco building.

Crystal Palace has an abundance of cafes and restaurants, including Brown & Green, Four Boroughs, Palazzo, and the Affinity Brew Shop. The lake, maze, and open expanses of Crystal Palace Park are a local favourite; there are also many green spaces to choose from, including Westow Park, Norwood Park and Norwood Recreation Grounds. The weekly food market on Haynes Lane is a short walk away from fresh independent produce.

Excellent schools within the area include Rockmount Primary School, awarded Outstanding by Ofsted.

Crystal Palace station is a 17-minute walk away, running Overground trains to Canada Water in 20 minutes and Shoreditch High Street in 30 minutes. Gipsy Hill station is a 13-minute walk away with connections to London Bridge and London Victoria.

Council Tax Band: G

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.