Set on a private and quiet gated plot off Bristow Mews near Brixton is this wonderful four-bedroom house designed by MW Architects and Kinland. Part of a small development comprising three homes in total, the renovation of this former Victorian coach house is defined by its tactile material palette, including ply, concrete and lime-wash paint, and an earthy colour scheme of chalky colours. A private garden at the rear has been designed by GRDN, and the house has off-street parking. The development is a short bus ride from the bars and restaurants of Streatham, Brixton and Tulse Hill.

The Architect

MW Architects is an award-winning 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 environment the buildings are set in and working with honest and raw materials, collaborating with craftspeople wherever they can.

The Development

Conceived by Kinland, includes one renovated Victorian coach house and two newly constructed homes. Discreetly positioned on a secluded plot set back from Palace Road, the houses curve around a central courtyard and parking area. Built with sustainability in mind, the two newly built homes have sedum roofs, which add natural insulation, and all three have air-source heat pumps and triple-glazed windows.

The Tour

Situated at the left of the plot, the house faces the central courtyard. The ground-floor façade is painted dusty green, with the brickwork above painted white. Two banks of glazed barn-style doors span the length of the house, and an original sign is embossed with 1895, the year of the coach house’s initial construction.

Entry is to the ground floor, which is entirely open-plan. Laid with poured concrete and with walls finished in ‘Nougat’ lime-wash paint by Bauwerk, the spaces throughout have been artfully designed using a soft neutral colour scheme that creates clever cohesion. The skirting offers a visual link with the ceiling and doors, all of which are finished in the pinky ‘Kate Blush’ by Claybrook. The living room is set to the rear of the plan, next to floor-to-ceiling glazing with an inset door to the rear garden. The dining area is currently placed adjacent.

On the opposite side of the plan is the kitchen. Here, worktops and an island are made from micro cement, painted ‘Pleat Green’, again by Little Greene, complementing the geometric green-tiled splashback. Cabinetry is painted in off-white and the same ‘Pleat Green’ as the workshops, and open shelving creates storage.

At the back of the plan on the ground floor is another reception, where a built-in ply bench provides storage and creates a window seat beneath the glazing overlooking the garden.

Stairs bound by vertical wooden slats ascend to the first floor, where there are four bedrooms. The main bedroom is laid with durable sisal carpet with walls finished in a soft and calming blue. A set of windows look out over the central courtyard, and bespoke oak wardrobes are faced with ply and built into one wall. The ply continues on the bespoke bedhead, which runs along the opposite wall adding a sense of balance. In the en suite bathroom, the tactile material palette continues, with cork floors, a green concrete sink by Smith and Goat, and a ply-edged cabinet. Off-white tiles with grey grout line the walls and a walk-in shower with a frameless glass screen is defined by dark blue tiles.

The second en suite double bedroom echoes the main bedroom with an almost identical bathroom, but with green rather than blue tiles. Two further double bedrooms are laid in sisal, one with bespoke wardrobes. Each of these bedrooms is illuminated by large casement windows.

The family bathroom has a cork floor and the same green and white tiles found throughout the house. It has a walk-in shower, a bath and is lit by a large frosted window.

Outdoor Space

A private garden designed by GRDN is set at the back of the Coach House where a section of thin grey bricks forms a patio. Beyond this is a lawn, and at the back of the garden is a mature sycamore and a birch sapling.

The Area

There is an array of independent cafes, restaurants and shops on Streatham Hill, just round the corner from Palace Road: Batch & Co Coffee,Hood Restaurant, Streatham Wine House and Art & Craft, which has a wide selection of craft beers from London breweries and further afield. Brixton is nearby, a lively area known for its excellent food and bar scene. Nearby Brixton Village, Market Row and Acre Lane are all highly recommended destinations. The Electric Brixton, the Ritzy Cinema and Brixton O2 Academy are much-loved institutions. Newly opened is The Department Store, a grand renovated 1876 Bon Marche building that now houses collaborative workspaces, a Pure Vinyl record shop, a community Post Office and Canova Hall restaurant and bar.

Palace Road Nature Garden is less than a five-minute walk from the house, and the open spaces of Brockwell Park are a 15-minute walk away; Brockwell Park is one of London’s best and has a popular lido with a 50-metre pool along with a Grade II-listed Art Deco pavilion. There is a cafe, tennis courts and a walled garden, and each summer, it is host to the Lambeth Country Show, as well as an array of music festivals.

Palace Road is approximately a 10-minute walk from Streatham Hill railway station, where regular trains run to Victoria with a journey time of around 17 minutes. The nearest tube station is Brixton (Victoria Line) and is easily reached by several buses. Streatham Hill is served by excellent bus links, with Peckham and Dulwich within easy reach. It is also well-placed for road access to the south.

Council Tax Band: C

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.