• Grade II listed +
• Designed by architect Chris Dyson +
• Almost 4,000 sq ft +
• Mixed use +
• Terrace and courtyard garden +

Within the coveted quarters of the Spitalfields Conservation Area, Princelet Street holds a special distinction for its authenticity and beauty. Along with its handsome neighbouring streets, these grand Grade-II listed terraces stand as a monument to the exodus of Huguenots from France during the late 17th Century and have been preserved with a level of care and sympathy rare even among London's historic landscape.

After the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, France suffered an exodus of the Protestant Huguenots. Many of them were skilled craftsmen and a large number settled in London, especially Spitalfields, which already had the reputation for a booming textile trade. Their addition brought with it an expertise in the weaving of silk. These houses formed their community.

One, among the many brilliant architects in east London, has become synonymous with the Huguenot houses and stands above the rest in the restoration, renovation and sensitive expansion of these Georgian gems. Chris Dyson acquired this particular house in 2006 and resurrected it from decades of neglect, restoring it with exacting attention to historical detail and updating it to reflect the needs of modern life, as he and his practice have done for so many of these cherished spaces.

Originally built in 1719, the house that exists today is an exceptional enigma of the traditional and contemporary; measuring almost 4,000 sq ft and blending versatile commercial elements with refined residential spaces.

Two entrances provide access from the street. To the left a glazed shopfront is retained in the form of a double reception, with a set of double doors leading from one to the other and open fireplaces in both. To the right is the main front door; a monolithic piece of carved wood that opens to a wide entrance hall. Steps on the right descend to a self-contained studio apartment, and at the end, a doorway leads past a living wall across a glass-sheltered bridge to an enormous two-storey gallery and commercial space added by the architect.

The rear section replaces a 19th-Century workshop with a two-tiered expanse filled with natural light from a glazed roof lantern and a courtyard garden. The ceiling is a stunning concrete, shuttered using Douglas fir in homage to the floorboards of the previous structure.

The main staircase is an exceptional original aspect of the house with worn oak treads rising at the rear under a series of wide sash windows. On the first floor is a formal living room with an opening onto a library and office space. On the second floor are two bedrooms, one currently used as a dressing room, and a bathroom clad in Carrara marble.