This characterful Victorian apartment lies in Belsize Park, north-west London. A private rear garden, planted with a palm and damson tree, extends beyond a charming weatherboard-clad extension, currently used as an atmospheric pitched dining room.
Setting the Scene
Belsize Avenue was part of the Belsize Park estate, which was transformed from a main travel route into a street lined with imposing Victorian villas. The tall townhouse that this apartment lies within is one such example, with its rich stock brick and stucco details.
Carefully updated with joinery and high-quality paint colours, this apartment retains a strong sense of its period integrity, communicated through original fireplaces, tall sash windows and towering ceiling heights.
The Grand Tour
From the rear garden is the extension, the bright, sociable core of the house. A newer addition, it is in keeping with the building’s Victorian lineage, with its stained-glass details and exposed beams. Handy shelves are excellent for displaying ceramics and books. Underfloor heating warms from below.
Beyond lies the modern kitchen, where a burgundy splashback adds colour. From here is the living room, with a sublime tripartite bay window. Intricate cornicing snakes around the tall ceilings, and there is a beautiful original fireplace surround on one side. Rich parquet flooring grounds underfoot, and the walls are washed in Farrow & Ball's 'Setting Plaster'.
The principal bedroom is south-facing and bright. It has another exaggerated tripartite sash and a wall of built-in wardrobes, as well as a smart en suite.
The second bedroom is a more intimate space, with a playful red carpet and simple white-washed walls.
Out and About
The garden is a tranquil, private spot and has been carefully tended under current ownership. It has paved areas for outdoor furniture and is stocked with a variety of shrubs and trees. Greenery surrounds, lending a sense of privacy to the space. Quiet and peaceful, it is a perfect spot to sit and listen to birdsong.
The Grand Tour
Belsize Village is within easy walking distance of this apartment and has an exceptional offering of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues; top spots include Terra Moderna and Cinder. The Everyman Cinema shows a wide range of films, from blockbusters to arthouse. Primrose Hill is a short walk in the other direction with the charming Primrose Hill Park, Cecil Sharp House and Cowshed Spa all easy to reach.
The pastoral open spaces of Hampstead Heath are a short walk away, where the bathing ponds offer a cooling respite on a warm summer’s day. For those less persuaded by open-water swimming, Parliament Hill Lido, at the end of the Heath closest to the apartment, is an equally lovely and family-friendly spot.