Unfolding behind a handsome Victorian terraced façade, this impeccable three-bedroom house has been imaginatively renovated and extended to the design of Studio 30 Architects. While celebrating the original features, new materials have been introduced in a bold and contemporary fashion. Expansive living spaces of the ground floor move from a modernised Victorian parlour and dining room to a dynamic kitchen defined by the constantly moving shadows cast by the glazed roof overhead. A rear garden teems with greenery as a stone path leads towards a well-appointed studio. The excellent restaurants, cafés, and open spaces of Peckham Rye and Nunhead are a short walk away.

The Architect

Studio 30 Architects is an award-winning London-based practice focused on translating their clients’ aspirations and briefs, allowing each project to flourish in its own right. Preoccupied with the manipulation of space and natural light, their use of contemporary aesthetics and materials is always contextually sensitive. The firm was a winner at the 2017 Don’t Move, Improve! awards, organised by New London Architecture.

The Tour

Set on a quiet residential street just off Peckham Rye, the traditional red brick façade of this house is accented by double-glazed sash windows set within ornate surrounds, and offset by steeply pitched decorative gable boards. Painted iron railings edge the front garden, where a striking black and white tiled path culminates at the recessed front doorway.

Within lies a home full of modernity and connectivity, where a flowing and beautifully bright plan immediately creates a welcoming atmosphere.

Entrance is to the heart, hub and fulcrum of the house; a congenial space and a lovely place to eat, play and work, with pine flooring underfoot and a wood-burning stove that warms from within the chimney breast recess.

Beyond is the striking extension, a large and lofty room for cooking, gathering and relaxing. Skylights cut across the sloping ceiling, and a wall of floor-to-ceiling glazing frames views of the enticing garden beyond. The movement of the sun throughout the day, and the changing of the seasons in the garden, keeps the light and sightlines constantly in flux. Living extends beyond the glass boundary onto a paved patio; the perfect spot for a morning coffee and al fresco evening drinks.

The kitchen has been executed to an incredibly high standard, with Bianco Fantastico marble worktops, smart runs of cabinetry and satin chrome Buster and Punch ironmongery. Sitting centrally is a sociable island unit – ideal for relaxed breakfasts and coffee morning chats.

At the front of the plan is further reception room. Pine floorboards again extend underfoot, their textured grain refracting light entering through the bay’s sash and shuttered windows. Open shelves and built-in dado-height cupboards have been introduced in the alcoves on either side of the working fireplace.

The first floor comprises two double bedrooms and a family bathroom. The largest of the bedrooms sits at the front of the plan, with an original fireplace and treetop views through a pair of sash windows within the projecting bay window. The second bedroom also retains period features and has a lovely leafy view. A dash of contrast and pattern is brought to the plan in the bathroom, where a jigsaw of Barber Osgerby tiles abut the bath. There is simply detailed mirrored cabinetry and recessed shelving above the WC and basin.

The main bedroom rests within a quiet and calming retreat on the second-floor loft conversion. Skilful window and roof light placement, framing lovely verdant vistas, ensures the room is washed throughout the day in a wonderful light; at night, this glazing affords glimpses of starry skies overhead. Plenty of cannily positioned storage is neatly concealed within the eaves. Pocket doors open to a luxurious en suite shower room, where richly hued navy Barber Osgerby tiles, laid in a herringbone pattern, wrap the walls and floors. The fixtures and fittings are by Lusso Stone. Recessed mirror-fronted storage sits atop open shelving behind the basin and a panel of sand-blasted glass allows filtered mottled light into this sophisticated sanctum.

There is a beautifully appointed studio, also designed by Studio 30 Architects, at the end of the garden. Glazed sliding doors open to a configuration that makes for terrific office and guest accommodation, or for a lovely reading space on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Outdoor Space

Extending seamlessly from the rear of the house through wide and tall glazed doors, the garden is perfectly positioned to receive sunshine throughout the seasons. Slated wooden fencing and a rendered wall, painted grey to compliment the material palette of the house’s rear façade, provide privacy.

Adjacent to the rear extension is an enticing terrace that melds the internal living spaces with lovely outdoor spots, terrific for sociable alfresco entertaining or quiet reflective moments.

The Area

The house is wonderfully located for all the delicious eateries and amenities in Peckham and Nunhead. Just around the corner is Kudu Grill, where the food sings with flavour. Other favourites amid a host of other delicious eateries include Mr Bao for perfected steamed buns and Voodoo Rays Pizza, both less than 10 minutes away on foot. Old Spike café and coffee roasters is a lovely resting spot for a chat or for stocking up on a range of rich blends. Hair salon Blue Tit is conveniently located on the Rye.

Peckham Rye was voted one of the ‘Best Places to Live in London’ by the Sunday Times. The road has become a centre for excellent independent cafés, boutiques, restaurants and bars, including Levan, Artusi and The Begging Bowl. Review Bookshop is a fantastic local independent bookshop. The General Store is a neighbourhood grocery store and coffee shop presenting the finest seasonal produce, including Neal’s Yard cheese and a selection of natural wines. Market is a collection of small shops and eateries at the end of Blenheim Grove, with workspaces, ramen restaurant Tonkotsu and sweeping rooftop views from Forza Wine.

Peckham Levels is a wonderful artistic hub set within a former multi-storey car park. Thanks to Frank’s Rooftop Cafe and Bold Tendencies, the space has been voted the number-one rooftop bar in Europe.

At nearby Nunhead Green, there is an eclectic mix of independent retailers, including Alkemi, where one can see a range of mostly handmade Korean, Japanese and Swedish imports; Mother Superior, a wine shop and deli; and The Nunhead Gardner, a local garden centre that stocks a wide range of indoor and outdoor plants.

The sought-after green space of Peckham Rye Park and Common is a two-minute walk from the house. The park is home to the Sexby Garden, sports pitches, and The Round café. The Nunhead Cemetery, a beautiful woodland oasis with amazing views across the city skyline, is less than five minutes walk from the house. The area has many other locally loved green spaces, including Telegraph Hill and Goose Green. Nunhead is situated on The Green Chain Walk, a linked system of open spaces between the River Thames and Crystal Palace Park that stretches across 50 miles with easily walkable sections that span fields, parks and woodlands.

The house is within walking distance of Peckham Rye and Queens Road Peckham Stations for Overground access to Shoreditch High Street and Dalston Junction in one direction and Clapham Junction in the other. Peckham Rye also links to London Bridge in seven minutes and Blackfriars in 11. Nunhead Station is less than a 10-minute walk east, where there are Thameslink and Southeastern rail services into London Victoria, and on to Dartford, Orpington, Welwyn Garden City and Luton via Kings Cross St Pancras. Connections to the Jubilee Line from Canada Water can be reached in 10 minutes, and the Northern Line from Clapham High Street in 11.

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.