Architecture Wednesday: Historic Covent Garden Townhouse

Built around 1700, just 34 years after the Great Fire of London, Number 1 Goodwin’s Court celebrates well over 300 years of existence with the completion of its painstaking ten-year renovation. As part of a row of Grade II Listed buildings this home is a rare survivor of a building type reflecting the conditions of London’s Georgian working-classes; it’s also a piece of London’s rich history as well as more recent fame as the inspiration for Ollivanders Wand Shop in the Harry Potter films.

To start with, slowly and carefully, 325 years of architectural history were peeled back, revealing an astonishing level of originality still intact. Four time-worn stone steps sit just below the exquisite front door.

Once inside the upper ground floor you can walk down a preserved staircase into a beautifully appointed kitchen with cool York stone floors and period fireplace. Hidden away, to preserve that history, are fridge, freezer, microwave and dishwasher while an induction hob sits atop a solid oak countertop. Overhead, exposed, original time aged beams have been exposed and re-installed complete with state-of-the-art fire prevention misting system. The room also has space for a kitchen table and chairs for dining while, a Accessed through a reclaimed door, is a Georgian inspired tiled shower room with antique water closet and wash basin.

Back on the upper ground floor is the reception room and its original intricate bow window from the 1700s; the room is anchored by a central fireplace, flanked with recessed shelving and original Wainscot paneling. As a nod to its history as a former shop, two softly worn patches in the floorboards mark the spot where a shopkeeper stood for generations.

That history extends to the original staircase carrying you up to the first floor; its distempered walls and original plaster work take center stage, its light blue patina resembles an impressionist painting. On the first floor is a double with forward-facing windows overlooking the historic alleyway. Original plaster work sits between the windows and above the wainscot with an authentic fireplace and reclaimed wood paneling elsewhere. Cupboards on either side of the fireplace now house the convenience of an antique water closet to one side and a wash hand to the other.

On the second floor is the second bedroom with softly textured lime rendered walls creating a warmth intensified by the natural light penetrating the room through dual windows; historic details continue with beautifully aged & waxed, reclaimed floorboards and muted hue of the paneled walls and cupboards on either side of a fireplace.

Essentially untouched since 1700, the historic loft space is in a class of its own and a glimpse into the past of its honest construction with 326-year-old pegs and roof tiles remaining intact.

It’s a piece of history brought back to life perfectly.

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The Spaces

Architecture Wednesday: The Old Ballroom

Now this is how you do a ballroom, you know …

This home was once a ballroom in a former Edwardian hotel on Loughborough Road in south-west London before being renovated into an expansive three-bedroom, three-bathroom 1880 square foot apartment.

Originally conceived as a grand hotel for the urban expansion of Lambeth, the building is nestled among grand Victorian and Edwardian villas that were built to accommodate merchants and clerks leaving the smog of the city. It was also a salsa club and an acrobat arena before it was converted into apartments in 2008 all while retaining its original decorative scheme and grandeur.

Situated on the first floor—what we call the second floor in America—the apartment has an amplified sense of volume with soaring ceilings and a number of mezzanine levels, as well as a stuccoed dome that provides a focal point; the dome was recently repainted and wired with atmospheric up-lighting.

The open plan kitchen features a charming outdoor terrace paved with chequerboard flags and catches the south-facing sun. It has plenty of room for a table and chairs as well as pots full of herbs and flowers for the horticulturally inclined.

The main reception area opens up to a double-height space finished in a pastel palette while light floods into the space via expansive sash windows, which have recently undergone a full restoration to improve energy efficiency. A working fireplace provides a central point for the sitting room while the main floor includes an office, a full bathroom and adjoining bedroom currently used as a nursery.

Upstairs, on the left mezzanine, is the primary bedroom suite, with intricate decorative period plasterwork stretching out overhead and along the upper part of the walls. The room also has dual-aspect windows looking over the front and side of the street as well as an en suite bathroom with a large tub edged in Moroccan tiles, a vanity and water closet.

On the opposite side of the upper story is a second bedroom suite, with windows to the front, built-in storage space and a separate en suite.

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The Spaces

Architecture Wednesday: Alaska Buildings Warehouse Loft

On the top floor of the Alaska Buildings, a former industrial warehouse in Bermondsey, south-east London, you’ll find this lofty two-bedroom apartment that has been impeccably reimagined but retains its sense of history.

Set behind secure gates the Alaska Buildings make an arresting first impression as they are two former factories—one built in 1869, the other in 1932—that closed in the 1960s and then converted into apartments in the 1990s.

Entry is to the main lobby, with 24-hour concierge service and a large stone bar area for residents to gather for the annual summer, Halloween, and Christmas parties organized by management, Opposite the concierge desk is the post and parcel room, as well as a storage room for tenants.

This apartment is on the top floor, accessible via staircase. The apartment’s front door opens to a central hall. To the left is an impressive, open-plan reception room with kitchen, dining and sitting area. A soaring vaulted ceiling with exposed timbers lends an ecclesiastical quality, while steel framing reflects the building’s industrial origin. Two arched, south-easterly warehouse windows draw in abundant natural light and are complemented by additional skylights.

The kitchen runs along one side of the space, with black metal doors and reeded glass that echo the industrial theme and contrast well with the white countertops. A large central island provides space for casual dining though there is space for a proper dining area. Stairs ascend to a mezzanine where a custom-made bookcase conceals a large storage area accessed via a secret door. 

At the back of the apartment is the generous principal bedroom with an adjacent dressing area fitted with built-in cabinetry and a refined en suite bathroom finished with mosaic tiles and brass fittings with bathtub and shower. A second double bedroom lies just off the front door and has a concealed desk nook and a shared bathroom with walk-in shower.

The apartment includes a secure and allocated underground parking space and is available for £1,000,000 AKA $1.35 M USD.

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The Modern House