Westbrook Gardens, Margate, Kent

This handsome Victorian terrace lies on Westbrook Gardens, just off Margate's Royal Esplanade. A comprehensive refurbishment by the current owners has made deft use of tactile Douglas fir, marble and a delicate, sandy colour palette. Set out over 2,000 sq ft, the house has four bedrooms (with one currently used as a studio/office) and a spacious rear garden. Margate's picturesque Old Town is a short walk away, as is the station, which runs trains to Stratford International in an hour and 20 minutes.

The Tour

The house's refined red-brick façade is adorned by a decorative overhang articulated in white woodwork. A black-and-white tiled path leads to the front door, which opens to a hallway with plenty of hooks to hang up coats.

A door with fluted glass opens off the entrance hall into the double reception room. Here, high ceilings, an original ceiling rose and a wide bay lend grandeur to the room. Original floorboards run throughout the ground floor living spaces. From the second sitting area, French windows open to the side return. Fireplaces are a feature here and across much of the plan; restored in the house, they are made of antique marble and were acquired from reclamation yards.

Three steps descend into the kitchen at the rear, where tiles sourced from a 1930s fire station via Lassco ground the space, with undefloor heating below. Douglas fir counters top white cabinetry along the longer edges of the room and house a steel range cooker with an extraction unit set in a rounded wall. A Crittall-style window above a deep ceramic sink matches a set of adjacent double doors which offers direct access to the rear garden. Both work in tandem with a large picture window on the rear aspect to frame green views and draw in light.

A set of steps off the kitchen leads down to the basement. Laid with the same tiles as the kitchen, the room has access to a utility cupboard and a shower room/WC. The latter is finished with rich brown ceramic tiles, silver sanitaryware and twin rain showerheads. Fluted glass makes the room bright yet private. Both the basement and the kitchen are warmed from below by underfloor heating.

Pine stairs ascend to the first-floor hallway. Here is an impressive bedroom currently used as a studio with a garden outlook. Exposed beams stretch beneath an exposed sloping ceiling that emphasises the room's volume. An expansive electric skylight and frameless corner window illuminate the space.

The main bedroom is at the front of the plan, with original floorboards and a striking square bay window. The family bathroom sits just off the landing, with a luxurious freestanding bath, walk-in shower and thoughtfully selected fixtures and fittings that lend the room a simple yet opulent feel.

There are two further double bedrooms on the second floor, both with pitched ceilings and storage built into the eaves. This extra height affords one of the rooms a sea view.

Outdoor Space

A private garden flows out from the rear. Bounded by brick walls to all three sides and with a central lawn, a blue timber fence opens out onto a rear walkway. The side return is laid with the same reclaimed fire station tiles used inside, with a path formed by light grey flagstones. There is also plenty of scope for planting.

The house is set behind a front garden, where a central olive tree sits in front of a white timber veranda. The sea is visible from the end of the street, where walks along the Royal Esplanade can be joined.

The Area

Margate is a wonderful British seaside town renowned for its creative community, centred around to the Turner Contemporary, synonymous with the town and visually unmistakable. Designed by architect David Chipperfield, this is a brilliant contemporary art space with far-reaching views over the sea, named after landscape painter J. M. W. Turner, who went to school in Margate and returned throughout his life.

Westbrook Gardens is directly off the Royal Esplanade, with the Westbrook Promenade and the sandy Westbrook Bay Beach a two-minute walk away. The house is a 15-minute walk from Margate Old Town with its fantastic restaurants including sister spots Angela’s and Dory's. It is also home to independent shops such as Werkhaus, Breuer & Dawson, and the cosy Margate Bookshop. Dory’s is a fantastic seafood bar nearby priding itself on locality and works closely with Kentish fishermen and independent growers to create its menus. Margate is also famous for Dreamland, a vintage theme park with rides, musical acts and a drive-in cinema.

We've written about our recommendations in Margate in greater depth.

The nearby coastal towns of Broadstairs and Ramsgate are also well known for their array of pubs, restaurants and independent shops, as are Herne Bay and Whitstable, which are slightly further afield. The house has excellent links to London; with trains running from Margate to Stratford International in an hour and 20 minutes, to St Pancras in around an hour and a half, and to London Victoria in an hour and 45 minutes. Canterbury can be reached quickly by car, or in 30 minutes by train.

Council Tax Band: C