Southwood Lane, London N6

This thoughtfully reappointed four-bedroom modernist house is a part of Highgate's Southwood House Estate, a triangle of residences built to a design by architects Andrews, Emerson, Sherlock and Keable in the 1960s. The house retains the hallmarks of its mid-century origins, including an open-tread staircase, parquet flooring and broad windows that draw in a generous amount of light over the course of the day. A vibrantly planted garden unfolds at the rear, with a gate at its far end opening to the Estate's generous and well-maintained communal grounds. Southwood Lane is a short walk from Highgate Station and the excellent schools, cafés and pubs locally.

The Estate

Southwood House Estate was built on the land where the 18th-century Southwood House once stood. Constructed on a triangular plot, the Estate is bounded by three roads: Jacksons Lane, Hillside Gardens and Southwood Lane, comprising 43 houses in total.

Emphasis was placed on retaining the natural integrity of the site during its development, with many mature trees preserved. As with many mid-century estates, shared outdoor space was key to the design; central communal gardens, accessed directly from the houses' rear gardens, made use of the generous grounds that had once belonged to Southwood House.

The Tour

The house's stepped profile is punctuated by Corbusian strips of vibrant blue and red. A front garden and off-road parking space set the house back from the quiet road in front.

Entry is to a wide entrance hall, where a door leads to a downstairs en suite bedroom that is currently used as a secondary dining area. Windows here overlook the neat front garden, which is chock-full of wildflower-inspired plants come springtime.

The kitchen sits opposite and shares the same view of the front garden. Brilliantly conceived, it has ample storage space in the form of built-in open shelving, fitted wooden cabinetry and a wine rack.

A light-filled reception room and dining area lie at the rear, gently delineated in a way that encourages a sense of flow and provides versatility of use. In both spaces, floor-to-ceiling glazed doors slide open to a private garden. Light from a glazed portion of the ceiling falls on the deep hues of the parquet flooring underfoot.

The house's original open-tread staircase twists elegantly upwards from the dining room to the first floor, where there are three well-sized bedrooms. Each is painted in a different gentle colour that hones a distinctive yet cohesive character.

The main bedroom and its dressing room are at the rear, with views across the communal gardens beyond. An original louvred window here draws in a dappled light across a bank of built-in wardrobes. Of the two further bedrooms, one is lined with open bookshelves and has a ribbon window that overlooks neighbouring treetops.

There are two pristine shower rooms on the top floor, both having been immaculately remodelled in recent years. The larger is finished in blue, with steely hexagonal tiles and a bidet. The other is painted in a refined green shade and has monochromatic star tiles underfoot.

Outdoor Space

The house has two distinct green spaces: a well-planted front garden that takes inspiration from wildflower meadows, and a rear garden that has been filled with tulips, roses, an acer tree, and much more.

The rear garden leads onto the private communal gardens, which have expansive stretches of lawn dotted with tables and benches.

The Area

Highgate Village has a wide variety of shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants, including popular pub The Flask, and fruit and veg shop Greens of Highgate. There is also The Grocery Post on Archway Road, which serves good coffee and groceries. Southwood Lane is also close to an array of large green spaces including Hampstead Heath and Waterlow Park; as well as the ancient Highgate Wood and Queen’s Wood.

There are fantastic state and private schools in the area, including Highgate School, Highgate Primary School, St Michael’s Primary School and Channing.

The house is a short walk from Highgate Underground station (Northern Line). The Number 43 bus runs from a nearby stop and journeys towards Moorgate, Bank and London Bridge, the 134 bus runs to Camden Town and Tottenham Court Road and there are also bus routes which go to Kenwood House, Hampstead, Parliament Hill as well as Finsbury Park.

Council Tax Band: F