The Househunter

Two city properties for you this week but both of them are really connected to their outside space. Come with me and see what you think.

In that much-loved sitcom The Good Life, Margot was aghast at Tom and Barbara’s attempts to live self-sufficiently, mainly because she worried they would lower the tone on The Avenue. This house is also on The Avenue, although the one in Queen’s Park, north London rather than Surbiton.

It’s on the market with Knight Frank for £3,150,000 and has an enormous garden which has plenty of space for Geraldine the goat and her mates Pinky and Perky and a few chickens. It remains to be seen what the neighbours (and I know one of them) would say.

Recently refurbished  – and that always fascinates me why people sell when they have just done the place up – there are five bedrooms, three bathrooms and an enormous, huge, massive open plan living, kitchen, dining space downstairs.

It might be too open plan for me but I like this sitting room at the front of the house with its black painted windows which frame the view so well. A perfect place to sit and wait for Margot to come stalking past. Meanwhile, in Surbiton, well we had to go and look over there after this didn’t we?

I can tell you that there are a lot of pelmets and swags in Surbiton and I didn’t, on my brief (virtual) visit find anything I thought you would like. Not that there aren’t lots of fabulous houses there just that I couldn’t find one for sale yesterday. Instead, I thought we’d have a look at this.

Starting outside with this fabulous outdoor kitchen attached to this two bedroom maisonette in Islington which is on the market with Fyfe Mcdade for £1,100,000. Imagine having enough in the budget to add a brass seat outside – I’d kill for one of those in the kitchen frankly.

They have also done that trick of carrying a row of kitchen units outside in a seamless line. I think it was the minimalist John Pawson who did this first and it’s a great idea if you can make it work.

Inside the palette is monochrome with splashes of brass and gold to lift it. Take note of the dark ceiling and how the spotlights almost look like stars. It definitely creates a more intimate cosy feel at that end of the room which is, I imagine, where you would spend the evenings.

So what do we think this week? Two City properties, both quite monochrome. WWMD  – no, not Madonna, Margot…

Or perhaps – what would you do?