This beautiful three-bedroom house, with a private courtyard garden, can be found on Colworth Grove in Elephant and Castle. It was completely refurbished and extended in 2017 to a design by Aleksa Studio. Using a playful palette of brass detailing, rare and coloured marbles, Italian micro cement and muted tones, the home earned the moniker ‘Pattern House’ for the lively interpretation of its handsome Victorian spaces. Colworth Grove is a five-minute walk from Elephant and Castle Underground and overground stations.

The Tour

Colworth Grove is a quiet residential cul-de-sac in the Larcom Street Conservation Area, which is lined with handsome late-Victorian terraced houses. This house is situated at the end of the row and extends over 1,400 sq ft internally.

The front of the ground-floor plan retains its period proportions, with a large double reception, now minimally decorated in white. Shutters, ceiling roses and cornicing have been reinstated and restored where possible, and these period details chime with new contemporary interventions including bespoke solid brass and black birch-ply cabinetry. A distinctive tri-colour engineered oak floor runs underfoot. There is acute attention to detail, texture and materiality throughout the house.

The rear of the ground floor has been transformed by the introduction of a large kitchen that opens completely to the garden. The space enjoys a pleasant sense of flow and is flooded with light from a single-pane skylight above. Marble has been laid in a herringbone pattern to mimic the wooden flooring present in the rest of the house. The kitchen walls are finished with a soft mauve Italian micro cement, which has been paired with worktops in striking ‘White Beauty’ marble. Large folding doors open from here onto the private courtyard garden.

There are three bedrooms and a family shower room on the first floor. Care has been taken to conceive of the house as a cohesive whole, and so the brass detailing and micro cement used on the ground floor is repeated in the bathroom. The rear bedroom has soaring double-height ceilings and pale engineered-wood floors run underfoot. The main bedroom, positioned at the front of the plan, has large bespoke wardrobes. A staircase, cleverly concealed by whitewashed timber battens, leads from here to a large dressing room and bathroom, with a freestanding rolltop bath positioned under a huge skylight. This beautiful, calm space has a sense of retreat from the city, with a picture window framing views over the rooftops. The eaves spaces are cleverly configured as expansive wardrobes and a dressing room.

Outdoor Space

The garden is clad in cedar and the westerly wall is planted with a sky garden. It can be accessed from the kitchen via full-length folding doors and is a lovely spot for alfresco dining.

The Area

Elephant and Castle has seen significant development in recent years, with more planned for the new Town Centre and has a growing restaurant scene including much-loved Theo’s Pizzeria, Diogenes the Dog wine bar and Louie Louie on Walworth Road. Nearby Sayer Street is home to an outpost of The Nunhead Gardener and a host of new restaurants including Koi Ramen Bar. East Street Market, Borough Market and the River Thames are all within easy walking distance.

Elephant Park, one of London’s largest new green spaces with 2.5 acres of park and great children’s facilities, and the Grade-II listed Kennington Park are a short walk away, with sports courts and the cafe Collective, which serves excellent pizzas. Larger green spaces and sports facilities can be found at recently re-landscaped Burgess Park.

Colworth Grove is a five-minute walk from Elephant and Castle Underground station (Northern and Bakerloo Lines) and the Overground station which runs to south London and Kent. The area is also exceptionally well served by buses and cycle lanes and superhighways.

Council Tax Band: E

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.