This superb double-fronted early Victorian house on Pyrland Road, moments from Canonbury and Newington Green, has been recently extended and renovated to a light and space-enhancing design by Malcolm Fryer Architects. It has five bedrooms, approximately 3,340 sq ft of internal space, and an enormous private garden, combining open-plan living with considered intimacy.

The Tour

Entry is via a deep gated courtyard which offers plenty of neatly paved room for bike storage and motorcycle parking. The front door opens to the centre of the plan. To the right is a bay-windowed reception with a fully restored original cast-iron fireplace and marble surround; on the opposite side of the hall, double doors lead to a breakfast space set within a second bay window. Behind, a sweeping view extends beyond the kitchen and through the glazed extension at the rear.

The kitchen employs a monochrome scheme of black cabinets, matching quartz worktops and a white kitchen island which provides a smart contrast to the wide-board oak flooring that spans much of the ground floor. The kitchen is by Bulthaup and contains appliances by Gaggenau. Overhead, a skylight frames the towering tree of a neighbouring garden. The wonderful glazed reception space is arguably the architect’s greatest intervention, with painted-steel piloti and sliding glazed doors by Fineline.

From the dining room, a wide porcelain-clad staircase leads down to the lower-ground level. A snug/reception mirrors the kitchen space above, extending to the front of the house where a bay has been created and lit from above by a roof light in the front courtyard. Also on this level is a convenient store room, guest WC and large utility room, with a laundry shute from the upper levels, and access to the rear terrace and garden.

To the left of the ground floor study is a central staircase that rises to the upper levels at the back of the house. The master bedroom occupies much of the first floor and is arranged in an L-shape across the width of the house. A walk-through dressing room, with bespoke joinery, leads through the en suite bathroom, where marble-mosaic tiles clad the walls in a herringbone pattern, neatly set against brass fixtures by Kohler. There is a second bedroom on the first floor and three further bedrooms on the second floor, with a family bathroom between them.

Outdoor Space

Beautifully constructed oak stairs with steel balustrades descend from the kitchen to the garden level. Porcelain tiles by Mosa extend seamlessly from the glazed dining area onto the terrace, which turns into the lawn.

The Area

Pyrland Road is perfectly positioned for the best of Highbury, Stoke Newington, De Beauvoir and everything in between. Nearby Newington Green has a wealth of great places to eat, including Jolene, Perilla and Primeur, while Highbury Barn is within easy reach, with its wonderful butcher Godfrey’s, the new addition of Bourne’s Fishmongers, Da Mario deli and the excellent original branch of La Fromagerie.

The green open spaces of Clissold Park, Finsbury Park and Highbury Fields – which has tennis courts, a playground and a swimming pool – are also within easy walking distance.

The nearest station is Canonbury, for London Overground services to Highbury & Islington (Victoria Line), Shoreditch High Street and Stratford (Jubilee Line and Central Line, and DLR).

Selected photography by Tom Ferguson

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.