This recently renovated three-bedroom house sits on leafy College Road in Kensal Green. Concealed behind a brick Victorian façade, the home’s interiors take their cue from the sunnier pastures of the West Coast, drawing on mid-century Californian modernism in the use of bespoke teak joinery throughout. With a private garden at the rear and the open spaces of Queen’s Park only a short walk away, the house is well-placed for easy access to the outdoors and for quick travel into Central London via nearby Kensal Green Underground and Kensal Rise Overground stations.

The Tour

The house’s traditional Victorian brick façade, complete with stucco-dressed bay windows, faces the quiet College Road and is set back behind a grey wooden fence. From a chessboard tile-laid path is the front door, which opens to a short hallway leading into the open-plan living spaces.

Tucked to the front is the sitting room, lit by a large bay window fitted with shutters for added privacy. The decorative palette is inspired by Californian modernism, making use of hues and materials that bring a relaxing warmth to the room. A stone chimney breast, flanked on either side by bespoke teak open shelving, nods to the mid-century while making the most of the house’s 19th-century proportions. Parquet flooring laid in a herringbone runs underfoot here and continues into the generous dining space at the rear of the room, where there is more handy teak shelving. A glazed door out to the garden draws light into the space and there is handy storage underneath the stairs.

The hallway that separated the living spaces from the kitchen was removed during a recent renovation, resulting in an open feel between the front and back halves of the plan. The latter is home to the kitchen, with dark grey-painted cabinetry and polished granite countertops housing integrated appliances. A shared bathroom completes the ground floor plan, following suit with bespoke teak cabinetry that, here, is paired with deep blue tiles lining the walls and surrounding the bathtub.

Opposite the front door is a strikingly sculptural yet compact staircase, with painted white treads and a banister composed of ceiling-high cedar spindles. It reaches up to the first floor, where there are three bedrooms. The principal room sits at the front, illuminated by a wide, tripartite bay window identical to that in the living room below. Parquet continues underfoot, and there is neat floor-to-ceiling shelving and cabinetry fitted within the alcoves. Two further bedrooms, one with inbuilt storage, sit in the middle and at the back of the first-floor plan.

Outside Space

A considered rear garden, accessed via the side return or from the kitchen, is bound by a slatted fence at the rear (dotted with the traversing vines of ivy) and brick walls to either side. Divided between a newly paved area and a slightly elevated decking space, the garden has plenty of space for dining and hosting. It receives sun throughout the day, making it an ideal spot for some creatively planted pots.

The Area

Queen’s Park, Ladbroke Grove and the Grand Union towpath are all easily accessible from College Road. A strip of thriving independent shops, which includes a post office, organic grocer, established Italian providores, licensed café and gastro pub, is also nearby.

Much-loved Chamberlayne Road is close, with its fine selection of cafés, restaurants, delis, pubs and shops – including a butcher, greengrocer, specialist bakery and one of London’s finest florists. Local favourites include Sacre Cuore pizzeria, indie cinema The Lexi, and Retrouvius for design lovers. The West London Crematorium and the vast expanses of Wormwood Scrubs are also a short walk away from College Road.

We’ve written about our recommendations in Kensal Rise and nearby Queen’s Park in more depth.

College Road is excellently placed for transport connections. Kensal Rise is a minute’s walk away and runs Overground services towards Richmond and Highbury and Islington as well as the Jubilee Line. Kensal Green Station runs an Overground service that arrives in Euston in around 15 minutes and is one stop from Queen’s Park Station for the Bakerloo Line.

College Road is a minute’s walk from Kensal Rise Station, which has access to the Bakerloo Line and Overground services, which is also a short walk away, connecting to Richmond and Highbury & Islington. Kensal Green’s Overground stop is also a short walk away, running a direct line to Euston in approximately 15 minutes and connecting to the Bakerloo Line at Queen’s Park Station, just one stop away. The area is well-served by a range of bus services into central London and elsewhere.

Council Tax Band: D

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.