Blaze of glory: a Victorian home renovation
Thanks to painstaking craftsmanship, this expansive terraced townhouse near Parsons Green in London has been sensitively transformed for modern living
About halfway down Chipstead Street, in Fulham’s Peterborough Estate, is a handsome terraced house that, on first glance, looks very similar to its neighbours. It has the same mellow red brick, arched porch and a squat lion statue that gazes down from the gables. This leafy area is known for these lions, the trademark of the Victorian builder, James Nicholls. Legend has it that when he placed the order, a mistake was made so he took delivery of 1,000 instead of 100 and needed to find a way to use them up.
Yet, 30 Chipstead Street is no ordinary Lion House. Although the six-bedroom property originally dates from the late 19th century, it has been meticulously stripped back to the brickwork, restored and had a huge lower-ground floor added that runs the entire length of the property. In fact, it’s the last ‘long back’ house in the Peterborough Estate to have this feature – a recent planning change has now restricted the size of basement extensions in the area.
A Blaze & Co property refurbishment
Moreover, the property has been comprehensively rebuilt and refurbished by boutique property developer Blaze & Co. This London company specialises in Georgian and Victorian properties, reconfiguring them for modern lifestyles and preserving them for the future. Wherever possible, Blaze & Co will conserve original features such as tiling, cornicing and fireplaces; if these have been lost, they will reinstate them. “It always fits into the locality,” says Creative Director Arabella Gurney. “[It’s about] classic bones, which will last the test of time, but updated for modern living.”
The finished version of 30 Chipstead Street is typical of her approach. The house is flooded with light – “natural light and natural air are both Blaze & Co signatures,” says Gurney. There are huge amounts of intelligently hidden storage to fill and a generous sense of space throughout – with almost an entire floor devoted to the principal bedroom suite.
The goal is always for “clients to be able to unpack, with all the storage and amenities they need in place, and instantly feel at home,” she adds. “We pay a huge amount of attention to details that will make a house liveable for its new owners – more so than other developers.” Blaze & Co also often work with buyers to adapt houses to their specific requirements after purchase – whether that’s adding a home gym, wine cellar or a substantial laundry and utility area.
In the case of 30 Chipstead Street, everything – from the position of light switches to the way the cupboards open – flows seamlessly from room to room, and floor to floor. “I do love ergonomics, so we make everything as practical as possible,” says Gurney. “Life is frenetic. As far as we can, we like to make the house work for its owners, so they can get on and enjoy life.”
30 Chipstead Street is for sale with a guide price of £5,950,000.
