Low carbon high style

Quite apart from its dark green painted exterior, the second-oldest house in Streatham, south London, is something of a chameleon. Its historic bone structure and quaint good looks conceal expansive interiors with no shortage of modern creature comforts, and even more modern eco-friendly technology. 

“I’m a mechanical, electrical and environmental engineer,” says Mark Cunniffe, one half of the husband and wife team who bought the property in 2003. “So for me, I had to do things as sustainably as we could muster. For example, we’re recycling all of the rainwater from the roofs and the wastewater from the bathrooms. It’s collected in reservoirs and pumped around the garden.” There’s a living roof above the kitchen which attenuates rainwater and supplies the reservoirs too.

The house also boasts solar panels that provide “about five months’ worth of heating and hot water each year”, an air source heat pump that can heat or cool the property as needed and four discreet awnings which shade the property’s largest windows and doorways when deployed. “Before you start to introduce mechanical cooling or air conditioning, which uses electricity and carbon, you want to reduce the amount of solar gain coming in. The best way to do that is by shading the glazed areas,” explains Mark. 

Expansive on the inside, the property boasts five bedrooms, three bathrooms, two living rooms and an expansive kitchen with floor-to-ceiling glass windows on one side that look into the garden. In the basement, you’ll find a home gym, an infinity pool with jets and a steam room. There’s also a first-floor terrace that overlooks the garden with its pretty carp pond, and the eco-friendly green roof. The large utility room was once a jeweller’s workshop and a bakery, during the house’s former lives.

“The oldest part of the house – its core – was built in 1764 on the site of an ale house,” says Lindy, Mark’s wife. “There were 18 stables out the back and the place was used as an inn by travellers that came along the Roman road to the south coast.” Legend has it that infamous highwayman Dick Turpin spent time in the area and even hid out in the house’s basement after robbing a nearby stately home. When the Cunniffes put in their infinity pool they had their fingers crossed for an historic find. “We were hoping to find his silver but we didn’t, sadly,” Mark quips. 

Another standout feature is the expansive garden, which Lindy has lovingly designed and maintained over the years. It is zoned into different schemes, inspired by the Cunniffes’ various travels. “There’s a Chinese-inspired garden with lots of landscaping,” says Lindy. “There’s a zig-zag bridge that keeps away bad spirits, a moon gate and planting like willow, Mulberry trees, bamboo and so on.”

Beyond the Chinese garden, you’ll find an area inspired by Africa surrounding the greenhouse, and beyond that a large lawn and woodland area, with a classical English feel. Thanks to Mark’s clever water recycling system and intuitive planting by Lindy, the gardens require the bare minimum of maintenance for maximum enjoyment. “When you need to get out of the house, the garden is just here to escape into. It feels like you’re in the country – the peace and quiet is very unusual for a city garden,” Lindy adds. 

“For me, the house is the kind of lifestyle home that you don’t need to leave to live well – it’s got everything you need,” says Mark. “There’s the gym and the pool, there’s great open space that’s difficult to find in London, thanks to Streatham Common opposite us, and there’s the roof terrace and the kitchen, which has plenty of space for entertaining. Plus, it’s a great place to raise a family. Replicating everything this house offers in our next place is going to be difficult for us, I think. Creating this house over the past 20 years has been a real labour of love.” 

Streatham Common South has a guide price of £2,950,000. To make an enquiry, contact sam.sproston@knightfrank.com or follow Sam on Instagram @swagent.ss. Explore more properties for sale in South London, or contact one of our agents to request a market appraisal.