Phillimore Place

The front door opens onto wide pine boards and a staircase with its original iron balusters. A glazed inner door, flanked by side lights, keeps the hall bright even on grey mornings. A coat cupboard and cloakroom sit just beyond the stairs.

Two arched windows face the street, under a coffered ceiling lit from the cornice. The walls are finished in a soft plaster pink above a panelled dado. The room seats twelve, and a door leads straight through to the morning room behind.

The kitchen runs the full depth of the lower ground floor and opens to the garden. Handleless cabinetry and a long breakfast bar with a carved timber front face a cushioned window seat. Behind the counter is a glass splashback in pale green.

Pale stone paving gives way to a lawn and a raised bed of clipped bay standards. Climbers soften the boundary walls. There is room for a dining table for eight, and the garden gets sun from late morning until early evening.

Step inside · 360°

The finest room in the house, across the full width of the first floor. The plasterwork swags and medallion above the marble fireplace are original, restored in 1987. Two tall windows look onto the street, and the crystal chandelier came with the house.

Behind the drawing room, a quieter room lined from floor to ceiling in oiled oak shelving, backed in deep red. One tall window faces the garden. There is shelving for around three thousand books, and the room is warm enough to read in all winter.

The whole front of the second floor, with panelled walls and a soft wool carpet. French doors open to a small balcony above the street. An antique armoire stays with the house, and a dressing room connects through to the bathroom.

Built into the former back bedroom. A deep soaking bath stands in front of a walk-in shower, both in pale stone. An oak vanity runs along one wall, and plantation shutters give privacy without blocking the light.

At the top of the house, with two windows over the rooftops. The walls are panelled to dado height in a warm taupe, and two iron beds make it a natural room for children or visiting friends. A shower room is across the landing.

A small room at the back with leaded casements and wide oak boards. The desk sits in the window bay, facing the gardens of the next street. It is the quietest room in the house.