Keston Park, Bromley BR2

A home of a transporting quality can be found on this coveted private road within the gated Keston Park estate. The design, by Jason Good Architecture, has sympathetically reinvented and substantially extended an elegant Arts and Crafts house to create an exceptional, contemporary six-bedroom home of over 5,000 sq ft. Versatile living spaces interact wonderfully with an expansive terrace and swimming pool, and a beautifully landscaped private garden beyond. The house also has a gym, tennis court, off-street parking and an integral garage.

The Tour

The house occupies an excellent, private position on Forest Ridge, deep within the tranquil Keston Park site. The private estate, inspired by the American model of affluent suburban planning, was established in the early 1920s following a visit across the Atlantic by its developer Frederick Rogers. Of the many excellent private estates that span the outskirts of London, this is notably successful in its designation of large plots abounding nature, each set far back from the quiet lane that links them.

Resisting the urge to replace the original house, the architects recognised the value in the character of the front façade. A careful restoration using traditional lime render followed the contemporary intervention of a new thermal envelope to increase efficiency. The result is a comparatively humble elevation as viewed from the lane, belying the considerable space within.

The house rests far behind a substantial private front garden; a mature olive tree punctuating its lawn. A driveway arches toward the house and further space for parking lies before the garage.

The façade offers a pleasing asymmetry and an elegant roofline. At its centre, a beautiful stepped-brick archway frames the front door and leads onto a wide entrance hall. Black-stained oak, laid in a chevron pattern, runs across much of the ground level. Underfloor heating extends throughout.

To the left of the hall is a formal sitting room, with a gas fire. Painted in a deep dark blue, the room is a calming antithesis to the light-filled spaces of the rest of the house. A Crittal door offers a direct route through to the kitchen.

Opposite, to the right of the hall, is a room currently used as study, containing a log-burning stove within the former inglenook and a feature wall of slatted timber.

The rear of the house is given to a large part of the dramatic zinc-clad extension. A set of Crittal doors lead from the hallway to an open-plan kitchen, designed by Boffi  and with appliances by Gaggenau, and a dining room, all arranged around a huge marble-topped island, and with bespoke oak cabinetry lining the rear wall. A series of black steel columns support a wall of retractable glazing, enabling an incredible outlook to the private rear garden. This, and the gym to the right, wrap the enormous terrace and swimming pool to blur the distinctions of inside and out.

A sitting room, currently used as a playroom and snug, is positioned to the right of the kitchen and dining room, and shares the wide outlook through its own expanse of glazing. On this level, there is also a guest WC, utility room, and a guest bedroom with a shower room finished in polished plaster. Lighting through much of the house is by Delta Light and integrated speakers throughout are by Artcoustic.

The route to the first floor is offered by a brilliant open tread staircase which rests in silhouette against a towering wall of glass. The space between them is the route between formal living room and kitchen, and the backdrop is a side garden populated with tree-ferns and bamboo.

The principal bedroom suite spans the rear of the first floor. A seating area separates the bedroom itself from the massive en suite bathroom, in which ceilings are vaulted for enhanced volume. Beyond the bedroom is a large dressing room with cabinetry by Poliform.

Across the wide landing, three further bedrooms line the front. One of these has a walk-in wardrobe, another an en suite shower room. There is also a family bathroom within the southern aspect. A further guest bedroom is situated within the former loft space and has its own en suite bathroom.

Outside Space

The orientation and position of the house within its plot bestow a great privacy for the outside spaces. Beyond the swimming pool and terrace, where dining and seating areas are arranged, steps descend to a large lawn. To the right is a Thermo Ash-clad garden shed and a cypress-lined pathway down to the tennis courts and playground area.

The Area

Keston Park is a designated Conservation Area that extends some 140 acres, including two large woodlands for the use of residents. The house is nearby the green expanses of Keston Common and Ponds, Hayes Common and plenty of other nearby woodland walks.

Just to the east, beyond Farnborough Common, is Locksbottom village with its Tudor-style high street and variety of pubs, eateries and shops. It also has some of the best schools in the area including Darrick Wood, and grammar schools such as St Olave's and Newstead Wood. Sevenoaks School, Bromley High School for Girls, Whitgift, Trinity School and Eltham College are too all within easy reach.

The house is around a 10-minute drive from the centre of Bromley. Currently undergoing significant regeneration, the town has a wide range of excellent restaurants, cafés and bars. Bromley North Village has seen the regeneration of the town’s historic quarter and a similar scheme is now underway in Bromley South. The new St Mark’s Square, a large landscaped public plaza, includes a multiplex cinema, hotel, retail outlets, cafés, and numerous restaurants.

The house is about a five-minute drive from Hayes Station, which runs regular services to London Bridge and London Waterloo East in approximately 30 minutes. Bromley South is with ten minutes' drive and runs services to London Victoria in approximately 18 minutes and to London Cannon Street, as well as offering Thameslink services to London St Pancras and beyond. Orpington, also with ten minutes, offers among many other lines, a fast services into London Bridge, taking around 17 minutes, and London Charing Cross, around 25 minutes.

Council Tax Band: H