Campus Road, Walthamstow, London, E17

Light-filled and spacious, this stunning two-bedroom Victorian house has been sensitively renovated with Scandi-style details and contemporary bespoke joinery while retaining plenty of period charm. 

On a tree-lined residential street within easy reach of vast green spaces, Underground services, local breweries and the thriving Walthamstow Village, the house includes a bright and airy open-plan living room, two bathrooms (including a master en suite), a private landscaped garden and a fabulous modern kitchen, featured on C4 television’s George Clarke’s Old House, New Home as an example of exceptional design.

Lovingly updated by the current owners to a high standard, every practical and visual detail has been carefully considered. As part of a full refurb in 2017, the house was completely rewired, flat-plate brushed chrome sockets and switches were added, beautiful new hardwood sash windows and internal doors were fitted, original fireplaces were reinstated, and a new heating system, controlled by Nest thermostat, was installed. 

The house sits behind a low brick wall and greets you with a Farrow and Ball, Dimpse painted brick exterior, with original stone lintels and handsome foliage-topped columns to the timber sash bay window. 

A chequerboard tiled pathway leads past a shingled front garden to a recessed front door painted in Pigeon by Farrow and Ball. A Ring doorbell and modern wall light have also been fitted here.

Inside, the house has been decorated in fresh white to the walls and original floorboards throughout for a cohesive scheme that highlights the well-proportioned spaces and emphasises the natural light filling every room. 

To your right is an area for coats, while to your left, the dual-aspect living space is flooded with light from the front timber sash bay window with bespoke white Venetian blinds and an almost full-height rear picture window looking out to the garden. 

A fantastic restored original cast iron fireplace with decorative tile surround and black stone hearth provides a focal point. It is flanked by a wall-mounted media cabinet and steel adjustable shelves from the Vitsœ 606 Universal Shelving System by Dieter Rams. Other details include Ferm Living brushed brass pendant light fittings and two white column-style radiators.

Walk past the staircase with white-painted spindles and a handy storage cupboard to the kitchen. An overhead skylight and large white aluminium-framed Velfac side- and rear-facing windows draw in the light, while wide French doors open to the side return for an indoor/outdoor vibe.

Plykea Birch plywood-fronted cabinetry with bookmatched grain and semi-recessed handles includes plenty of useful pan drawers. They’re topped by a Crystal White Formica-faced worktop with a steel inset sink and mixer tap and a white-tiled splashback with contrasting grey grout, giving a nod to the charcoal floor tiles. 

Well-thought-out details include floating open shelves, a tall four-column white radiator, a bespoke inbuilt table (which could work equally well as a desk), and a long window seat with hidden storage – the perfect spot for morning coffee. 

A five-ring Rangemaster Kitchener 90 stainless steel range oven with an overhead extractor sits at the centre of the run. Other appliances include an LG American-style fridge-freezer, an integrated dishwasher and a Beko washer-dryer. The boiler is also housed here.

Take the stairs to the first floor, where the white-painted floorboards continue and flow into all the rooms for a seamless look. On the landing, you’ll find a white pendant light fitting, a bespoke storage cupboard in Birch ply, and a hatch with access to the loft. As with many houses in the neighbourhood, there’s potential to extend into the loft to provide an additional bedroom suite, subject to the usual planning constraints. 

The primary bedroom at the front of the house is lit by two timber sash windows (with white column-style radiators beneath) and a Tom Dixon central pendant light fitting. A lovely reinstated black cast-iron fireplace with chequerboard hearth echoes the one downstairs, while full-height bespoke ply double wardrobes provide plenty of storage space. 

A door leads to the en suite bathroom, where flat white metro tiles with charcoal grout line a shower with a sliding black-framed glass door and brass tapware. There’s also a loo and a wall-hung two-drawer vanity basin with a tiled splashback, traditional-style chrome mixer tap, and a shaver point.

The main bathroom lies adjacent and is tiled to match the en suite. Lit by a timber sash with frosted lower panes and painted in Inchyra Blue by Farrow and Ball, a showstopping cast-iron Bath Company roll-top claw-footed bath takes centre stage, with overhead rainfall shower and chrome curtain rail. 

A traditional-style towel rail radiator, Burlington close-coupled loo and pedestal sink with traditional-style taps complete the suite, while frosted globe wall lights cast a soft evening glow. 

The second bedroom lies at the rear of the house. A tall timber sash window enjoys views over the garden, but there’s also a column-style radiator and metal pendant light fitting. 

Outside, the 49ft southwest-facing garden is enclosed by modern slatted timber fencing. A slabbed patio (lit by stylish bulkhead wall lights and with a double weatherproof electrical point) leads to a grassy lawn, bordered with mature plants including rosemary, sage, thyme, a rose and climbing jasmine. To the rear, a wide storage shed with double doors has been painted a muted blue, while a shingled area is ideal for placing a BBQ. 

A NOTE FROM THE OWNERS

‘The house has always felt like a quiet sanctuary in such a bustling city. We’ve loved the elevated but traditional features, such as the sash windows, and particularly enjoyed drinking coffee in the sun-drenched kitchen.’

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Campus Road is a tree-lined street just minutes from the green spaces of Lea Valley Park and the beautiful Walthamstow Wetlands, yet within quick and easy reach of vibrant Walthamstow town centre, with its many cafés and convenience stores at the southern end.

A 20-minute stroll east will bring you to Walthamstow Village, where you’ll find local favourites such as Eat17, Wildcard Brewery, Pillars Taproom and Parish Wines.

Enjoy great coffee and pastries at Hucks Coffee on Grove Rd, fish and chips from Orford, and wine from Gnarly Vines on Hoe Street. You’re spoilt for choice for pubs, too, with both The Queens Arms and The Castle for Sunday roasts.

With great transport links, Walthamstow Central Underground is just a 14-minute walk, where you can hop on the Victoria line and whizz to Liverpool St in 18 minutes. Alternatively, reach the Overground at Walthamstow Queen’s Road in nine minutes or St James Street in 12 minutes. 

Fancy some fresh air? Amble to one of many open green spaces on your doorstep, including Lea Valley Park and the 211 hectares of Walthamstow Wetlands, an internationally important urban wetland nature reserve providing home and shelter to a wide range of wildlife. 

In the other direction, explore Hollow Ponds, renowned for beautiful scenery, trails, fishing, and boating opportunities. From here, Epping Forest extends north for miles (it’s possible to cycle through woodland without using a road).

There are numerous schools and nurseries in the area, including Southgrove Primary (one minute away) and St Saviour’s CofE primary (eight minutes), both rated Outstanding by Ofsted, as well as Edinburgh Primary School (three minutes), Low Hall Nursery School (five minutes), Kelmscott Secondary School (five minutes) and Thomas Gamuel primary school (eight minutes), all rated Good.