St. Peter's Street, Islington, London, N1

Designed by the award-winning interior designer and founder of Büro Kif, Hester Stolk, this two-bedroom lower-ground property in vivacious Angel is a masterful coalition of trendy mid-century decor and Greco-Roman-inspired interiors. The result is an urban playground that caters ingeniously to the discerning city socialite.

The property is accessed via a black steel staircase that descends into a villa-style courtyard of white walls and blue-gated vaults for outdoor storage. It is a refreshing change from the urban landscape that pervades beyond, conjuring Grecian landscapes and whitewashed vistas. Extended into an original Georgian vault, the bath and shower room is immediately opposite upon entry. It feels spacious and cavernous, seemingly without definable borders, where brown and terracotta travertine tiles and a gaping bath tub create the most luxurious sunken bathhouse. Quirkier elements, such as the glass block wall and ultramodern egg-shaped toilet, are playful, installing popular retro design trends to inject further personality into the space. Continuing down the hall, two double bedrooms are available. Each are cosy and snug, deploying warm ambient lighting, brown wooden floors and blush decor to diffuse and tone the white walls.

The communal spaces are deliciously open-plan, with an intentional wall to provide subtle separation between the back of the property and the living room. The z-shape is easily navigated, flowing with ease from the living and dining room to the kitchen, where earth and rust tone ceramic tiles impart organic strength and volcanism. The traditional gas hob is a charming and rustic choice. The garden can be accessed via the kitchen or by sliding doors adjacent to the dining room. It is a rhomboidal allotment, wrapped by an l-shaped concourse of planters and patio, with enviable views of the gabled west flank of neighbouring St Peter’s Church (built circa. 1834 by Sir Charles Barry). Upstairs, accessed via an Art Nouveau-inspired staircase with intricate, twisting metalwork, is a roof terrace that overhangs the garden. The same metalwork continues across the glass balustrade, establishing its own homage to the sprawling vineyards of the Mediterranean. There is an additional wine cellar and a secondary unused vault by the kitchen, which would be ideal for use as a utility room.

Arguably the epicentre of Islington, Angel is a lively dining, shopping and entertainment district which takes its name from The Angel; an historic landmark set at the confluence of Islington High Street and Pentonville Road since 1614. Originally an administration of the Clerkenwell Priory, the area has undergone rich diversification and evolution over the centuries and is popular now among young professionals and families. For shopping and nightlife, Angel is hard to beat with its slew of theatres, clubs and independent eateries; including the quirky King’s Head Theatre and the infamous Sadler’s Wells, which has long-endured as the global seat of contemporary dance.