Edis Street, London NW1

This refined two-bedroom apartment lies across two floors of a Victorian townhouse on Edis Street, a delightful tree-lined street in the Primrose Hill Conservation Area. Its interiors have been exquisitely renovated by Kerri Lipsitz, who has made clever use of Arabescato marble, unlacquered brass, oak and reclaimed pine to complement the 19th-century architecture. Double doors from the kitchen open to a garden that teems with green and white flowers.  

Setting the Scene  

In the medieval period, the land that today makes up the Primrose Hill Conservation Area was populated with open fields and narrow laneways. Extensive development of the area didn’t begin until the 19th century, when London began to expand more rapidly; the construction of the Regent’s Canal was completed in 1820, and at the same time it was proposed that the land to the north of the canal, primarily owned by Lord Southampton, should be developed with large suburban villas with substantial gardens.

By 1870, the Southampton Estate land had been largely developed, and work began on the smaller roads and mews buildings including Kingstown Street, Egbert Street and Edis Street.  Rather than the early Victorian Italianate style that was employed for the larger residences on the major avenues, the residences on these narrower streets took a more restrained approach in form of mid-Victorian townhouses, many with rear gardens that abutted industrial units or stables. 

The Grand Tour 

The mid 19th-century terraces lining Edis Street are of a cohesive architectural character; façades of London stock brick, rusticated stucco, and sash windows with projecting sills and hoods sit uniformly behind rows of spearhead railings and green robinia trees. A panelled front door, painted a delicate shade of 'Pigeon' by Farrow & Ball and fitted with Banham locks, opens to a communal hallway, where this apartment's private entrance lies.

The apartment takes an inverted arrangement with the kitchen, dining and living spaces on the lower ground floor, and the bedrooms and bathroom on the ground floor above. A staircase with an oak handrail and bespoke carved newel posts descends from the ground floor hallway to an open-plan kitchen and dining room grounded with limestone flags. Useful storage has been concealed beneath the stairs.

At the rear, the kitchen is formed of solid oak cabinetry topped with heavy Arabescato marble countertops. Dark grey-veined stone clads the wall behind and is also used to create an open shelf above. There is a deep ceramic butler sink from Shaws as well as an electric-powered Aga. On the other side of the room, tall cupboards in aged oak with reeded glass fronts provide storage for crockery and utensils, adding to the space provided by a larder. A large kitchen island wrapped in gently patinated, unlacquered brass lies in front of Crittall doors to the garden beyond. There is space for a dining table in the centre of the room, in front of a marble fireplace surround decorated with carved corbels. 

A pair of concertina doors separate the dining area and the front living room, where solid oak floors run underfoot. Here, a a gas fireplace is fitted with a pine surround that matches a wall of rich, reclaimed pine panelling, some of which has come from the house’s original window shutters. At the front of the room there is a row of two-over-two sash windows, and a door opens to an original vault that has been reconfigured as a laundry room. 

There are two double bedrooms upstairs, as well as a walk-in wardrobe. The primary bedroom is at the front of the plan, washed in a soft shade of 'Smoked Trout' by Farrow and Ball. There is an original fireplace surround with floral motif corner blocks on one side, and a sash window with margin light arrangement fitted with original shutters. This room has full integrated air conditioning. A large wardrobe room opens from the bedroom, with built-in cabinetry fashioned from Sapele wood. Currently used as an office, the second bedroom is finished in 'Slipper Satin' by Farrow and Ball. One aspect is given over to sash windows that frame views of the ivy-covered garden walls beyond.

Next door, the bathroom is finished with a calming neutral palette. Lining the walls are Emery & Cie Zellige tiles in 'Blanc', and a large roll-top bathtub sits below a sash window. Both the rain-style shower and sink are fitted with Samuel Heath bronze fixtures.  

The Great Outdoors 

A wonderful walled garden sits to the rear of the house, accessed via Crittall doors that open from the kitchen. Fragrant jasmine climbs over the London stock brick whilst beds bloom with white hydrangea, tulips and anemones, as well as daffodils and daisies. 

Neighbouring houses and industrial buildings characteristic of the area to the rear of the apartment are smothered in climbing ivy to provide a terrifically green backdrop. 

Out and About 

Edis Street is perfectly situated for the boutiques, provisors, cafés and restaurants of Primrose Hill. Regent’s Park Avenue is a few minutes’ walk from the apartment and home to Lemonia and Greenberry Café. Just around the corner on Gloucester Avenue there is Primrose Bakery and Le Petite Poissonerie. 

The green expanses of Primrose Hill are a five-minute walk from the apartment, and the wide-open parkland of Regent’s Park is just beyond, with its boating lake, famed rose gardens, open-air theatre and large wetland area. Laid out over some 395 acres, it is one of London’s eight Royal Parks and was named after the Prince Regent, later George IV. Its history extends further back, however, with it originally being King Henry VIII’s hunting ground. 

Nearby Camden is well known for its world-famous market and wealth of independent restaurants, cafes and venues, including an outpost of plant-based restaurant Mildreds, The Jazz Café, The Roundhouse, iconic gelato parlour Marine Ices. The Grade II-listed music venue KOKO is within walking distance and has two stages, a late-night pizzeria and House of Koko, a new four-storey members club with a roof-top bar. 

Slightly further afield, King’s Cross has become London’s regeneration success story, welcoming the likes of Google, Louis Vuitton, Universal Music and Havas alongside existing outposts of Caravan, Waitrose, Dishoom, and audiophile bar Spiritland. The Thomas Heatherwick-designed Coal Drops Yard brings Margaret Howell, Tom Dixon and Aesop stores to the canal, along with a fine selection of bars and restaurants. An Everyman Cinema caters for confirmed cinephiles. 

Chalk Farm (Northern Line) is a 10-minute walk away. King’s Cross Station is a short Underground journey away, providing national railway connections as well as Hammersmith and City, Circle, Victoria, Northern, Piccadilly and Metropolitan Underground services. St Pancras International Station provides easy and quick access to Paris and the continent via the Eurostar. 

Tenure: Share of Freehold
Lease Length: Approx. 948 years remaining
Service Charge: N/A
Ground Rent: Approx. N/A
Council Tax Band: F