Fellows Road, London NW3

This award-winning apartment, artfully designed in recent years by Proctor and Shaw, sits on the first floor of a Victorian townhouse in Belsize Park. The home is centred around a translucent elevated sleeping pod inspired by Japanese shoji screens, which have been added to maximise space and light. The result is a calm, soothing space with plenty of subtle storage solutions and considered details. In a sought-after location, the apartment sits a short walk from Primrose Hill, Hampstead Heath and Regent’s Park.

The Architects

Proctor and Shaw are a celebrated architectural practice founded by John Proctor and John Pawson alumni Mike Shaw. They each have a wealth of big-practice experience and have worked with some of the UK’s most recognised cultural institutions including The Design Museum, the V&A Museum and the Wallace Collection. The firm has received numerous awards; for this apartment specifically, they were given the RIBA London Award 2023 and the Dezeen Small Apartment Winner 2023. The apartment has also been featured in numerous publications, including Germany’s AIT, Frame magazine and Enki magazine among other publications.

The Tour

Set back from the road, the classic red-brick façade of the building is shaded by an established fir tree. A set of stone steps ascends to the front door, which in turn leads to a communal corridor. The apartment is on the first floor; it opens to a hallway with views over treetops beyond.

On entry, there is an immediate sense of tranquility. Birch plywood-faced cabinetry runs along the perimeter of the room, Forbo flooring spreads out underfoot and walls are finished in a Clayworks plaster. The main living area has cleverly, but subtly, delineated areas for cooking, dining and relaxing. A generous tripartite bay has three sash windows and there is handy storage built into the hollowed-out chimney recess.

A galley kitchen with integrated appliances and a quartz-lite worktop runs along the right side of the room, with a Flos string light sphere pendant above that emphasises the height of the room.

There is a playfulness to the storage solutions, which are concealed behind neat doors and panels. The apartment's design ethos is ultimately expressed, however, by the bold aluminium polycarbonate screens that contain the sleeping platform, reached by sliding back a panel to reveal the space-saving alternative tread staircase. Further exploration under the bed uncovers a walk-in wardrobe and an additional utility space.

The door to the bathroom is deftly integrated next to the kitchen. Inside, the walls and floor are lined with microcement concrete with a floor-to-ceiling shower screen and stainless steel fittings. A hidden storage cabinet here exemplifies the seamless approach to design.

The Area

Fellows Road is a wide, tree-lined street between Belsize Park, Primrose Hill and St John’s Wood. As such, there are a host of excellent independent shops, restaurants and cultural hubs within walking distance. The Swiss Cottage Farmers’ Market, which takes residence every Wednesday, and the Hampstead Theatre are both found on Eton Avenue, which runs parallel to Fellows Road.

Belsize Park is a short distance to the north; here, popular spots include The Wellington Pub, famed locally for their Sunday roasts, Terra Moderna, a delicious Antipodean-inspired Italian restaurant, and boulangerie and patisserie Sable d’Or.

The Basil Spence-designed Swiss Cottage Library and Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre and swimming pool, and the Odeon cinema and IMAX are under four minutes away. While the shops, delis and cafes of England’s Lane, including a traditional butcher, are under five minutes’ walk, as well as a Waitrose in Finchley Road. Within 10 minutes’ walk are the green spaces of Primrose Hill Park and the delicious New York style bagel shop It’s Bagels!

The grassy banks of Primrose Hill and leafy walkways of Regent’s Park are just a few minutes walk from the home and provide access to the Regent’s Canal path. The green oasis of Hampstead Heath and its swimming ponds, tennis courts, running track and Kenwood House are also walkable from Fellows Road.

Within four minutes’ walk is Swiss Cottage station (Jubilee line) and good bus and cycle connections. Also within easy reach are Belsize Park and Chalk Farm stations (Northern line).

Tenure: Leasehold
Lease: Approx. 189 years remaining
Service charge: Approx. £350 per year
Ground rent: Approx. £250 per year
Council Tax Band: C