Athenlay Road, London, SE15

The Modern Nunhead Family Home That Looks Perfectly Victorian From The Front. This was a fantastic blend of old and new when built in 2017 - with parks, schools and trains just a short walk away. Now it’s even better, thanks to a superb kitchen-diner upgrade and thoughtful landscaping.

Anyone who's bought a Victorian terrace knows the deal. You fall in love with the street, the proportions, the feel of the thing - and then you spend the next few years and a small fortune bringing the wiring, the plumbing, the kitchen and the bathrooms into the 21st century.

This is the same street, the same feel, the same tree-lined SE15 postcode - without any of that. Built in 2017 in keeping with the Victorian terraces around it, it’s been upgraded throughout by the current owners who've spent the last eight years making it feel just right.

The hallway sets the tone immediately - with Fired Earth tiles underfoot, quirky Pooky light fittings and Farrow & Ball "School House White" on the walls. 

There's a w/c off the hall, ample coat and shoe storage, and a large under-stairs cupboard accessed from the living room that handles everything that needs to disappear.

The living room at the front has bespoke cabinetry, shelving and panelling, engineered oak floors and plantation shutters throughout - it’s a calm, quiet space well away from the sociable kitchen (more on that later). The woodwork is Farrow & Ball "Drop Cloth", which works beautifully against the "School House White" walls that run through the rest of the house.

The kitchen is without doubt the heart of the home. Refitted in 2021, it runs across the back of the house with engineered oak flooring underfoot, underfloor heating, a range cooker, quartz worktops, a Quooker tap and an American-style fridge freezer. 

A large pantry cupboard handles all the appliances you'd rather not leave on the counter, and there's a separate utility cupboard too. The bespoke Crittall-style door to the hallway and a picture window looking out to the garden give the whole space a crafted, thoughtfully considered feel - and the bifold doors mean that on a warm evening, the kitchen and garden become one room.

The southeast facing back garden was landscaped in 2021. There's a large dining area with a bespoke bench running along the side return, a pergola for fairy lights and climbing jasmine and a second seating area at the top that gets the sun all day. A mature mimosa tree provides screening and puts on a yellow blossom display twice a year - the parakeets, apparently, are big fans.

There are four double bedrooms spread across the upper two floors. The main bedroom has a Victorian style bay window, decorative panelling, a built-in vanity and its own ensuite. The back bedroom is slightly smaller (but is still a decent double) but gets the garden views. The stylish family bathroom sits between the two. 

The top-floor has a further two bedrooms with a handy w/c up there so you don’t have to stumble down the stairs in the middle of the night. In fact, having four bathrooms spread across the house means the morning rush is rather less of a rush. There's also a large boiler and utility cupboard that keeps all the practical stuff out of sight.

Outside at the front, a large bike storage unit means you don't have to haul bikes through the house. And London Bridge is only a 20-minute cycle away, making this quiet spot surprisingly well connected for such a peaceful part of SE15.

Athenlay Road itself is a tree-lined street with a strong community feel. Ivydale Primary School is just a 5 minute walk away on the corner of Bellwood Road, and if you have little ones there are two nurseries at the end of the road. If your children are older, nearby secondary options include St Thomas the Apostle College, Harris Girls’ Academy East Dulwich and Harris Academy Peckham.

Nunhead Village is only a short walk away, packed with independent cafés, pubs and shops (Ayre’s Bakery and Soper’s Fishmongers are local legends for good reason). 

One Tree Hill and Peckham Rye offer green space in every direction, and you’ve got excellent transport links with Nunhead and Crofton Park stations both within walking distance, offering direct trains to London Victoria, Blackfriars and Kings Cross/St Pancras, while London Bridge is just one stop away from Peckham Rye, which you can reach in around five minutes by bus.

Honor Oak Park and Brockley give you the Overground and access to the Windrush Line via Canada Water for the Jubilee Line east.

91 Athenlay Road gives you the friendly, well connected Victorian street and a spacious family home that blends the best of old and new. Most people only get to enjoy a house like this the hard way. Here, someone's already done it for you to a superb standard.