Clifford Gardens, London NW10

This beautifully finished two-bedroom garden apartment lies within a handsome Victorian house in Kensal Rise, north-west London. Moments from the station, it sits a short distance from all of the area's brilliance. Inside, the apartment has been elegantly transformed with high-quality materials and a sharp eye for detail.



The Tour


Clifford Gardens is a quiet residential road, lined with 19th-century homes. This building, like its neighbours, is dressed with ornate stucco detailing, including a portrait just beneath the roofline.



Entry is to a shared hallway lined with Minton tiles. From here is the apartment’s private front door, which opens to a long corridor. At the furthest end are the wonderful open-plan living spaces, loosely delineated but with a strong sense of cohesion, thanks to a consistent palette of white-painted walls and brushed oak floorboards.



Large, finely outlined doors open from the rear of the living room to the garden beyond. In front is space for sitting and dining; the current owners have placed a dining table beneath a deep rooflight that allows light to cascade in.



Another roof light illuminates the adjacent kitchen, which has an especially generous bank of bespoke handleless cupboards. Both the main units and a large island opposite are topped with striking Carrara marble. Appliances are integrated and include a Smeg oven and induction hob. The taps here and in the bathroom are from Vola.



The combination of floorboards and serene white walls continues in both bedrooms. The principal is beautifully lit by a deep box-bay window and has tall, built-in storage, designed with a seamless finish. Next door, the second bedroom (which would also make for an excellent study or nursery) has a glazed door to an atrium, making it wonderfully bright.



Pristinely finished, the bathroom is largely lined with marble tiles. It has a freestanding bathtub as well as a separate walk-in shower. A built-in cupboard beneath the sink provides additional storage.



Outdoor Space


A spacious rear garden unfolds behind the house, carefully landscaped to carve out space for gathering and hosting. In the summertime, the large doors dividing inside and out can be left open to create a seamless transition between the two.



From the doors is a large tumbled limestone-laid terrace, while beyond and up a short flight of steps is a gravel-laid barbecue area. Raised beds filled with the likes of lavender, variegated Japanese fatsia and jasmine trace around the perimeter in a U-shape. There is also a beautiful frisia tree that looks especially beautiful when in bloom.



The Area


Clifford Gardens sits in Kensal Rise, just off the popular Chamberlayne Road. It has a fine selection of cafés, restaurants, delis, pubs and shops – including a butcher, greengrocer, specialist bakery and one of London’s finest florists. Local favourites include Sacre Cuore pizzeria, indie cinema The Lexi, and Retrouvius for design lovers. We’ve written more about the best of Kensal Rise and Queen’s Park in our residents’ guide.



Queen's Park, Ladbroke Grove and the Grand Union towpath are all close by. There are several fantastic pubs and restaurants close by, including Ida, a family-run favourite.



The Kensal Green Cemetery, one of London’s ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries, is nearby, and the vast expanses of Wormwood Scrubs are a little further afield. The namesake Queen’s Park is around 10 minutes’ walk away.



Transport connections are excellent: Kensal Rise station (Mildmay line) is a couple of minutes’ walk from the apartment. Kensal Green station is a 10-minute walk away and has access to the Bakerloo Line and Lioness services, the latter with direct routes to Euston in around 15 minutes. The area is well-served by a wide range of bus services into central London.



Council Tax Band: D