Balfron Tower, 7 St Leonards Road, London, E14 0XU

The space, designed by Studio Egret West, is part of a considered retrofit of this east London landmark. Natural materials complement the exposed concrete structure and each fixture has been carefully selected for style and longevity. It’s fully furnished with bespoke pieces designed for Balfron Tower, including a deep-filled sofa with a midcentury silhouette, a cocooning armchair upholstered in cosy bouclé, a coffee table with terrazzo top, a sideboard and a steel bookshelf. The dining area features a contemporary table with tapered legs and enough curved-back chairs for the whole gang, while all bedrooms include a double ottoman storage bed with upholstered headboard, plus a solid wood bedside table and chest of drawers. The kitchen features forest green and pale birch ply cabinetry with sleek recessed handles, quartz worktops and a stainless steel sink, plus an integrated Bosch oven and microwave, induction hob, fridge-freezer and dishwasher.

This residence is run by Way of Life, an award-winning specialist rental accommodation brand that puts people at the heart of it all. We work with the world’s most in-demand interior designers to create community-focused rental accommodation with the mood of a member’s club, while striving to make the resident experience as simple as possible.

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1. Interiors by world-renowned designers
2. Welcoming on-site management team (rated 4.5 on Homeviews)
3. High energy efficiency rating
4. Pet-friendly policy
5. Resident app
6. Exclusive resident benefits
7. Bike storage and parcel lockers

Life at Balfron Tower comes with plenty of perks. The building is pet-friendly, with both cats and dogs welcome, while an onsite team is ready to respond to any day-to-day queries. Residents also benefit from secure internal bicycle storage, as well as individual smart parcel lockers accessible day and night. The Way of Life app is a dedicated hub that handles the technical bits of your tenancy, plus quick tasks like booking spaces.

ABOUT THE BUILDING

One of London’s very few listed post-war buildings, Balfron Tower is an icon of modernist thinking. The ‘older sibling’ of North Kensington’s Trellick Tower, it was designed by Hungarian-born architect Erno Goldfinger in the emerging Brutalist style as the centrepiece of a trio of buildings called the Brownfield Estate. For Goldfinger, who lived in flat 130 with his wife Ursula in 1968, this was the embodiment of his vision for a vertical neighbourhood – and an antidote to what he saw as the sprawl of suburbia.

Drawing on Goldfinger’s philosophy of shared life, the service tower which gives the building its distinctive silhouette has been smartly converted into a series of unique communal spaces by Studio Egret West and Ab Rogers Design. Draw back the curtain on the third floor to reveal a cocooning red cinema room, complete with state-of-the-art audio visual system and armchairs by Stockholm studio Massproductions. For supper clubs and special occasions, there’s a fully-equipped kitchen on the 27th floor, connected to a bookable dining room for up to twelve by a powder pink slatted staircase. Other levels house a fitness space, a mirrored yoga studio with ladder barrel and a table tennis room. A new communal roof garden champions naturalistic planting.

Residents also have access to a range of characterful co-working spaces throughout the building. The library evokes a midcentury palette with its sophisticated primary hues and modernist Robin Day recliners, alongside apple green shelves stocked with art, design and architecture reference books. Two other dedicated workspaces have their own character, from cork walls to architectural bar lighting, but all feature generous desks, fast WiFi and plug sockets just where you need them.

Balfron Tower’s guest suites are just the thing for keeping friends and family close – but not too close. For spontaneous overnighters or special meet-ups, this series of bookable hotel-style apartments offers non-residents an opportunity to bed down in one of London’s architectural gems.

These considered new spaces form part of a sensitive retrofit which has reimagined life at the tower for today. A public square has been created at its foot, walkways and planting re-plotted and a modern outdoor play space carved from a poorly-used yard area, while a refreshed lobby preserves original 1960s features. The structure of the building has been extensively refurbished and new windows installed, all as part of a wider effort to safeguard the future of Balfron Tower for the next generation.

ABOUT THE AREA

Sitting at the junction of the Limehouse Cut canal and the Bow section of the River Lea Navigation, well-connected Poplar is synonymous with east London’s waterways. Extensively damaged during the second world war due to its dockside location, the area saw significant post-war regeneration and now attracts families, young professionals and creatives for its transport links and strong community feel.

Poplar is home to a host of arts and community projects, including R-Urban eco hub with its garden workshops and Poplar Works, a makerspace which houses best-in-class bakery E5 Bakehouse alongside forty studios for artists and designers. Both Chrisp Street, with its historic market, and Aberfeldy Village to the east are tipped for major regeneration.

Only a twenty-minute walk from Balfron Tower, Canary Wharf’s skyscrapers sit in stark contrast to Poplar’s network of low-rise apartment blocks, Victorian terraces and neighbourhood parks. The area is predominantly served by Langdon Park and All Saints DLR stations, with several a short walk away, as well as the Elizabeth Line from Canary Wharf.

ABOUT WAY OF LIFE

Way of Life lays the foundation for renters to make a home. Working with some of the world’s most respected interior designers, we create distinctive residences that feature in Wallpaper*, ELLE Decor and Dezeen. Every detail is considered, from the warmth of a light bulb to the textured finish of a kitchen counter.

We like to practice what we preach, so we’ve made ourselves accountable in setting a new standard for renting. Way of Life is a voluntary member of governing bodies that hold us to strict codes in property, service and the protection of tenancy deposits, and our online tenancy management system is available 24/7 for ultimate peace of mind. No unexpected fees. No troublesome small print. Just leases that are straightforward and easy to manage.

All images are for illustrative purposes only.