Islington Square, New Islington, Manchester

Completed in 2006, Islington Square is a recognisable piece of contemporary architecture in the city - a run of stepped, Dutch gables and oversized graphic brickwork. FAT's decorative motifs carry from the façade through to the interiors. The home itself is arranged on an L-shaped plan, the courtyard filling the notch and gated from the street - a private, enclosed arrival, with a garden to the rear. 

The Space

Entry is through a private gate, the courtyard held within the turn of the house - gated off-street parking for a car, and a considered threshold whether arriving on foot or by vehicle, with further on-street parking available.

The front door opens into a central hallway, oak-effect flooring running underfoot and continuing throughout the home. The understairs space sits ahead, given over to storage or equally suited to a cloakroom. To the right lies the living room; to the left, the main living space and the garden beyond.

The living room sits to the front of the home, as light and open as the rest of the home, with the bathroom alongside it. Finished in grey wall tiling with patterned grey floor tiles, it holds a walk-in rainfall shower, a wall-hung basin with vanity storage, and a heated towel rail.

At the rear, the principal space runs the depth of the house, arranged as a kitchen with living and dining beyond - though the room takes a formal dining arrangement just as comfortably. The kitchen is set in a U-shape with a breakfast bar closing the run, finished in grey cabinetry above and below the counter with timber handles, a white brick splashback and integrated appliances throughout. Near floor-to-ceiling patio doors frame the garden and draw light across the room. Beyond them, the garden is enclosed by fencing and laid with Indian sandstone paving and artificial lawn, giving a low-maintenance outdoor space.

Back inside, the staircase rises behind a run of decorative timber panelling - the cut-out motif taken directly from the balcony balustrades outside, one of the details that ties the scheme's interiors to its façade. It leads to a generous landing, currently arranged as a home office.

Three bedrooms and the family bathroom are arranged across this floor. The principal bedroom is exceptionally light, with two windows and a glazed door opening onto a walk-on balcony. The second and third bedrooms sit to the rear, each with a Juliet balcony overlooking the garden. Oak-effect flooring continues throughout, and all three bedrooms are fitted with blackout blinds.

The family bathroom follows the same palette as the ground floor - grey wall tiling with patterned floor tiles - and offers a bath with overhead shower, a basin with vanity storage, and a heated towel rail.

The Area

New Islington and neighbouring Ancoats together form one of Manchester's most vibrant cultural and culinary neighbourhoods. Once defined by its mills and waterways, the neighbourhood now holds an ever-growing collection of independents, many of them gathered around the marina - Pollen Bakery at the water's edge, natural-wine bar Flawd alongside it, with Cask and Finders Keepers close at hand. For a sit-down meal, Michelin-starred Mana, Rudy's Pizza, and neighbourhood favourite Edinburgh Castle are all a short walk away.

Just beyond, the Northern Quarter carries much of Manchester's live music scene, with venues including Band on the Wall and Night & Day. Excellent schools, several rated Outstanding by Ofsted, support family life, while the city's central business, retail and transport hubs are all easily reached.

Green space sits close by, with Cotton Field Park and New Islington marina itself on the doorstep, New Islington Green, and Ancoats Green joining them as the neighbourhood continues to develop. Ancoats Mobility Hub brings further parking, cycle storage and EV charging to the area.

New Islington tram stop is 10 minutes on foot, with services running into the city centre, and Piccadilly Train Station a 15-minute walk, from where direct trains reach London Euston in around two hours. Road access is via the M56, M60 and M62, with Manchester International Airport around 15 minutes by train and 25 minutes by car.