Bracken Avenue, London

“Natural light fills the interior through cleverly designed glazing”

This architect-designed, detached home is positioned on Bracken Avenue, a quiet residential road near Clapham Common. The space was designed by Hayhurst and Co. in 2016. Featuring a creative design organised around a central private courtyard, with varying heights and openings to modulate light and privacy, it received a RIBA London Award in May 2017. The home sits in the sought-after Nightingale Triangle, with popular spots Wandsworth Common, Northcote Road, Balham and Clapham Old Town all within walking distance.

The Architect

Hayhurst and Co. was founded in 2004 by Nick Hayhurst and Jonathan Nicholls. The practice works across a variety of projects, with a context-driven design focus on materiality and sustainability. Completed in 2016, the home won a RIBA London Award and was shortlisted for RIBA House of the Year in 2017. The house is built on a former garage plot and features softly coloured brickwork, a sliding perforated metal front gate concealing bin and bike storage, and an internal layout wrapped around a central private courtyard and double-height void.

The Tour

The home opens to the heart of the design, a hallway that wraps around a central glazed courtyard garden filling the house with natural light. Grey resin runs underfoot here and in most rooms, creating a seamless flow between the spaces.

A short set of steps rises to the principal living space, with an open-plan layout that integrates the kitchen, sitting and dining areas. Carefully crafted oak has been used for the kitchen cabinets, storage and built-in seating. A glass door opens onto the internal courtyard, with space for a creative potted planting scheme or outdoor dining, while strategic glazing tempers a light downpour and opens to sky views.

The principal bedroom is on the lower level; above, oak panels cover the stairwell walls with concealed storage. Light comes from a glass-brick ceiling beneath the courtyard above and is amplified by an elegant, white-tiled herringbone floor. A large dressing room and en-suite bathroom sit beside the bedroom, completing the brilliantly peaceful space.

Accessed from the entrance hall, the second bedroom is versatile; it is currently arranged as a study. The main bathroom sits adjacent with a walk-in shower.

The Area

Bracken Avenue is a quiet residential street positioned between the green open spaces of Clapham Common and Wandsworth Common. The shops and restaurants of Balham are a short walk away, including Nightingale Patisserie and neighbourhood brunch favourites Milk and Brickwood.

Nearby Northcote Road and Wandsworth Common are home to an almost endless number of eateries; the former celebrates an eclectic selection of restaurants, with Ploussard for a modern take on French cuisine and Kibou for contemporary Japanese. Meanwhile, local spots in Wandsworth Common include FIEL cafe, Adam Byatt’s Rosina and Michelin-starred restaurant Chez Bruce. Slightly further afield, Clapham Old Town features several well-loved cultural and foodie destinations.

Clapham South is the nearest Underground station (Northern Line) and Balham station runs direct Southern services to London Victoria in around 13 minutes.


Tenure: Freehold | Council Tax Band: F