Charlotte Road, London EC2A

Among the intimate streets of boutiques and specialist coffee houses that form the coveted Shoreditch triangle, this former furniture warehouse is a rare freehold find. The house has been renovated from top to bottom with great sensitivity to its industrial past and scale, with revealed beams overhead and limed pine underfoot. It extends to almost 2,500 sq ft across five levels, with a large rooftop terrace, a gallery space with vehicular access and a private rear courtyard garden.

The Tour

The house can be accessed via a steel front door which leads into a hallway with a staircase to the upper levels. To the right is a large open-plan space at ground level, interrupted only by an steel column in the centre of the room and storage cupboards at the rear. The room is glass-fronted, inviting light to meet that from the walled garden. A set of floor to ceiling bi-fold doors offer secondary access for vehicles or loading, allowing for a neat separation of the level as a gallery space, studio or even as a garage.

The garden at the rear is encased by high walls and has beds dug around its border. With the right application, it could be a wonderful haven for tropical evergreens such as climbing clematis and giant tree ferns.

The first and second floors are arranged in sweeping open plans with fenestration at front and back aspects. The first floor currently serves as a large reception, with dining and living spaces. An en suite shower room and WC in the north-easterly corner is finished in tadelakt, with fittings by Vola and a sublime marble pedestal basin between its elements. The room could easily become a third exceptional bedroom with a simple partition.

The second floor contains the kitchen, arranged around a massive island with steel worktops and bespoke oak cabinetry forming its perimeter. As with each level, light pours in from opposing aspects: from the north-east at the rear and south-west along the street frontage. The enormity of the space allows for a secondary living area, currently arranged around a log-burning stove, and a breakfast or informal dining area by the rear-facing loading doors which serve as Juliet balconies on three of the five levels.

Track lighting by Erco is present on every floor, giving exceptional directional and dimmable light for both artworks and evening moods.  The third floor is given in its entirety to the principal bedroom suite. From the generous landing, which contains a bank of ceiling-height wardrobes, a long corridor leads past a separate WC to the bedroom. In the north east corner a monolithic freestanding, marble bath is set, and beyond it, to the south, is the sleeping area.

The top floor lends itself to flexible usage: as a bedroom, which the design intended, or as a yoga room and studio, for which it is presently used. It has an enormous shower/wet area, finished in microcement and with matt black fixtures, and a separate WC. Crittall-style doors open onto a large terrace decked in black millboard and flanked by steel planters. This extended portion of the house is clad externally in black Shou-Sugi Ban-style boards and incorporates outside lighting.

The Area

Charlotte Road is among the most sought-after address in EC2 and is a peaceful respite between the buzz of Old Street and Great Eastern Street. It is also home to some brilliant shops, including Pick Store and a branch of Origin coffee.

Arnold Circus is close by and is surrounded by restaurants and independent retailers including Leila’s Shop, Rochelle Canteen, and Blue Mountain School. Redchurch Street and Columbia Road are also within short walking distance; the former is home to Jolene Bakery, The Smoking Goat and Michelin-star restaurant Brat, while the latter plays host to its namesake Sunday flower market. The Barbican Centre, with its world-class cultural programme of cinema, music, theatre, talks and exhibitions, is also nearby.

We've written more about our recommendations in Shoreditch in our Journal.

Spitalfields is also a short walk away and, as such, opportunities for dining, entertainment and shopping are boundless. Neighbourhood restaurants include Ottolenghi, Galvin and St. John Bread & Wine, with Bistro Freddie, Manteca and Padella slightly further afield. Potter and Reid on Toynbee street is excellent for coffee, while Crispin is perfect for a glass of wine in the evening and collecting a fresh loaf of Dusty Knuckle bread in the morning. Cocktail bars nearby include Discount Suit Company and Callooh Callay. Spitalfields Market is very close, offering shopping opportunities comparable to the West End. 

Liverpool Street station is an 11-minute walk from Charlotte Road for Underground (Central, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan lines), Elizabeth line, Overground (Weaver line) and National Rail services, including to Heathrow and Stansted airports in approximately 50 minutes. Shoreditch High Street station (Windrush line) is six minutes' walk, while Moorgate, a 16-minute walk away, runs Northern line services.

Council Tax Band: F