Much quieter than its fashionable location suggests, this well-kept, famous terrace of historic properties has a real sense of community, as once discovered, people tend to stay. Sensitively brought into the 21st century, this grand Victorian townhouse features classic style radiators, stripped or painted floorboards in the main rooms, and restful decoration throughout in the heritage hues of Conran, Dulux, or Little Greene. A loved family home, all improvements have been sympathetic to the property, where the discreet blend of old and new begins in the inviting hallway. Here, period finials and corbels around the ceiling are unspoilt, solid floorboards allow guests, children, and pets free reign, and there’s a guest w.c. tucked away.
The elegant living room has an original frieze around the high ceiling, with intricate handmade roses still clear to see. A broad bay window features shutters on each side, and with ample space for sofas, this is a room to enjoy come rain or shine. Guests can relax in front of a roaring open fire in a glorious marble fireplace, with custom-made floating shelving to one side.
The quirky family kitchen dining room on the lower floor spans from front to back and has its own entrance from the street for supermarket deliveries, with a passageway for storage. Built in an age reliant on natural light, it has plenty of it with big windows at each end. There’s ample space to entertain, with an open fireplace in the dining area and plenty of built-in shelving. Painted floorboards ensure a fuss-free flow. The handmade kitchen is skilfully designed around a sociable, peninsular island with an integrated dishwasher well-placed between the dining room and the door to the garden. This eclectic kitchen features a vintage range and reclaimed cabinets, a post-World War II company recycling aluminum never used to build warplanes, which sit happily with custom-built ones. Topped by sturdy granite, it’s user-friendly, with a lit walk-in larder beneath the stairs. A lobby leading to the garden has extra storage, as well as plumbing and power for a washing machine.
Surrounded by a sea of gardens, the private garden is a lush oasis full of birdsong and expertly designed to make the most of its sheltered position on the hilltop, which gets plenty of sun. By the house, the dining terrace basks in a southerly aspect and has plenty of space for entertaining, scented by apple and olive trees and fresh herbs for the table. A delight to return to and larger than many this close to the city center and the sea, it is a quiet haven, child and pet secure behind walls. Skilfully landscaped to enhance its hillside setting, it steps gently down past well-stocked beds and a seating area to a secluded deck, ideal for quiet catch-ups or for teens to entertain, scented by flowers for pollinators and shaded by exotic planting, including a fruiting fig. It is all pretty low maintenance, so you will have more time to relax in these verdant surrounds.
At the heart of the home, the first double bedroom on the ground floor has the restful proportions only period homes can deliver and opens to a fabulous balcony with garden views and space for a table and chairs, where it’s easy to forget that you’re just minutes from the beating heart of our thriving coastal city. Often used as a principal bedroom, it is at present an inspiring home office. The principal bedroom is instantly relaxing with surprisingly open views over the only two-story house in the crescent to trees, which you can see from the bed. The room is unusually private, with restful proportions, both a bay and tall sash bathing the room in light. The decoration is calm, and organized storage is custom-built on each side of a handsome fireplace. Next door, the airy bathroom is big and bright with a bath, which has a shower attachment, Adelphi hand basin, and a warming rail for towels. There is plenty of space should you want to put a shower in.
Up beneath a skylight, two double bedrooms each have charm of their own with painted paneling. At the back, the quiet bedroom has amazing views which sweep over the city to the Downs, whilst at the front, the cheerful fourth bedroom has a glimmer of the sea.
