Come On In: our collection in Open House Festival 2023 gives you access to some of London’s best homes
Have you ever seen a home on our website and thought: “I’d love to have a proper nose around”? Well, it thrills us to say: now you can. This year, we’re excited to be taking part in London’s Open House Festival 2023, presenting a collection of homes that are either on the market with, have been sold by or have featured editorially on The Modern House, giving you the chance to see the many types of spaces that make a ‘modern’ house.
From architect Sophie Hicks’ 2017 hidden concrete house in Kensington (not to be missed) and Ben Ridley’s low-energy retrofit home in Muswell Hill, there’s a lot to pack in, so we’ve put them all on a map to help you plan your visits over the course of the two-week event, which kicks off Wednesday 6 September. Head to Open House’s website and view our homes via the links below. See you there!
1. Architect Ben Ridley’s low-energy retrofit home in Muswell Hill
Architect Ben Ridley, director of Architecture for London, was used to designing low-energy buildings for clients, but he’d never actually lived in one until he finished the renovation of his own home. Inspired by the Passivhaus standard, the house has proven to be a revelation for Ben, who has discovered it’s a place of pure comfort and is as kind to the people within it as it is to the planet.
“People aren’t going to accept low-energy retrofit if it means you lose the character or the joy of your home,” he said when we recently visited with our film team – and, as this project proves, that needn’t be the case. Instead, Ben has employed a pleasing palette of lime plaster, stone and wood, adding triple-glazed windows and an MVHR system to breathe new life into his Edwardian house – and future-proof it for many years to come.
Find out more here.
2. Architects Liz Tatrintseva and Zach Fluker’s wooden home in Walthamstow
Liz Tatrintseva and Zach Fluker were looking for the right project to launch their practice, ao-ft, when they came across a shabby structure on a one-time high street in east London. Formerly a toy store and a cobbler, the couple were inspired by the building’s story. And so, they snapped it up and briefed themselves to answer the question: what does a contemporary residential shopfront look like?
Today, with the renovation complete, the curious façade pays homage to its heritage, while the minimal and restful interiors – predominately crafted from pale timber – are fit for modern family life. Not only is this one of our favourite homes we’ve visited, but one of yours too. Since we shared our film on Liz and Zach’s home on YouTube, more than 110,000 of you have joined them on a house tour. We’re delighted, then, to offer you the chance to visit it IRL too.
Find out more here.
3. Anthony Engi Meacock and Alexander Hills’ self-designed house in Clapton
Anthony Engi Meacock and Alexander Hills’ house is as extraordinary as their story. The two childhood friends, whose family ties go back generations, both happened to be recently qualified architects who found themselves at similar stages in life and so decided to come together and build a house that would debut their design skills, and be a home for them and their partners.
What they managed to create from an awkward infill space is a testament to their ability to collaborate on “a game of looking at how to maximise the available space without compromising the light”. What looks like two storeys from the street actually unfolds over three internally, and outdoor space is even worked in via a rear patio. If you like what you see, you’re in luck – the house is currently for sale.
Find out more here.
4. Angus and Sarah Shepherd’s 1960s home in Dulwich
When Angus and Sarah Shepherd, a director at Powell Tuck Associates and a interiors consultant respectively, bought their home nearly two decades ago, they knew it needed “a whole number”. A modernist gem on Austin Vernon & Partner’s Dulwich Estate, the house was somewhat stuck in the past, but, as the pair explained when we visited, the space itself was great. “As soon as I saw this place, I was all in,” said Sarah. “I thought it was amazing.”
After five years of living here, the couple had completely refurbished the interiors, adding sliding doors and timber floors throughout, as well as a basement level. But, “one of the biggest things we did was introduce full-height windows,” said Angus. “I love the ones in the living area. I often sit on the sofa and look out to the sky and the leaves,” Sarah added. “I love how the window frames the maple tree like a picture.”
Find out more here.
5. Architect Sophie Hicks’ concrete house in Kensington
Sophie Hicks is known for designing buildings that are raw, restrained and come alive with light – and perhaps nowhere is this more palpable than in her own home, which is available to tour on Wednesday 6 September. The cutting-edge concrete concept, which has motorised windows that retract to reveal the sky, is hidden behind a thick white-painted wall so that only the near-invisible glass top peers above it. The two bedrooms, meanwhile, lie in the basement of the RIBA award-winning house.
Speaking about her home, Sophie said: “You really feel all the elements and seasons in here – especially when the trees come into leaf and you can see green through the back window in the living space. In fact, when you open all the windows, it can feel like you’re outside. This house might not have a garden, but with all the greenery, you still have a strong feeling of being outdoors.”
Sophie’s home is only open on 6 September.
6. Artist Eduardo Padilha’s 1930s apartment in Balin House in Borough
Eduardo Padilha, who runs community-focused practice Balin House Projects, first purchased his one-bed flat in 2010 – and he soon found out he had the right to buy the derelict laundry room next door. In collaboration with not-for-profit firm Public Works, Eduardo, who’s originally from Brazil, set about connecting the spaces and refurbishing them to create one beautifully crafted home, which is now on the market with The Modern House.
Something we greatly admire about the completed project is Eduardo’s artful interiors, which were inspired by the 1950s modernist architecture of his motherland. The bespoke metal window shutters, for instance, feature a graphic pattern informed by buildings in Brazil from that period; the beautiful black terrazzo making up the floor and surfaces is particularly popular in the southern part of the country. The Siberian larch, meanwhile, is bespoke throughout and was chosen to bring warmth to the space.
Find out more here.
