GUIDE PRICE: £1,500,000--£1,600,000.

STUNNING DOUBLE FRONTED PERIOD HOME.

INTERNAL VIEWINGS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.


Five minutes stroll from Preston Park’s sports facilities, playground and café, and 20 minutes walk or 5 minutes by cab from Brighton and Preston Park Stations with direct trains to London via Gatwick. This quiet 5/6 bedroom Victorian Villa is a private sanctuary with a design led interior, fabulous sun terrace and a west facing garden which backs onto private woodland. Double fronted, there are 3/4 reception rooms where the double depth one has an open fireplace and doors to the sun terrace. The dining room has a wood burner and leads to the garden and is connected to the stylish, newly fitted contemporary eat-in kitchen. Close to the city centre, good schools and the beach it is in the ‘golden triangle’ which is given a top spot in The Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide.

In brief:
Style Victorian semi-detached double fronted Villa
Type 4 1st floor family bedrooms and bathroom, top floor principal en-suite, 4 receptions, shower room, cloakroom, kitchen dining room, utility in cellar
Area Preston Park
Floor Area 3478sq.ft
Garden West landscaped garden to the rear, west balcony, front garden
Parking Permit zone J
Council Tax Band F

Why you’ll like it:
Picture perfect on a leafy avenue 6 minutes’ walk from an outstanding Junior School, set privately behind and screened by a verdant front garden with space for a bike store, this soothingly symmetrical, double fronted home radiates charm and an impressive entrance. Inside, stylish improvements are unfailingly sympathetic and include cast iron radiators in ‘old school’ style in all the main rooms, a contemporary kitchen, luxury bathrooms and an extension of the attic, completed in 2021/2 to create a spectacular principal suite.

The Entrance Hall, Reception and West Balcony:
Inside, an inner lobby opens to a hushed hallway which invites company with stained oak underfoot and a ceiling which soars to 2.868m (approx.), where delicate plaster work and finials have been carefully preserved.

Of classic proportions, the double depth reception is ideal for entertaining with versatile floorspace to enjoy. Sunlight streams through the front bay, the ceiling is high with an historic frieze and solid oak is underfoot. A restful retreat, the open fireplace features rare, original tiles showing Red Riding Hood and at the back, custom made French doors with Brighton Blue glass detail open to a sunny balcony with views of the garden below and private woodland behind, so it is remarkably fume free, too.

The Second Reception/Home Office, The Family Room/Bedroom 6
Simple but stylish, the second reception is used as a distraction-free home office, made private from the front by high hedging with plenty of light coming through a bay which almost fills the east wall. Next door, the family room is completely private and with unspoilt proportions provides ample space for teens to entertain. Occasionally used as a guest room as there is a convenient shower room close by, it could also be perfect for an au pair as they could come and go without disturbing the rest of the house.

The Dining Room, Eat-In Kitchen, Larder and Cellar/Utility
Down broad stairs, guests can relax in complete seclusion in the formal dining room which is not overlooked. Blonde chevron flooring is both practical and stylish. A room to enjoy in all seasons, it has a cast iron wood burning stove whilst the Crittall style French doors of this evolving home open to a part covered veranda and the spacious garden, for seamless al fresco entertaining.

Across a hallway lined in contemporary porcelain where a cloakroom is secreted away, the eat- in kitchen is perfect for everyday and for parties with a streamlined contemporary kitchen. High end integrated appliances include an Elica touch induction hob with a central extractor and twin Bosch ovens to cater for family celebrations. Off centre stage, a big larder with designated space for an LA style fridge freezer is larger than some inner city kitchens, and the cellar is big enough for utility machines as well as to act as an ‘attic’.

The Garden:
Sunny and secure behind brick walls, this spacious garden is a private paradise to return to. By the house, paved, lit terraces are perfect for dining and a large central lawn has a south facing seating area where an olive tree thrives. There is a modern greenhouse which could stay subject to circumstance, and hidden at the far end a sunken garden is perfect for shaded, private dining. Backing on to private woodland which we are told will be passed to the Woodland Trust by its current owner to ensure it will be preserved without buildings, all you can hear is birdsong.
Four First Floor Family Bedrooms and Bathroom
On the first floor landing, the light and airy family bathroom is lined with family friendly Travetine marble and has a shower above the corner bath. A designer hand basin is a subtle touch of luxury, and there is a warming rail for towels – and pyjamas.

Up on the first floor, this house spreads its wings with four beautiful bedrooms, all generous sizes and each beautifully painted in the restful hues of Paper & Paint Library. At the back, two big bedrooms have garden views, so they are very private, and each have fitted, but slightly different storage to cater for different needs. At the front two large rooms each have broad bays to bring in the morning sunshine, each have space for a super-king sized bed and to the right, the bedroom also has a characterful fireplace.

The Principal Suite
A serene refuge which runs the full width of this substantial building and spans from east to west, this restful principal bedroom is designed for sunlight to pour through with large Velux in both rooflines. All about recharging your batteries in a restful setting, the proportions instantly soothe and intended to make you feel like the VIP you are, the high end en-suite shower room is right on trend with an industrial chic sliding door, fashionable high end fittings and a wet-room, designer finish which includes twin hand basins, a dual head shower and discreet shaving point.

Agent’s Thoughts:
This beautiful family house is ready to move into with muted, restful decoration and wood floors inside and both a suntrap balcony and spacious garden with some shaded areas to enjoy at the back. Almost unique in the city, it backs onto private woodland so it feels a world away from the city – which is actually on your doorstep.

Owner’s secret:
“We have enjoyed breathing new life into this beautifully proportioned period house which we wanted to feel authentic but also stylish and inviting. Friends love the flow from the reception to what they call the ‘wine balcony’– which is nicely secluded- and the sunny garden below is perfect for family time or entertaining. As it gets really hot outside during summer we are grateful for the sunken terrace and cool Victorian house which is shaded by our trees to the south as well as the mature trees in the woodland which are well tended, and the part covered terrace by the house means we can still enjoy outside if it’s a little drizzly. Family life is easy with the schools, shops and parks all so close and there is a bus route with quiet electric buses almost outside, perfect for older children. Convenient for nights out locally, in Brighton’s picturesque cultural heart or in the West End as Preston Park station has direct trains to London, we shall miss our happy home and garden, but it is time for us to move on and let some-one else enjoy both it and our lovely neighbours!”

Where it is:
Shops: Fiveways 10 mins walk, 3 by car, Preston Village and Sainsbury’s 4 by car
Train Station: Preston Park Station and Brighton Stations 5 mins drive, 20 mins on foot.
London Road 10 mins on foot
Seafront or Park: Preston & Blakers Parks both about 5 minutes’ walk, sea 10 mins by car

Closest schools:
Primary: Balfour Infant and Balfour Juniors, Downs Infant and Downs Junior
Secondary: Varndean, Dorothy Stringer
Sixth Form: Varndean 6th Form, BHASVIC, Newman 6th Form College
Private: Brighton Girls GDST, Brighton College, Lancing Hove, Windlesham Prep

Ideal for those needing access to the airports and London as Preston Park Station is a 5 minute drive and London Road Station is just 4, Preston Park is a favourite location known for its independent friendly shops, cafés, small supermarkets and gastro pubs. Convenient for the city centre’s vibrant arts venues, international restaurants and cosmopolitan shopping it has plentiful permit parking which reaches from Preston Park to Fiveways Village as well as to one side of The Level at the foot of the North Laine. Between family friendly Blakers Park and the expansive leafy acreage and sports facilities of Preston Park -which both host events during our legendary festivals- local schools are good and within easy reach, and the National Park bordered by beaches is just a short drive- and for those who need a car, there’s swift access to the A23/A27 and Zone J has no waiting list.