Kitsch, flighty and frivolously fun, with not a right angle in sight; six years of love and labour has brought No. 6, Shipgate, a Grade II Victorian town house with a vibrant past, out of the doldrums.

Out with the Artex and the terracotta and mint green 'serviceable' carpets and in with freshly skimmed walls, engineered French oak flooring and crisp, invigorating Little Greene colours. No. 6, Shipgate, once again, stands in shipshape condition.

Historic home in the heart of the city

A home with strong merchant connections, right in the centre of Chester only a few paces from the river, stepping along the cobbled street to reach No. 6, Shipgate, is akin to stepping back in time. Built in around 1840 upon the footprint of a former inn, ancient carvings in the cellar depict the chosen vessels of those signing up for passage on ships. Images of a rosebud and a fish of some sort are evocative, tangible links to the past. Surprisingly comfortable, this bone-dry cellar now serves as a laundry and office. The working hub of the home.

Warmth and welcome

Surprisingly bright for a period home, located on the corner, light is integral to No. 6, Shipgate's warmth and welcome. Feature stained glass, a 1980s addition, adds an ethereal feel to the entertaining spaces of the kitchen and dining room.

Brilliantly bold in its décor, the dining room is a beguiling space, designed for opulent dinner parties with the blinds closed and candles lit; a space to behold and in which to be beheld. The stone surround fireplace adds an almost medieval sense of merriment to the occasion.

A unique bread oven in the kitchen provides a flashback to the days when homes without ovens would take the Sunday joint to pubs and bakeries for roasting. Now a modern kitchen, yet not to the detriment of character; wood rather than granite takes a softer approach to epicurean progress.

Perfect party flow

Providing plenty of space for separation whilst at once retaining perfect party flow, each of the four levels offers a destination in itself. Sample the quiet sanctuary of the snug, an intimate and light space with disco vibes, whose bespoke blinds were commissioned from an 18th Century Wedgewood design, briefly licensed for reproduction at great cost. Making excellent use of the space, there is also an elegantly styled WC with wash basin tucked away on the ground floor.

On the first floor, the drawing room is set behind an enormous doorway built to accommodate the burgeoning bustles of the Victorian era. A peaceful room, quiet and awash with light and Little Greene's soothing Slaked Lime, sense the slight lilt of the floor and asymmetry of the walls testament to the antiquity of the home.

Soak and sleep

On the first floor, the spacious bathroom is set to revive your senses, furnished with bath, shower, wash basin and WC. Three bountiful bedrooms with stunning city views over the top two floors display this formula, chandeliers, old trunks, deep windows and ornamental fireplaces. The uppermost floor becomes its own suite. Bedroom, bathroom, dressing room, study and perhaps the most beautiful fireplace of all. Cubbyholes and alcoves, visions of maids or maiden aunts warming themselves, once upon a time, up high in the servants' quarters.

Suntrap in the city

Outside, a secret suntrap on the cobbles serves up a dining area. Of course, the river with its lure of ice cream and coffee is less than five minutes' walk away in a city that, like No. 6, Shipgate itself, seems to evolve and improve all the time. For those who can bear to tear themselves away from city life, two secure underground parking spaces complete the package.