Colville Houses, Colville Houses, London W11

This beautiful four-bedroom apartment occupies three storeys of a Victorian house on a quiet, no-through road near Notting Hill's bustling Portobello Market. Concealed behind a pink-painted stucco façade, the apartment is wonderfully open-plan; it is currently owned by the tapestry artist Teresa Hastings, who has harnessed its flexibility for both easy everyday living and for creative endeavours. At the rear is a verdant garden, with leafy trees and tall, privacy-enhancing brick walls.

The Tour



The apartment's private front door opens into a generous hallway. From here, the living space is revealed, with its impressively tall, cornice-wrapped ceilings and elegantly aged white-washed timber floorboards. There are plenty of open bookshelves, along with a warming gas fire.



This room is open to the kitchen beyond, with its freestanding concrete worktops, flecked with marble dust. There is a range-style oven with gas hobs set centrally, and more open shelves for crockery and glassware. Tall French doors open onto a balcony, which in turn leads down to the garden below.



At the rear of the ground floor is a study, which makes use of the same material palette as the living room. A solid concrete desk has been added here, with open shelves and exposed timbers above. Dual-aspect windows draw in plenty of natural light.



Stairs with storage beneath descend to the lower-ground floor, where the principal bedroom lies. The former has a freestanding traditionally tinned copper bath with a splashback formed by layering perspex over a silk hanging, along with a separate WC. A steel sink set into white concrete continues the material motif from the storey above and is also backdropped by an identical perspex-fronted silk.



There are a further two bedrooms on this level; one has access to the garden, and both are appointed in the home's characteristically serene scheme. These rooms are served by a separate bathroom with a beautiful charcoal-grey freestanding bathtub on a raised concrete platform beneath an American oak floor flowing from the hallway. Opposite, a deep cupboard is useful for storing linens and towels.



A fourth bedroom lies on the uppermost level, along with convenient eaves-set storage.



Outdoor Space



A garden lies at the rear of the apartment, accessible from either the kitchen or from one of the lower-ground-floor bedrooms.



From the kitchen is a balcony with a convenient sink for potting plants. Steps ascend to the garden, which is laid with Japanese white pebbles and currently arranged with an outdoor dining set-up. Mature trees, including elaeagnus and maple, cast pockets of shade to sit beneath on bright days. Other plantings include wisteria, hydrangeas and hosta. Tall walls wrap the perimeter, creating a private, oasis-like appeal.



The Area



One of west London’s most desirable areas, Talbot Road is minutes from the boutiques of Westbourne Grove and Portobello Road, including its world-famous market.



The immediate area is replete with fine dining destinations, including the two Michelin-starred Ledbury, Granger & Co, and Ottolenghi. Other bars, restaurants and pubs can be found in nearby Notting Hill, as can The Electric Cinema and popular Notting Hill Arts Club. We’ve written more about the area in our Journal.



The apartment's location brings many of London's top private schools within easy reach. Local state-run options include Colville Primary School. There is also a Montessori nursery nearby.



Transport connections in the area are excellent, with Westbourne Park and Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City and Circle lines), and Notting Hill Gate (Central line) all within approximately 10 minutes' walk away.



Tenure: Share of Freehold / Length of Lease: Approx. 981 years remaining / Service Charge: Approx. £7,800 per annum (includes sink fund, building insurance, general maintenance and management fees) / Ground Rent: None / Council Tax Band: G