exceptional transformationcornwall gardens, bn1£1,250,000

cornwall gardensTransformed from an ugly duckling to a fine swan; this exceptional family home is a modernmasterpiece. It sits in one of the city’s most distinctive and prestigious enclaves, and as its

name suggests, it faces west, overlooking the lush green vista of Preston Valley. Originally a1950s chalet-bungalow, it is now a substantial, detached house with a stunning rear extensionand a first floor with vaulted ceilings and four generous double bedrooms. While some of the

original features have been retained, the interior is a heady blend of current trends andbespoke design, and although newly rendered and glazed, the exterior remains sympathetic toits conservation area surroundings. Space and light were clearly of utmost importance in thedesign of this house, and with three reception rooms, the spaces are versatile; creating the

perfect balance between family living and a luxury lifestyle.

While this house sits in a tranquil setting, it is incredibly well-connected by road, train and busto the centre of Brighton and Hove, with the beach and city centre shops accessible in minutes.For commuters, Preston Park Station is at the bottom of the road with the A23/A27 just a few

minutes by car, and you are within catchment for some of the city’s best primary andsecondary schools too, making this a highly attractive and exciting prospect for any growing

family.

exceptional transformation

why you’ll like it...

Style: Modern, detached house

Bedrooms: 4-5 double; potential for 3 en suite bath room

Living rooms: 2-3 inc. exceptional kitchen/living space

Area: 2605 sq ft 242 sq m

Outside: East facing rear garden with detached home office

Parking: Single garage plus driveway

Why you’ll Like it

Set back from the road behind a neat brick wall and lawn, this immaculatefamily home sits in harmony with its surroundings. It has the gables, hungtiles, and leaded light bay windows of an older property, yet it wascompleted in 2015 having been transformed from its original, modest form.You approach the house centrally, below a decorative brick arc, and inthrough the original stained glass door. Once inside, it is immediately clearthat this substantial home has been skilfully designed with a refined eye forcolour and interiors, and only the finest quality materials and craftsmanshiphave been used. The entrance hall is wide and welcoming, with new oakparquet flooring in pale honey tones, flowing left and right into the westfacing reception rooms, and an open staircase made of oak and soft woodallows the natural light to filter down from the upper floor. Directly aheadhowever, glazed double doors open to the outstanding kitchen/loungeextension which spans the rear of the house.

The Family Room and Kitchen

Exquisite in design and gloriously bright, the family room and kitchen almost double the footprint of themain house. Although it is almost fully glazed on its eastern side, natural light also streams in through asizable skylight, and there are separate zones for dining, cooking and relaxing. The entire space is ultimate-ly sociable; perfect for both formal and informal occasions, but it is the industrial features which are cele-brated to perfection. Raw materials of the house have been combined with a contemporary palette andbespoke fixtures and fittings, where both function and style have been considered in every detail. Some ofthe signature elements of this industrial style are the presence of features many people would wish to con-ceal such as pipes, and cable coverings. These have been revered in here, exposing a brick wall and thesupporting steel beam. The kitchen area also showcases natural materials with bespoke wood cabinets andshining stainless steel surfaces to replicate a professional kitchen, and the integrated appliances are of thehighest quality. Inlaid to the central island is a five-ring Wolf gas hob with a ceiling mounted Neff extractor,and space for dishwasher. Behind you are two mid-level Fisher and Paykel ovens, yet space has been leftfor a freestanding fridge freezer with optional water feed, and the utilities are cleverly tucked away in aseparate room. In here the sink unit was reclaimed from another 1950s house, and restored back to itsoriginal condition, adding a further dimension, mixing vintage looks with industrial and contemporary.These spaces are unified by Douglas fir flooring in wide boards which are heated from below to keep youtoasty during the cooler seasons. During the summer, however, bi-folding doors open two walls to thegarden, extending the entertaining space further.

The Garden and Office:

A treat for the sense; the garden is already awash with autumnal notes, but during the springand summer, the scented blossom hangs on the apple trees, and mature, well-planted bedsaround the lush lawn are in full bloom. Hornbeam trees and a flowering Magnolia tree addshape and privacy to the garden on the southern wall, and a raised decked area is the perfectsecluded spot to sit while catching the last of the summer sun. Directly outside the bi-foldingdoors, the patio area has been paved in pale slate, and being lower it is another private spacewhere you can sit out into the evening in the glow of the house.For anyone working from home, the garden office is a dream. Built by a local joiner it is anotherbespoke piece, which is double glazed and heated for use all year round. It has its ownbroadband connectivity and electricity, and the solid oak floors and skylight make it awonderfully bright and comfortable space to work. For these reasons, it would also workperfectly as an artist’s studio, workshop, music studio or teenage den perhaps? Either way it is afantastic addition to the family home.

Reception rooms:

Facing west, these rooms form the front part of the house, either side of the en-trance, and they are the only spaces which remain from the original bungalow lay-out. While the rest of the house has aluminium window frames, these were replacedlike-for-like with timber framed double glazing to conform to conservation stand-ards. They are homely and versatile room with a plethora of uses. One is currentlyset up as a winter lounge with an open fire place (this will need some professionalinvestigation as it has not been recently lit), while the other is a music room, al-though this would be perfect as a guest bedroom due to its sizable en suite. Thishas not yet been fitted, but has the plumbing in place for you to choose your ownstyle when the time comes. Facing west, these rooms share a lovely orientation asthey are filled with a glorious light during the afternoon and early evening. It is fromthe upper floor that the views really come into their own though.

The Bedrooms

Returning to the entrance hall, you certainly get an air of grandeur as you climb the stair-case to the galleried, first-floor landing. Up here, light streams in from all sides due to thevaulted ceiling, and you can drink in the breath-taking views from every room. On thelanding itself, there are two perfectly tranquil spaces; one of which is set up as a library,but has the cabling to be a home office, and double doors open to a seating area/snugwhich can be used as an extension of the space, or as bedroom four when the doors areclosed. It has ample space for a double bed and furniture in here, and the views are exqui-site.The largest bedroom has almost full height windows overlooking the garden to the rear,and again, the ceiling has a beautiful shape and height due to the gable. It has an en suiteroom/dressing room, keeping the options open, and the master almost spans the rear ofthe house with generous windows opening to the ground-floor extension roof. This hastwo dressing rooms in place at present, but as with all the en suites, the plumbing hasbeen put in place for showers, basins and a WC.

The BathroomsThe family bathroom is a stunning space which would not look out of place in a styl-ish, boutique hotel. Mandarin Stone, porcelain tiles adorn the walls and floor, and thewalk-in shower with rainfall head and the contemporary, freestanding bath add real

luxury. The suite is Italian and the fittings are Hansgrohe, so you can assure their qual-ity will last.

Serene and quiet, this Victorian Villa feels a world away from thestresses of the city, but it is, in fact, well served for transport links andnot far from the town centre.Wonderfully versatile, this house allowsthe new owner/s to add their own style and creative flair within theen suite bathrooms, and likewise, the option is there to create aroof terrace or green roof above the extension; accessible from themaster bedroom.

“We greatly enjoyed creating a house from the original 1950s chalet bun-galow and were keen to keep some of the original features in style andlayout. In doing so, we gained a lovely space to live and entertain in. It wasimportant for us to have flexible spaces that could adapt to our changingfamily life and as the children have grown older, they have been able tohave their own areas to socialise. There is a real sense of flow to the houseand with so much space we never feel on top of one another. It is incredi-bly peaceful throughout, particularly in the top room looking west over thevalley, yet you are perfectly located for the city, the station and schoolstoo. The neighbours are all delightful, and we have made many happymemories - it will be a wrench to leave.”

where it isStyle:Shops: Sainsburys Local 5-minute walk, city cent re 10-15 minute drive

Train Station: Preston Park Station 5-minute walk

Seafront or Park: Preston Park 6-minute walk, Brighton Seafront 10-15 minute drive

Closest Schools: Primary: Balfour Primary School, St Bernadette’s RC

Secondary: Varndean, Dorothy Stringer, Cardinal New man RC

Private: Brighton College, Windlesham Prep

This big bright home is in a sought-after conservation area just byPreston Park which has an extremely wide range of leisure facilities.Within 10 minutes of the sea and central Brighton and Hove; the Geor-gian Lanes and the Theatres of Brighton are also within easy reach, asare excellent schools, Preston Park Station and the A23/27 with theirexcellent links to Gatwick and London.

call: 01273 504441219 Preston Road, Brighton, BN1 6SA