This one-bedroom home in Muswell Hill on the market for £700,000 has already garnered plenty of press attention — including a My Home feature in Homes & Property.
Douglas Fir House was a self-build project from London studio Christian Brailey Architects, which transformed a decrepit studio flat into a serene and stylish one-bedroom home.
Architect Christian Brailey and landscape designer Faye Johnson took on the project 2018, after a satnav diversion took them through Muswell Hill. “We were both like: “Wow, this is lovely,” said Johnson.
They bought a £315,000 studio flat built on the end of a period property, and despite the mould, tobacco stains and rotting windows they could see the potential. “It was the worst place on the best street,” said Brailey.
They gutted the flat and added a timber-frame extension, built off-site in a Devon workshop, increasing the floor space to carve out an L-shaped one-bedroom home. “It is certainly not a cheaper way to build,” said Brailey. “The main reason we did it was the quality you can get working in workshop conditions; the details are far greater than anything you can achieve on site.”
Set across different levels, the open plan living area’s polished concrete floor and off-white lime rendered walls compliment the Douglas fir joinery that lends a sense of warmth to the space. Picture windows and skylights allow in plenty of natural light.
The bedroom is located furthest into the 1,000-square-foot landscaped garden, with a deep window seat looking out over the green space.
Underfloor heating and recycled wood-fibre insulation, along with a ventilation and heat recovery system, add to Douglas Fir House’s green credentials — while ensuring it doesn’t ever get stuffy despite being highly insulated. The project won Best Small Project at The Wood Awards 2022, and was longlisted for a Dezeen Award and the Don’t Move! Improve Awards.
As is befitting of an architect-designed home, there is plenty of clever storage space including underfloor storage below the entryway, a wall hung bike rack, and fitted wardrobes in the bedroom. Much of the furniture is built-in too, to maximise the floor space.
There is potential to relocate the dining area and transform it into a pod-style children’s bedroom, and planning permission for a 14 square foot garden room that could double as an office.
The garden is planted with olive trees, lavender and rosemary, with a wifi-controlled irrigation system and outdoor lighting for the evenings. “It is now a lovely place to live in, it feels like a really spacious home and perfect for a couple,” Johnson said. “It has been very hard work at times, but it feels very worthwhile.”
With all that hard work done, Douglas Fir House is now looking for a new owner to appreciate a one-of-a-kind home in north London.
