On the market: 1930s Connell and Ward-designed First Sun House modernist property in Amersham, Buckinghamshire
I always get a little mixed up with the running order of these, buy I think this place was last up for sale in 2013. If you missed out then, the 1930s Connell and Ward-designed First Sun House modernist property in Amersham, Buckinghamshire is on the market once more. But for a much higher price tag.
‘First Sun House’ because this stunning grade II-listed property is one of a series of Sun Houses completed in 1935, this one being the first in that run of four. Of course, all are built on the lower slopes of the iconic High & Over modernist property by the same architects. That was also up for sale just a couple of years back.
According to the agent, The First Sun House has been ‘comprehensively restored’ by the current owner, presumably over the last couple of years. But certainly not taking it back in time.
If you have seen the images of the past listing, you will have realised that the house was already considerably modernised and perhaps had been for some years prior.
What the current owner has done is stuck to the spirit of the original build. Yes, the exterior is largely intact (with an addition – more on that later), but the interior has gone back to being a light, bright, unfussy and stylish space. Beyond that, it’s really all about the decor and let’s be honest, that will always change with each new purchaser.
As for the house itself, that is set back from the road and surrounded by gardens, with parking space at the front of the house too.
Enter the property and you will be greeted by the kitchen and dining rooms one way, with the open plan reception area in the other direction.
That kitchen is in the ‘new’ addition. Although new in this instance is the 1970s. It is described as ‘an impressively sensitive extension’ which opens onto a paved terrace and the original space to create an area full of natural light via the restored original windows.
Some ‘Exposed-concrete’ steps take you up to the first floor from the entrance hall, taking in a landing with a double-height window in the process. On this floor is a large master suite (also part of that extension), two bedrooms and a large bathroom.
Head up a further flight of steps to find the second floor with wood-clad study and access to the roof terrace and some stunning views.
There is a little something extra too. A fully glazed staircase to the front with a ‘concrete flank’ wall wraps over the top of the building and finishes in a ‘distinctive cantilevered hood’ that offers shade on the roof terrace. There are also strips of glazing of differing heights that are ‘punched’ into the solid concrete walls, with minimal glazing on the north elevation to prevent ‘over-looking’ from the neighbouring house.
Gardens and terraces too, all beautifully landscaped and as you can see from the photos, looking wonderful on a sunny day.
Overall, this is a lovely mix of the old and the new, with the join barely visible. I’m a huge fan of these houses and if I had the money, I would be beating down the door of the agent right now. Sadly I don’t, so I’m hoping someone sympathetic to the period and the architecture does. If that happens to be you, the current asking price for The First Sun House is £1,380,000.
Images and details courtesy of The Modern House. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.
Gina on 29 October, 2019 1:26 am
My late husband and I looked at The First Sun House with a view to buying it when it was on the market in 1994 for the princely sum of £189,950! We could not raise the funds for it at that time but I still have the sales brochure! We absolutely loved that house. Hindsight…..