1930s Robert Lutyens Mango House in Torquay, Devon
Modernism of the past, the 1930s Robert Lutyens Mango House in Torquay, Devon is also a very modern affair in the present too.
Design of the modern movement back in the 1930s, it was the work of Robert Lutyens, the son of Sir Edwin Lutyens, in conjunction with Bridgeman Architects, with this being one of a group of modern homes forming the Broadpark Estate.
But not all of the house is original. The fact that you have to look carefully for the ‘join’ shows how much effort went into the update. The overall look is still faithful to that original era. In fact, it reminds me very much of the Sun Houses in Amersham at first glance.
According to the listing, the house was bought in 1999, with the extended space added back in 2006, overseen by RIBA architect Bill Brown of Sustainable Design Collective, Brighton.
Whether the renovation/restoration/upgrades were carried out at the same time is something I don’t know. But they are fairly recent. They are also very extensive. This isn’t a place where period details jump out at you.
There isn’t really a corner of this house that hasn’t been touched by the upgrade programme, with the finish in every shot looking clean, fresh and very modern. I know that’s not what buyers of this era always want, but there is no denying that someone has invested a lot of time and money on this place.
Oh and of course you get some great views of Tor Bay from this house too, both from the ground floor and the first floor courtesy of balcony space and bi-fold doors. A lovely thing to wake up to each morning.
Space aplenty as well. The ground floor has a kitchen/dining room, with doors on two sides opening to the rear garden. The dining room also has a door that opens to a study/home office, with a utility and internal access to the garage to the opposite side. The living room apparently has ‘dual seating zones’ for both winter and summer relaxation.
Head up tho the first floor and you will find the principal bedroom suite, which includes a bedroom/sitting room that opens onto a balcony, with a separate shower room adjacent. There are also two further bedrooms on this floor, along with a family bathroom.
An inner hallway accesses a dressing room and wardrobe space, with stairs rising to the second floor where the extension has a ‘suite’ with a kitchen, bedroom, sitting area and wet room. The seller says this is used as a bedroom now, but it could have possibilities as a studio, perhaps an Airbnb rental or even a ‘granny’ flat or something similar. That’s down to you if you happen to be the next owner.
Gardens to the rear as well, with plenty of room for entertaining. You also get a large summerhouse in the corner, terracing to each side of the house and a driveway that takes you to the garage.
Plenty more detail and images on the agent’s site if you want some more depth on this one, including details of the renovation work undertaken and some of the contemporary/technological touches you might not be able to see from the photos.
The house is now on the market, with the guide price being £765,000.
Imaged and details courtesy of eBay. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.