Norman Starrett 1960s modernist townhouse in Chislehurst, Kent
One came onto the market at the start of 2018. Now another Norman Starrett 1960s modernist townhouse in Chislehurst, Kent is up for sale.
I’m surprised to see one so soon. Prior to that house, I hadn’t seen one on the market since 2011. Yes, these houses don’t come up for sale often and perhaps you can see why.
Wonderful modernist architecture from the mid 1960s. Indeed, it was 1966 when this house, one of 19, was constructed as part of Greatwood to a design by Norman Starrett. Some were built a little earlier, but the designs are much the same.
This is a three-storey modernist builds known as a H2 Design and one that sits at the end of its particular terrace. Note that all the houses site in small, staggered terraces for privacy, with the whole development in a quiet setting away from the main road.
Like others I have seen, this one retains many original features. I would like to think that owners of these houses known the value of keeping a degree of originality. After all, that is a key selling point for buyers of this kind of home.
With this one, you get the architecture itself (of course) along with exposed brickwork on the ground floor plus douglas fir ceiling cladding and narrow floorboards on the first floor.
I also love the front entrance, the exposed staircase, the terraces, the flowing open spaces and that partial room divider with circular ‘window’.
But above all, I love the fact that this has obviously been updated, but all the upgrades are very much in the spirit of the original architecture. Yes, I do love a time capsule, but in reality, I probably love a more liveable house where the old sits well with the new. That’s what you get here. A living space that has moved on, but maintains the spirit of the original build.
A good amount of living space too, as you would expect of a three-storey property. The ground floor is made up of the entrance hall, which leads to a bedroom, WC and the internal garage. There is also courtyard access at the rear.
Head up a level and you get the main reception, which is the living room, kitchen and dining area, with balcony access at the front. To the rear is a balcony and terrace, with access to the garden (more on that in a moment).
Finally, a second floor has three bedrooms and a bathroom, with balconies on either side of that particular floor.
As I hinted at earlier, there is good outside space in this one too. The garden is landscaped into three terraces and judging by there photos, create quite a sizeable space. The garage too, as well as car parking space for one car. There are additional visitor parking spaces in the estate if you have people round.
£835,000 is the asking price of this one. I can’t see it being around too long.
Images and details courtesy of The Modern House. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.
