1960s Rodney Gordon Turnpoint modernist property in Walton-On-Thames, Surrey
From a man known for some brutalist icons, this 1960s Rodney Gordon Turnpoint modernist property in Walton-On-Thames, Surrey is now up for sale.
The agent doesn’t actually mention the architect, which is surprising as Rodney Gordon is quite a name. But not necessarily a name known for his domestic architecture. Rodney Gordon is probably better known for the likes of the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth and Trinity Square in Gateshead. Controversial brutalist architecture back in the day which he oversaw as primary architect at the Owen Luder Partnership.
Neither of those buildings looks anything like this, which is probably more in keeping with the midcentury modern style of the early 1960s. The house was designed by Gordon for himself and his wife, with the couple living here for five years before moving back to London.
Interestingly, the house was up for sale back in 2014 and a look at the imagery on that past listing shows a house pretty much unchanged in terms of the interior design and detailing. I would say a house largely unchanged since the 1960s or early 1970s overall. But there is one considerable change since it was last listed. An extension.
When the house appeared five years ago it was a single building. Now it has an additional building on the side. If you don’t know, you might have presumed that the two had always sat together. The difference is in the finish.
The imagery shows some rooms with that retro wood finish, both walls and ceiling, as well as the pillars and beams. The reception room is an absolutely stunning space retaining all of its period character. It could be straight out of a 1960s interior design magazine.
In fact, a lot of those details extend beyond the reception, adding some character to other areas including bedrooms and office space. But they don’t carry through the whole house.
The more contemporary finishes of white walls and floor-to-ceiling glazing represent the new part of the house. There’s nothing wrong with it all. After all, you can’t imagine the kind of finish in the original house being easy to replicate. The owners have gone down a more sensible route of connecting up an extension to the 1960s house without harming that original build. With the original house being grade II-listed, that’s no bad thing at all.
It means more living space on a sizeable plot. And as a nice bonus, the asking price hasn’t jumped as high as you might think as a result. I’ll come to that part later.
But for now, let’s appreciate this house, which is part of the exclusive Burwood Park Estate, backing onto Broadwater Lake and with a plot of just under an acre. The images above show just how impressive that setting is.
The layout at entry level is made up of that stunning open plan room, including a large dining area alongside the kitchen with a family seating area opposite. The kitchen has been updated – a white and stainless steel Bulthaup kitchen with an island bar unit that separates it from the dining area. Also in the original part of the house is a large study area and a guest bedroom suite made up of a double bedroom and a shower room.
The first-floor suite is open plan with ‘an element of separation’ to the bathroom area. It comprises a bedroom and dressing room area which opens to a balcony overlooking the garden, with the bathroom featuring a large triangular window. That’s the original build, but you also have the new part of the house.
Head through the ‘glass link’ and you get to the extension. The main living space is divided into a formal lounge area and snug by a double-sided chimney breast incorporating a raised double-sided wood burner and through log store. All the large double glass sliding doors open onto the hardwood decked terrace, which is under a canopied overhang.
Also within this new section of the house, you will find a further double bedroom with en-suite shower room plus a large utility room and also an additional guest cloakroom.
Some wonderful outside space too, which is likely to be a dream over the summer months. Talking of summer, there is also an outdoor swimming pool here, which is a definite bonus. Beyond that, a block paved driveway provides plenty of parking and leads to the detached garaging space.
When this one went up for sale in 2014 it was on the market for £1,750,000, although it obviously didn’t sell back then. Five years on and with that glazed addition the house is back on the market for £1,795,000. Not exactly cheap, but the price jump isn’t huge considering the amount of extra ‘house’ now included.
Images and details courtesy of Curchods. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.
