WowHaus

This Peter and Susan Carmichael modern house in Liverpool, Merseyside was designed to be a ‘timeless’ house a few decades back.

Did it work? Make up your own mind about that. For me, it is still an interesting design that works in the 21st century. But there is still something undeniably 1980s about the house.

That isn’t unusual. Many modern houses of the day go down that route. While the houses might want to be the house of the future, it’s the vision of the future seen from that particular year. Inevitably, it always dates a house in some way.

But to be fair to husband and wife team Peter and Susan Carmichael of Brook Carmichael Associates (which is still a significant practice), the ‘dating’ is from the fixtures and fittings rather than the design itself. This is still a forward-thinking price of architecture that takes you by surprise once you get beyond the front door.

The external architecture isn’t exactly traditional. There are too many unusual angles for that. But it isn’t as radical as some either. It’s an interesting piece of architecture. But it does come alive once you get inside.

According to an old magazine article of the time, this three-storey house has a diagonal shape covering more of there site that a traditionally-shaped house, something ‘reminiscent of Noah’s Art’.

It was a house also designed to give privacy for both members of the family and in terms of work and leisure, with ‘coming together spaces’ of the kitchen and dining room, the latter extending upwards the full three levels of the house. A conservatory apace also extends upwards to the roof level and separate spaces for parents and children were allocated.

As I said, this forward-thinking approach to space still works today and as a live/work environment, it is a winner. But the splashes of colours and some of the design touches are unmistakably 1980s in inspiration.

Personally, I like it. But the look might not be for everyone. The block walls, the open spaces, the open-tread staircases, the angles and the clever use of space, even the splashes of bold colour in the bathrooms. The 1980s come in for a lot of stick in terms of design, but this is an example of the era showing its positive side.

You might have worked out that this energy-efficient design has a lot of living space inside. The first thing you encounter is the grand entrance hallway with high ceilings and a cork tiled floor that flows into the formal dining room I mentioned earlier.

Also on the ground floor is a bright/spacious lounge with access to the rear garden, a large kitchen area plus an integral conservatory, again looking out over the garden, as well as a study/5th bedroom and downstairs WC.

Head up to the first floor and you will find four ‘generously sized’ bedrooms, with the master bedroom having a private en-suite and two of the bedrooms with ladder access to an ‘upper sleeping deck’. A family bathroom on this level too.

A further floor offers a large office space complete with vaulted ceilings. Probably options to do other things if you don’t work from home. But if you do, it’s a dream. A ‘very large’ walk-in storage space is here too, which could be used as a large en-suite double bedroom if you need it.

A good-sized plot too, with landscaped lawns and plenty of privacy if you feel the urge to go outdoors.

Not a cheap option though, with offers in excess of £1,000,000 if this is to be your next home.

Images and details courtesy of Move Residential. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.

Big thanks to Pete for flagging this one up.