Robert Paine 1960s midcentury modern house in Canterbury, Kent
Known as Paddy’s House, this Robert Paine 1960s midcentury modern house in Canterbury, Kent is now up for sale.
I really like this one. Perhaps not as striking externally as some I have featured But the house has been maintained and restored to a high degree and is packed with character. Lovely setting too.
This is a four-bedroom house in a ‘quiet location’ in the centre of the village of Westbere, which isn’t far from Canterbury, both a cathedral city and a UNESCO world heritage site. So well located.
It was built in 1965 by local architect Robert Paine, with the house on a raised part of a plot covering just under an acre. That plot is ‘surrounded by mature trees’ and with views over a church.
As I said, a house that has been restored to a very high standard by the current owners. Some of the images really wouldn’t look out of place in a hip interiors magazine from the mid-1960s. That’s a big compliment to both the owners and the photographer, by the way.
Just look at that reception room with its angled wood ceiling, built-in storage and walls of glass. Yes, obviously updated but with the midcentury modern character still in place. There’s also the wood floors and the open-tread staircase. Lovely details to work with.
If you want to access the house, head up the long driveway, which leads to some off-street parking for at least two cars. Then enter to find the living space set out over split levels.
To the left of the front door is that wonderful living room with its high, pitched ceiling clad in wood plus the floor-to-ceiling windows around it. That room also has a glazed door opening onto a balcony and in turn, to the garden. Also present is the original parquet floor and a wood-burning stove.
Beyond that is the ‘generous’ kitchen area with wooden cabinetry, brick-tiles and a butler sink, which in turn leads to a dining room and beyond that, a south-east facing sun terrace. Finishing off the ground floor space is a utility room, cloakroom and shower room.
There are two double bedrooms located on the first floor, both of which have vaulted ceilings. One has a Juliette balcony and is currently being used as a study. This floor also has a shared bathroom.
Note that it’s not the end of the floor space, as there are two further bedrooms on the lower-ground floor, with a shower and a walk-in linen cupboard. Also, an extension built back in 1972 is currently being used as another study, while a workshop to the side of the house also adds in more flexibility.
I did mention the merits of the setting, but note the ‘well-established gardens’ that wrap around the house, including some longstanding varieties of daffodils and bluebells that result in ‘a garden bursting with colour every Spring’.
If this is your kind of place, the house is up for £850,000.
Images and details courtesy of The Modern House. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.
