1960s midcentury modern house in Ilkley, West Yorkshire
An appealing bit of architecture in an appealing part of the world. This 1960s midcentury modern house in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, is up for sale.
You’ll know it’s an appealing place to live if you have ever been through this part of the world, as I have when taking the ‘scenic’ route back from Leeds to the Manchester area.
But if you want clarification, Ilkley was voted The Sunday Times Best Place to Live in the UK in 2022 for everything from its schools, shops, and restaurants to the scenery, rail links, and much more besides.
And if you want a particularly attractive house that takes full advantage of the views, then this might be the house for you. Yes, it needs some work to bring it back to its best. But there’s much of appeal still in place.
The architecture, of course. I don’t know the exact date of the build, but this screams the 1960s, with a midcentury modern vibe inspired by US architecture of the time. Albeit, that stone construction gives it a strong Yorkshire flavour.
Its hillside location adds in some drama, but also some great views from the large windows and balcony to the rear of the house across to Middleton. Not that you would know that from the entrance of the house, which is an altogether more subdued affair.
But that’s not all when it comes to the ‘wow’ factor. The interior is eye-catching, too, with plenty of details you would want to keep as part of a renovation.
This isn’t quite a ‘time capsule’ property. A look through the rooms shows updates from various eras. The occasional door, an update to some of the glazing, some built-in storage, a bathroom refresh, you get the idea. The kind of thing you would expect to be worked on in a house half a century old. But the key details remain.
This is still a striking piece of angular MCM architecture, pretty much untouched since the day it was constructed. And inside, many of the finishes are still in place too.
The staircase, of course, is very of its era, as well as the main doorway and the timber cladding to the ceilings (and in some cases, the walls too).
The living room is pretty special, too. The glazing, the double-height space, and, of course, the feature stone divider and fireplace. With a bit of a tweak, it would be a stunning area to enjoy.
But there’s no getting away from the fact that the house needs updating. As I said, keep the key details from the original era, which are as important as the architecture itself. The rest needs to be brought together more.
Some areas look tired, and others have had updates that have aged a little. It’s about having a vision, stripping things back, and adding more of the original era. We live in a time of designer reissues, specialist MCM kitchen designers, reproduction wall coverings, and period paint shades.
Turning this one into a midcentury modern gem would take some investment – like all house renovations – but it is doable, and the end result will be worth every penny. Houses like this and in this condition don’t come up often, especially in this part of the world. If you are looking at Ilkley as a possible place to live, maybe have a look here (budget permitting).
Of course, this is a house that isn’t short of space. The main entrance leads into the reception hall and a first glimpse of that wonderful staircase.
Beyond that is a cloakroom, a ‘snug’ with windows to the side and rear, and, further along, the main reception space. That includes the dining room with sliding glass doors and access to the balcony, with an archway leading to the main sitting room.
That’s a stunning space, connecting to the hallway through glass doors, with the stone fireplace acting as a focal point and room divider. High ceilings, walls of glass—you get the idea.
Also on this floor is a bar area, the balcony wrapping around the rear of the house, and the kitchen, which is a good size and very functional but probably in need of a refresh. A door off the kitchen leads to the garage. More on that later.
Take the trip to the lower ground floor and you’ll find a good-sized landing, the principal bedroom with a dressing area and an en-suite shower room, three further bedrooms and a family bathroom.
That’s not quite all, though, as there is a basement with a cellar. That’s accessed via steps to the side and the rear balcony and offers ‘useful storage space’. There is also a double garage for even more storage, as well as a Yorkshire stone-paved driveway if you want to keep the car (or cars) outside.
The garden has a lawned area to the front, surrounded by timber fencing and mature hedges. The lawn also wraps around to the right-hand side. The rear of the house remains mainly woodland. A viewing will make clear whether you can rework that.
Whether you do that depends on your budget accommodating the £825,000 asking price. Someone will get a very special house here.
Images and details courtesy of Dale Eddison. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.
