Property description
IMPORTANT: Please note that this property is strictly offered to CORPORATE TENANTS ONLY (Common Law Tenancy: Company Let - Professional relocation) for a maximum duration of 6 to 12 months. The property is not suited to young children, pets, or more than two adults as permanent occupiers. No subletting allowed.
Guide Price £5,000 per calendar month on a 12-month term basis. Please enquire to discuss applicable rent for a shorter term.
The property is offered fully furnished.
Please note that £300 per month will be charged monthly in addition to the rent to cover all bills (utilities, broadband and council tax).
WELCOME TO BRUMBY HOUSE
Morning begins beneath a ceiling of sky. Daylight filters through the oak lattice of the glazed roof, bringing the room gently into focus. Beyond the glass, ferns gather around weathered stones, a climbing vine traces the pale brick and the copper rain chain hangs motionless in the courtyard. The city has not yet found you. Someone you love is still asleep, and for a few unclaimed minutes there is only the warmth of the room, the garden and the quiet.
Breakfast carries the ease of a weekend, even in the middle of the week. Sunlight falls in shifting shapes across the pale sage terrazzo, picking out its fragments of cream, blush and grey. The doors are open to the courtyard and leaves stir beyond the glass. One person lingers at the table while another moves around the kitchen. Close enough to share a thought. Comfortable enough to let the silence remain.
The house allows life together to find its own rhythm. Work can occupy a room of its own, then disappear when the folding doors are drawn back. A book, a telephone call or an afternoon sleep can take place in quiet without ever feeling removed from the rest of the home.
By evening, the long room opens fully and the table becomes its centre. Friends settle beneath the sculptural oak light, food passes easily from kitchen to table and the gardens remain visible beyond the windows. The coloured panels, golden timber and pale stone take on the softer tones of lamplight. It feels generous and natural, the kind of place in which an hour over dinner becomes an entire evening.
Brumby House has the expressive force of a masterpiece, its beauty inseparable from the success of its design. Old brick and exposed steel preserve the character of the former stable and workshop, while every new line feels deliberate, every material inevitable and colour moves through the composition with a painter’s confidence. Nothing here ever places itself above the life within it. This is architecture made intimate. Art made Home.
A UNIQUE STORY
Brumby House is the transformation of a former horse stable, later used as an MOT garage, into an extraordinary two-bedroom house by Satish Jassal Architects, known for their exceptional ability to turn the most unlikely plots into truly outstanding homes.
Set discreetly behind Tavistock Terrace within the Mercers Road and Tavistock Terrace Conservation Area, the house retains the low profile, aged brickwork and backland character of the original working building. Rather than demolishing and beginning again, approximately 70% of the existing structure has been preserved. Sustainability has been a major driver in the design here, and is reflected in a rarely achieved EPC rating of 94 (A).
The architecture acknowledges each chapter of the building’s history while creating something entirely original. Retained brick and exposed steel are joined by European oak, polished plaster, Botticino Semiclassico marble and Verde Estremoz terrazzo. The materials are arranged with remarkable control, while rich greens and blue-greens bring emotion and individuality to the interior.
A sculptural central core contains the bathroom, laundry, utilities and storage. Its oak framework and hand-finished coloured panels turn the practical heart of the house into its most recognisable artistic gesture.
IN THE OWNERS’ WORDS
“Coming home gives us a sense of escape from London. A friend says it feels like arriving at a holiday house, and that captures the feeling perfectly. The moment we are inside, everything becomes calmer. The house keeps us aware of nature in simple, everyday ways. Sunlight reaches us in bed and we lie there watching the sky change through the glazed roof. It feels like being in a meadow or a dell. In summer, we open everything and catch the breeze. When it rains, we listen to it overhead and watch the water travel down the chain into the fern garden.
Much of our life here gathers around the table. We host breakfasts with pancakes or shakshuka, coffee, mimosas and the weekend quiz. One of us cooks while everyone else sits nearby, so the kitchen never separates us from the room. Friends come for wine in the afternoon and the changing light becomes part of the occasion.
The same sense of ease runs through the layout. The study is where we read and work, with its high ceiling, sofa bed and door opening onto the courtyard. We fold the doors away when we want it to join the living space, or close them when somebody stays. It lets us be together without always doing the same thing. One of us can work late while the other sleeps, or take a call behind a closed door without making the rest of the house feel divided. The rooms adapt to whatever the day requires.
That thoughtfulness extends to the practical parts of the house. The washing machine, dryer, meters, water tank and storage all disappear inside the central core. The bathroom has a generous shower, excellent ventilation and views of greenery, so even everyday routines feel considered. We cycle to work and keep our bicycles beneath the retractable awning in the entrance courtyard, where they are easy to reach without becoming part of the living space.
There is always something new catching our attention: a line in the joinery, a colour appearing beside another colour or the way light falls through the ceiling. We genuinely think the house is a work of art, but it never asks us to live carefully around it. It works beautifully for ordinary life. That combination is what we value most.”
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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
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THE HOUSE
Entrance courtyard
From the street, Brumby House presents a restrained elevation of retained brick and finely detailed European oak. Its low profile preserves the modest industrial character of the original building, offering little indication of the volume, colour and natural light within.
A tall oak gate opens into a private cobbled courtyard enclosed by old brickwork. Large stones, copper-toned planters and layered greenery soften the masonry, while the mature trees beyond become part of the outlook.
A retractable awning creates useful shelter for bicycles and everyday storage. Oak doors and windows line the house, allowing the courtyard to feel like an inhabited part of the plan rather than a separate external passage.
Kitchen, dining and living space
The principal room brings the kitchen, dining and living areas together beneath an intricate European-oak ceiling.
The ceiling is formed as a deep lattice of coffers, set between the building’s exposed steel structure. At its centre, daylight enters around a bespoke sculptural light made from interlocking oak planes. During the day, it appears suspended within the roof; in the evening, it gives the room a warm architectural glow.
The kitchen is arranged around three sides of the room and built almost entirely in European oak. Bespoke cabinetry conceals extensive storage and appliances, with small dark handles providing a graphic counterpoint to the timber.
Botticino Semiclassico marble forms the work surfaces and end panels. The Verde Estremoz terrazzo appears across the kitchen floor and backsplash, its pale sage ground scattered with fragments of cream, blush, grey and occasional warmer tones. This band of colour continues into the living area, visually connecting the different parts of the room.
Doors and windows open towards the entrance courtyard, bringing sunlight, foliage and the texture of old brick into the interior. The kitchen remains completely engaged with the dining table and sitting area, making it as natural a place for entertaining as it is for everyday cooking.
Living area
The sitting area occupies the centre of the plan beneath the sculptural oak light. Bespoke shelving and concealed cupboards extend across one wall, accommodating books, artwork, media and household storage without disrupting the room’s proportions.
Windows are positioned at seated eye level, framing fragments of brick, planting and sky. The effect is intimate rather than enclosed, with light entering from the roof and courtyards throughout the day.
Alongside the living area, the central core is divided into fields of teal, sage, chalky stone and European oak. The composition continues across doors and panels, allowing storage and circulation to recede into a single artwork.
Second bedroom and study
The second bedroom currently functions as a generous study and occasional guest room.
Full-height folding doors allow the room to be separated completely or opened across almost its entire width. When open, it becomes an extension of the living area, creating a long, uninterrupted space with room for working, reading and entertaining. When closed, it forms a private bedroom with its own external outlook.
A sofa bed sits beneath the high oak ceiling, while a desk is positioned beside a window overlooking the planted courtyard. Glazed doors open directly outside, with stepping stones leading between ferns, climbing plants and large pieces of weathered rock.
The room’s flexibility is integral to the success of the plan. It can change character in moments without ever feeling like a compromised or secondary space.
Principal bedroom
The principal bedroom occupies a particularly private position beyond the planted courtyard.
A broad glazed roof extends above the sleeping area, filtered through an oak lattice and the original steel frame. Daylight changes continually across the room, while the green roof and surrounding walls protect it from direct views.
Full-height glazing opens onto the courtyard, placing the bed beside ferns, climbing foliage and the copper rain chain. From inside, the garden reads as a living artwork framed by European oak.
Bespoke fitted storage repeats the coloured-panel composition of the central core, introducing muted teal, sage and stone tones beside the natural oak. Despite the richness of the detailing, the room retains a restful simplicity.
Bathroom and laundry
The bathroom is concealed within the central core and illuminated by oak-framed windows overlooking the planted courtyard.
A generous walk-in shower is lined with pale, finely speckled surfaces and fitted with brushed-brass controls, an overhead shower and a separate hand shower. Natural ventilation and views towards the climbing planting give the room a freshness unusual for a centrally positioned bathroom.
A Botticino Semiclassico marble counter incorporates an under-mounted basin, set above cabinetry finished in a soft, earthy green. Mirrored cupboards provide further concealed storage while reflecting daylight through the room.
The washing machine, dryer, water tank, meters and additional household storage are discreetly integrated into adjoining cupboards.
Courtyards and planting
The two courtyards give the single-storey house its changing light, air and outlook.
The entrance courtyard is more open and sociable, with cobbles, mature brickwork and substantial planting. It provides a sheltered place for bicycles, a seat in the sun and the practical rituals of coming and going.
The more intimate courtyard between the study and principal bedroom has the character of a small contemplative garden. Gravel, irregular stepping stones, boulders, ferns and climbing plants create a landscape that can be experienced from both rooms.
A copper rain chain descends from the roof, making rainfall visible as it moves into the garden. Over time, the climbing plants will continue to grow along their support wires, drawing the architecture and planting closer together.
SUSTAINABILITY
Brumby House is designed as a net-zero-in-operation retrofit. Its environmental approach begins with the retention of approximately 70% of the original building, reducing the embodied carbon associated with demolition and reconstruction.
The existing brick shell has been upgraded with high-performance insulation and glazing. An air-source heat pump supplies the underfloor heating, while a roof-mounted photovoltaic array contributes renewable electricity.
The panels are arranged across a planted green roof, which provides additional insulation, slows rainwater run-off and creates habitat above the house.
The property has an EPC rating of A, with a score of 94 and a stated primary-energy use of approximately 16 kWh per square metre each year.
THE AREA
Brumby House stands where Tufnell Park, Upper Holloway and Archway meet, drawing something from each: the independent spirit of Fortess Road, the lively international character of Holloway and the parks, hills and residential streets leading north towards Highgate.
Everyday essentials are close at hand. Holloway Road provides supermarkets, grocers, bakeries and specialist food shops, while Junction Road leads towards Archway’s Saturday market and its broad collection of independent businesses.
Food and drink
The local food scene stretches from much-loved neighbourhood institutions to restaurants that attract diners from across London.
Close to the house, 500 Restaurant has served rustic Sardinian and Italian cooking on Holloway Road for many years. The Spoke is a locally owned café for coffee, breakfast and lunch, becoming a cocktail and taco bar on selected evenings.
On Junction Road, St John’s Tavern combines a handsome pub interior with a wood-fired kitchen, while Norman’s has become known for its revival of the traditional British café.
Fortess Road has the appealing rhythm of a small neighbourhood high street. Haku Kitchin serves Japanese dishes inspired by the chef’s family cooking; Authentique combines a French épicerie, wine shop and intimate bar; and Patron is an atmospheric choice for French food and wine. Bear + Wolf is a relaxed destination for coffee and brunch, while Ruby Violet supplies small-batch ice cream.
Holloway Road becomes increasingly diverse as it runs south. Taro brings Japanese everyday dining to the area, while Wolkite Kitfo is known for generous Ethiopian dishes shared over injera. Xi’an Impression, beside the Emirates Stadium, serves hand-pulled biang biang noodles and dishes from north-western China.
Zia Lucia’s Neapolitan pizzas, Provisions’ natural wines and cheeses, and the changing collection of independent traders within Nag’s Head Market make the road as useful for an impromptu supper as it is for stocking the kitchen.
For a more lingering evening, Michelin-listed Westerns Laundry occupies a former industrial laundry in nearby Drayton Park. Its seafood-led menus, natural wines and cobbled courtyard have made it one of north London’s most distinctive restaurants.
The Tufnell Park Tavern provides a large garden and sociable dining room, while the Dartmouth Arms on York Rise pairs seasonal cooking with music and a carefully chosen drinks list.
Parks and open space
Foxham Gardens is one of the closest patches of green, a small wooded neighbourhood park whose mature trees and children’s play area give it a sheltered character.
Nearby Whittington Park offers a broader landscape of lawns, woodland and ecological planting. Its wildlife pond, meadow, children’s playground, football facilities, table tennis and outdoor gym make it as useful for everyday exercise as it is for an unhurried afternoon outside.
Tufnell Park Playing Fields, just off Campdale Road, provide another generous expanse of open ground close to the house. Two full-sized grass football pitches and tennis courts sit alongside provision for cricket, table tennis, running, outdoor exercise and children’s play. Beyond the formal facilities, the fields are widely used for picnics, informal games and summer afternoons on the grass.
Further uphill, Dartmouth Park offers open views across London. Waterlow Park’s 26 acres encompass mature trees, lawns, ponds, tennis courts and Lauderdale House, while the Parkland Walk follows the course of a former railway line between Highgate and Finsbury Park.
Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill are also readily reached by bicycle.
The Emirates and local culture
The Emirates Stadium is within easy walking or cycling reach, placing one of London’s great sporting landmarks firmly within the neighbourhood.
On matchdays, the route south along Holloway Road takes on a sense of ceremony. Cafés fill, scarves appear at windows and streams of supporters converge on the stadium. For an Arsenal supporter, being able to walk to a home game rather than cross the city is a particular pleasure.
Beyond fixtures, the stadium offers tours and houses the Arsenal Museum. Its presence also supports the lively collection of restaurants, pubs and independent businesses around it.
The wider area offers the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, Park Theatre beside Finsbury Park and the performance programme at Jacksons Lane in Highgate. Archway Leisure Centre provides swimming and fitness facilities, while the redeveloped Sobell Leisure Centre offers further sport and family activities.
Transport
Upper Holloway station is the closest rail connection, providing London Overground services on the Suffragette line between Gospel Oak and Barking Riverside.
Archway and Tufnell Park Underground stations are both served by the Northern line, with direct connections to King’s Cross St Pancras, Euston, the West End, the City and London Bridge.
Numerous bus routes run along Holloway Road, Tufnell Park Road and Junction Road, connecting the area with Highbury, Islington, Camden, King’s Cross and central London.