House For Sale £1,900,000
Sitting in a half-acre plot is this striking five-bedroom detached house in West Malling, Kent. Its current owner has creatively reimagined a Victorian cottage, adding a carefully executed extension at the rear, doubling the house’s internal footprint. The considered use of reclaimed wood, sympathetic panelling, pitched rooves and Crittall windows characterise the interior spaces, which are an effortless blend of period features and contemporary design. The house centres around a slate-paved courtyard, seamlessly flowing into the southeast-facing garden with a built-in kitchen, play area and separate annexe.
The Tour
Externally, the building is a story of two halves; the impressive burnt oak and zinc façade at the back of the house and the original Victorian cottage frontage. An exceptional level of detail and craftsmanship has been employed throughout the house, with special consideration given to bespoke joinery and fixtures, creating a beautiful yet functional home. Built in 1871, the Victorian section of the house cuts a neat profile with symmetrical windows and a midnight-blue painted façade. Set back from the road, it sits neatly behind iron gates and a paved, tiled area dotted with evergreen shrubs. The large private driveway has parking for multiple cars.
The front door opens onto a long corridor with bronze-patterned wallpaper. The current owners have sympathetically restored and retained the period features in the existing house, reinstating the wall panelling, picture rails and original balustrades, which contrast with the contemporary interventions.
The main living spaces expand seamlessly from the existing house into the extension. Visually arresting, here, the eye is immediately drawn to the double-height pitched roof clad in reclaimed wooden boards. Natural light is drawn through the extensive Crittall doors, which open onto a central paved courtyard. Exposed beams in the kitchen and dining area have been carefully preserved and painted white, cleverly distinguishing this part of the home without compromising the flow. Oak herringbone parquet flows throughout.
To the left lies a bespoke shaker-style kitchen, where a large island bounds the space, with a section for seating at one end. Brass handles add warmth to the smooth quartz work surfaces and inky midnight-blue palette. A separate pantry/utility room is accessed from here, with plenty of open shelves for storage.
In the original Victorian part of the house lies an enveloping living room with a large sash window that frames leafy views across the mature trees. Bespoke joinery continues here, as do the midnight-blue walls. Double doors with reeded glass open directly onto the dining room, with a separate entrance from the hallway. To the left sits a bright, airy office space, painted a neutral off-white with bespoke shelving and cupboards set into the rear wall. There is also a guest WC on this floor.
Two bedrooms sit on the opposite side of the plan on this floor, accessed through a barn-style sliding door and along a corridor with white-washed exposed brick walls and panelling. The shape of the main bedroom emulates that of the living area, with a vast pitched roof clad in white tongue and groove. More Crittall doors open from here to the patio, which has been levelled to create a continuous transition between indoors and out. A Moroccon-style en suite lies behind the walk-in wardrobe with peacock blue tiles, a free-standing copper bath, and a walk-in rose shower.
The staircase ascends from the entrance hall to the first floor, where there are two more spacious double bedrooms and one single. Each has been sensitively decorated in chalky muted tones, from dusty pink to a soft-off white, and the original floorboards have been lime-washed creating continuity between the rooms. There is plenty of storage in each bedroom in the form of built-in full-height wardrobes. An immaculately executed shower room also lies on this floor, with gun-metal fixtures and monochrome subway tiles.
A separate annexe with a kitchenette and shower room is accessed via the patio in the garden. This area is self-contained and could easily be adapted as a garden office or studio. There is also an additional annexe on the opposite side of the garden designed to house a gym—the house also has a loft for further storage and a basement.
Outdoor Space
Crittall doors open from the living area and main bedroom onto a spacious courtyard paved with slate. Something of a suntrap, this area serves as a glorious vantage point to sit and enjoy the morning sun and is large enough to include multiple seating arrangements.
A large lawned area flows from here, with immaculately planted borders filled with a wide variety of perennial plants and evergreen bushes. A veranda sits on the opposite side with a built-in seating area and outdoor kitchen, perfect for alfresco dining and entertaining. There is also a built-in children's play area, which lies adjacent.
The Area
West Malling is a pretty market town in Kent, with easy links to London. The city has several fantastic restaurants, including the Michelin-listed The Swan and The Farm House. There are many excellent neighbourhood pubs, including The Joiners Arms, The Five Pointed Star and The Scared Crow. An award-winning Farmers’ Market takes place on the fourth Sunday of every month.
Manor Park Country Park, only a short walk from the town centre, offers 52 acres of green space and a children's play area. Further afield is Leybourne Lakes Country Park, designated a Local Wildlife site with 230 acres of woodland. It also has a centre for watersports with opportunities for scuba diving, open-water swimming, windsurfing and kayaking.
The house is only a short walk from East Malling railway station, with direct connections to London Bridge and Victoria railway station in 45 and 55 minutes, respectively. The house is also only a 40 minutes drive from Gatwick and an hour's drive from Heathrow airports.
Council Tax Band: F
The Tour
Externally, the building is a story of two halves; the impressive burnt oak and zinc façade at the back of the house and the original Victorian cottage frontage. An exceptional level of detail and craftsmanship has been employed throughout the house, with special consideration given to bespoke joinery and fixtures, creating a beautiful yet functional home. Built in 1871, the Victorian section of the house cuts a neat profile with symmetrical windows and a midnight-blue painted façade. Set back from the road, it sits neatly behind iron gates and a paved, tiled area dotted with evergreen shrubs. The large private driveway has parking for multiple cars.
The front door opens onto a long corridor with bronze-patterned wallpaper. The current owners have sympathetically restored and retained the period features in the existing house, reinstating the wall panelling, picture rails and original balustrades, which contrast with the contemporary interventions.
The main living spaces expand seamlessly from the existing house into the extension. Visually arresting, here, the eye is immediately drawn to the double-height pitched roof clad in reclaimed wooden boards. Natural light is drawn through the extensive Crittall doors, which open onto a central paved courtyard. Exposed beams in the kitchen and dining area have been carefully preserved and painted white, cleverly distinguishing this part of the home without compromising the flow. Oak herringbone parquet flows throughout.
To the left lies a bespoke shaker-style kitchen, where a large island bounds the space, with a section for seating at one end. Brass handles add warmth to the smooth quartz work surfaces and inky midnight-blue palette. A separate pantry/utility room is accessed from here, with plenty of open shelves for storage.
In the original Victorian part of the house lies an enveloping living room with a large sash window that frames leafy views across the mature trees. Bespoke joinery continues here, as do the midnight-blue walls. Double doors with reeded glass open directly onto the dining room, with a separate entrance from the hallway. To the left sits a bright, airy office space, painted a neutral off-white with bespoke shelving and cupboards set into the rear wall. There is also a guest WC on this floor.
Two bedrooms sit on the opposite side of the plan on this floor, accessed through a barn-style sliding door and along a corridor with white-washed exposed brick walls and panelling. The shape of the main bedroom emulates that of the living area, with a vast pitched roof clad in white tongue and groove. More Crittall doors open from here to the patio, which has been levelled to create a continuous transition between indoors and out. A Moroccon-style en suite lies behind the walk-in wardrobe with peacock blue tiles, a free-standing copper bath, and a walk-in rose shower.
The staircase ascends from the entrance hall to the first floor, where there are two more spacious double bedrooms and one single. Each has been sensitively decorated in chalky muted tones, from dusty pink to a soft-off white, and the original floorboards have been lime-washed creating continuity between the rooms. There is plenty of storage in each bedroom in the form of built-in full-height wardrobes. An immaculately executed shower room also lies on this floor, with gun-metal fixtures and monochrome subway tiles.
A separate annexe with a kitchenette and shower room is accessed via the patio in the garden. This area is self-contained and could easily be adapted as a garden office or studio. There is also an additional annexe on the opposite side of the garden designed to house a gym—the house also has a loft for further storage and a basement.
Outdoor Space
Crittall doors open from the living area and main bedroom onto a spacious courtyard paved with slate. Something of a suntrap, this area serves as a glorious vantage point to sit and enjoy the morning sun and is large enough to include multiple seating arrangements.
A large lawned area flows from here, with immaculately planted borders filled with a wide variety of perennial plants and evergreen bushes. A veranda sits on the opposite side with a built-in seating area and outdoor kitchen, perfect for alfresco dining and entertaining. There is also a built-in children's play area, which lies adjacent.
The Area
West Malling is a pretty market town in Kent, with easy links to London. The city has several fantastic restaurants, including the Michelin-listed The Swan and The Farm House. There are many excellent neighbourhood pubs, including The Joiners Arms, The Five Pointed Star and The Scared Crow. An award-winning Farmers’ Market takes place on the fourth Sunday of every month.
Manor Park Country Park, only a short walk from the town centre, offers 52 acres of green space and a children's play area. Further afield is Leybourne Lakes Country Park, designated a Local Wildlife site with 230 acres of woodland. It also has a centre for watersports with opportunities for scuba diving, open-water swimming, windsurfing and kayaking.
The house is only a short walk from East Malling railway station, with direct connections to London Bridge and Victoria railway station in 45 and 55 minutes, respectively. The house is also only a 40 minutes drive from Gatwick and an hour's drive from Heathrow airports.
Council Tax Band: F
