Serene and sophisticated, this three-bedroom apartment is moments from the marina in Brighton’s Kemptown. A sensitive renovation has made deft use of a neutral palette to emphasise its generous period proportions and original architectural flourishes. The home also has access to the enchanting Kemptown Gardens, which are thought to have been the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

Setting the Scene

Set on Rock Grove, the tall, arresting building that this apartment sits within is fronted with a traditional Victorian stucco façade. It lies within the Grade II-listed Kemp Town Enclosures, a collection of town gardens laid out in the 1820s. The gardens were landscaped in 1928 by Henry Phillips, a famed Brighton-born horticultural writer and landscape gardener, and have their own tunnel through to the esplanade. For more information, see the History section.

The Grand Tour

Entry to the home is via a handsome gated archway, complete with neo-classical flourishes, down to a central courtyard opening onto the primary bedroom on one side, and the lounge area on the other. In the capacious reception room, a large inglenook fireplace overhung with an aged oak beam offers an unobtrusive yet compelling focal point. White-washed brick walls here add a beautiful texture and are offset by smooth pine boards running underfoot.  A versatile space, the room currently houses a lounge seating area as well as a generous dining table at its far end beneath refined pendant lighting.

The galley kitchen is conveniently located next to the reception room, excellently placed for hosting dinner parties. Generous white kitchen cabinetry sits seamlessly with the apartment’s chalky colour scheme and integrated appliances.

A series of passageways lend a circular feel to the apartment; for instance, the kitchen has three separate doorways to the hallway, the external courtyard and to a corridor guiding towards the main bedroom, at the far end of the plan.

The latter is a well-proportioned space appointed in gentle tones that are enhanced by the light from glazed French doors to the courtyard. In warmer weather, these can be opened: versatile, with a touch of al fresco living.

The current owners use the space as a design studio. High ceilings are domed with an archway, separating the two halves of the room. The primary bedroom has a generous en suite with a luxuriously large walk-in shower beneath a vaulted, arched ceiling.

The second bedroom has a bank of built-in wardrobes. The third is currently used as an office, with designated space for a desk, ideal for home-working. The corridor between the rooms is large, with great potential for a run of bookshelves.