Behind the Door at Bridstow Place

Bridstow Place is a quiet street in Notting Hill, lined with charming Victorian cottages. At its southern end once stood a group of commercial buildings, backing onto the cobbled cul-de-sac of Bott’s Mews.

One of these buildings was a Victorian bakery, with arched windows on the ground floor and a hayloft door on the first. The others had served as stables and garages for Westbourne Grove, before later being repurposed as a yoga studio and a bicycle repair shop.

Property developer James Senior first noticed these buildings in 2007. Working as an estate agent in the area, he spotted the neglected site at the southern end of Bridstow Road and wondered what would become of them one day.

Despite 29 planning applications, efforts to redevelop the site repeatedly fell through. The site was becoming a local eyesore, until, six years ago a developer acquired permission to demolish the existing structures and excavate a double basement.

Unfortunately, that developer’s contractor went out of business during the Covid pandemic, leaving the site abandoned for several years. By the time James purchased the plot, it was a hole in the ground, two storeys deep. ‘There were four walls held up with steel supports, and a little digger right at the bottom. The whole place was in a very sad state,’ he recalls.

The team at Pembridge Developments, who specialise in acquiring and refurbishing Prime West London properties, took on the challenge. They spent one year building up the second floor followed by another eighteen months fitting out the two houses.

The interiors were designed in a mid-century style, blending contemporary convenience with classic elegance. This resulted in spacious layouts, with both properties featuring a garage, roof terrace and an open-plan kitchen on the ground floor, complete with breakfast bar and dining area, plus four bedrooms and four bathrooms.

Given the double basement, every effort was made to create a sense of harmony across five storeys. ‘A lightwell to bring down natural light, a green wall to soften the views, wooden floors throughout,’ James explains, ‘and of course a lift connecting each level.’

Most of the properties James works on in Notting Hill are Victorian, have high ceilings and stucco dressings. While that style would not suit Bridstow Place, he wanted the building to have character, rather than designing an anonymous modern development. Instead, the building’s industrial heritage was embraced through the use of Crittall windows, while the bakery’s original façade was preserved to match the scale of the surrounding properties.

‘I think the exteriors are stunning,’ James explained. ‘The architects produced CGI images four years ago, and when you compare them to the finished building, there’s hardly any difference, respecting the building’s heritage and beauty.’

Nonetheless, the exteriors are deliberately modest, and only once you step inside does the true scale of the house reveal itself. ‘Looking down the staircase from the top floor, you realise just how large it is. It’s like a Tardis – you would never guess from outside.’

James is proud of the final result. He can imagine it appealing to a family with older children, a downsizing couple, or a younger person who wants lots of space.

‘Since the buildings were completed, residents have come up to shake my hand, saying: “Thank you, it looks wonderful.” These houses truly complement the local streetscape, and have enhanced the whole neighbourhood.’