According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), ‘observing’ is an act of seeing or noticing something, often with a degree of care or attention. Sadly, it’s often tricky to see or notice much in London because we move too fast, desperate to get from A to B in the shortest possible time; frustrated at slow pedestrians; heads down, glued to our phones, ignorant of the architectural spectacle that surrounds us.
It is why, when it comes to London property, I’ve always prized roof terraces and balconies over standard gardens. You need a view, a vantage point from which to truly appreciate everything that the capital has to offer.
The Observatory, steps from Fulham Palace Gardens, ticks all the boxes with its 360-degree views, courtesy of an expansive roof terrace. The three-bedroom penthouse, located inside a former paint factory, unfolds across 2,700 sq ft. The sense of scale is most palpable in the open-plan kitchen, dining and living rooms that occupy much of the lower level, topped by a soaring ceiling that’s criss-crossed by exposed timber trusses and steel beams.
There are three double bedrooms, all with inbuilt storage (another luxury I can’t live without) and newly-installed Sisal carpets. The two largest rooms come with air-conditioning, which is likely going to become as important as natural light, storage and space in the eyes of London’s buyers in the years to come.
A slim steel and white staircase ascends from the dining room to The Observatory’s namesake feature — a second living room housed inside the extended apex of the glazed roof. Sliding doors at either end of the maple-floored room open out onto the aforementioned roof terrace, which features new decking and an irrigation system. Who said you had to be on the ground floor to have a bountiful garden?
Back inside, there are other features of note, including the double-glazed Crittal windows and downstairs garage. Oh, and don’t forget the Britannia range cooker.
The Observatory is for sale with The Modern House for £2,750,000 — click here for more information and pictures
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