London School buildings have always been a huge part of the historic Victorian London outlook, and they make particularly beautiful conversions into lofts, duplex apartments and wonderful mezzanine apartments.
The ceiling heights offer a wonderful scope; their tall windows are designed to maximise light input into the space, and these buildings were generally built on big allocated plots, which means ample space for lovely communal gardens, parking and organised waste and recycling areas.
So let’s take a look at, in our opinion, some of the best school conversions in London that we have sold and currently have on the market.
Tabard Centre, Borough
With its distinctive gothic spire, Tabard Centre is something of an SE1 hidden gem and has an active residents community along with a share in the freehold.
This apartment stretches out to almost 1,700 sq ft and has a sitting room, a huge open-plan living space with a dining kitchen on the lower level and two mezzanine bedrooms upstairs. The location is perfect for a life of variety; it’s well placed for a wander to both Borough and Maltby Street Markets, Bermondsey Street, Tate Modern and Tower Bridge.
£1,190,000 – For Sale click here for the image gallery and plans
Victorian Heights, Battersea
Victorian Heights is a terrifically original development, retaining its grace and unique stature as a former educational establishment in the area. Keeping the ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ entrances is a perfect way of maintaining this great mix of modern and classic architecture.
Once off the main road, you approach the school building with a sense of awe towering up above the skyline. Venturing into the grounds and through the boys entrance, you walk up to the third floor.
A daytime porter ensures the smooth running of things from an office within the grounds and off-street parking is provided.
One of Battersea’s pioneering school conversions that kicked off the whole trend, The Village is full of sublime, oversized and double-height spaces that capture the spirit of authentic loft living.
The Lycée, Kennington
Generous dimension, a period charm, light and space combine effortlessly at this 1342 sq. ft, lofty, ground floor apartment in Kennington’s most sought after Victorian school conversion.
The warm period charm of the exterior contrasts with the clean, minimal internal styling, bringing together volume and space that works whether you’re looking at family living or shared accommodation for professionals.
Inside, the layout is arranged through a series of interconnected rooms which centre around a large open fully equipped kitchen with light pastel toned cabinetry and wooden countertops that mirror the nicely distressed flooring. Overhead, light floods in through large Velux windows which sit in the vaulted roof line.
The adjoining reception with its en-suite, mezzanine bedroom overlooking the living area is a cavernous room. White washed brick work and shiny floor boards help distribute more natural light, filtering through oversize Victorian windows that nearly reach the apex of the vaulted ceiling.
Another vaulted roof sits over the dining room on the other side of the kitchen but this one is entirely glass. There are more exposed timber floors in here as well as painted brickwork and some practical fitted shelving. It’s a sunny spot, and along with the main reception room and kitchen, has glazed doors opening out to the secluded 45 ft courtyard garden.
Two more bedrooms and a family bathroom complete the accommodation, both positioned apart from each other, offering a feeling of privacy.
Parking is gated and found at the front of the main building.
Islington
Opposite the Rosemary Gardens pocket park and just along the street from the Regent’s Canal, Chaplin House was converted in the mid-2000s from the former Shepperton Road School in Islington.
This first-floor duplex covers 758 sq ft. On the lower level are the double-height living room and a bedroom/workspace. Upstairs you’ll find the main bedroom and bathroom.Â
