Focus on Balham: Once the butt of jokes, now the SW place to be June 11, 2015 When Peter Sellers said Balham was the “Gateway to the South” he was poking fun at the fact that nothing of note ever happened there. A semi-suburban no man’s land at the bottom of the Northern Line, it was the pinnacle of meh – the kind of place north Londoners probably think about when they [...]
Independent shops are bringing some much-needed cool to London’s housing schemes June 11, 2015 There was a time when retailers were an afterthought to housing developers. But increasingly sophisticated homeowners, used to an urban village life among coffee shops and boutiques, are demanding more. “Ideally, you want to bring the commercial side in as soon as you can,” says John Anderson, chairman of developer Berkeley Homes, East Thames. [...]
It’s a great time to be a landlord in Milan as tourists flock to Expo 2015 June 11, 2015 This summer, Italy’s making a comeback. After years struggling under a prolonged economic crisis of its own, it finally seems as though its on the path to recovery. And there’s no greater proof of this than its most fashionable city, Milan, hosting Expo 2015. The world trade fair is underway, uniting innovators from the tech, [...]
Royal Institute of British Architects awards the gongs for the year’s best cutting edge building designs May 21, 2015 If you work in London, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to great architecture. Whether we’re renaming iconic office buildings like The Gherkin, dining in converted churches in the East End or catching a train from an 18th century masterpiece, we take our superb architectural blend of the contemporary and the historic for granted. [...]
Small Project of the Year: DPQ architects make bijou living the height of sophistication May 21, 2015 The winner of this year’s Small Project of the Year is an ingenious solution to London’s lack of building space. As living space has become more of a luxury in London, architects have had to adapt by coming up with creative ways to use small buildings. But architects at Dallas Pierce Quintero (DPQ), winner [...]
Preview: The London Design Festival kicks off in September May 21, 2015 It’s official: London is the most creative city in the world. Okay, so it’s not official, but if the London Design Festival is anything to go buy we’re easily beating New York, Tokyo, Paris and Milan in the ideas stakes. Established in 2003, the annual extravaganza has grown into the one one of the most [...]
Sunlight Mews: A stunning mix of old and new in Fulham May 21, 2015 A mews used to mean one thing – bijou homes in boroughs such as Notting Hill or Chelsea that once served as stables and staff quarters for Britain’s wealthy. Built in the 1800-1900s, mews houses were typically nestled away at the back of much larger, grander houses and lined two sides of a cobbled lane. [...]
Focus on Poplar: There’s good reason it’s getting so popular, you know May 21, 2015 It hasn’t always been so popular to live in Poplar. Its postcode, E14, has held the dubious honour of being the most unequal in the UK, as its East End estates sit a stone’s throw away from the shimmering towers of Canary Wharf. It’s now best known in the nation’s mindset as the impoverished setting [...]
Private View: On the market in poplar May 21, 2015 MANHATTAN PLAZA From £450,000 for a one bedroom apartment This luxury development has 120 one, two and three bedroom apartments and three townhouses on sale near Poplar Marina Dock. The architecture will take its inspiration from the industrial feel of New York’s meatpacking district. For more information, contact Telford Homes on 01992 809800 or visit [...]
East meets west: RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s first Emirati gardener Kamelia Zaal May 21, 2015 The Chelsea Flower Show may be over 200 years old, but it still has the ability to surprise. The Horticultural Society’s most prestigious event is currently showing in the Royal Hospital’s grounds. For those who have missed out on a ticket, here’s a peek behind the scenes of the show’s first Islamic garden. Entitled [...]