Eglon House Primrose Hill, London, London, England, NW1

Inspired by Pierre Chareau’s iconic Maison de Verre in Paris, Eglon House is one of the most extraordinary new houses to be built in London in living memory. It is tucked away at the end of a gated cobbled mews in the middle of Primrose Hill, combining privacy and security with the convenience of a village location.Eglon House provides more than 13,000 sq ft of beautifully crafted live/work accommodation. It is composed of two distinct buildings, which face each other across a courtyard and are linked together at basement level.The house has been designed with flexibility in mind, and many of the spaces would suit a variety of uses. It could be used as a dwelling, as a commercial building, or as a combination of the two. It would work equally well for a family requiring guest / staff accommodation as it would for an art foundation requiring premises with significant spatial drama.The larger, eastern, side of the building has an industrial character, with exposed concrete ceilings and surface-mounted services. At its centre is a magnificent double-height grand salon, with a galleried level containing a professional kitchen and dining room. The first floor offers more than 2,000 sq ft of space, currently configured as a breathtaking master bedroom suite, and the second floor contains an extensively glazed ‘orangery’ that would work particularly well as an office.The western side of the house has a more intimate, domestic scale and an Art Deco atmosphere. The ground floor opens out onto the courtyard, with a double-height living room and a kitchen. The first and second floors contain three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a study. There is a further bedroom and bathroom in the basement, alongside a remarkable swimming pool that doubles as a cinema room, with a mechanical floor and waterproof screen. A lift services all of the floors.The original Maison de Verre (1928-32) has been described as an elaborate piece of furniture, reflecting Pierre Chareau’s expertise as a product designer, and this craftsman’s sensibility has carried through to Eglon House. This is a project six years in the making. British materials are much in evidence, including a staircase made from pitch-pine and grout mixed with Portland stone. Elsewhere, Lebanese cedar is combined with elegantly patinated Italian marble. There is museum-grade bronze track lighting, the walls have been reinforced to take heavy artworks, and even the fire extinguishers have been custom-made.Eglon Mews has a location that is simultaneously discreet and convenient. The shops and restaurants of Primrose Hill Village are around the corner, and the open spaces of Primrose Hill and Regent’s Park are a short walk away.Chalk Farm Underground station (Northern Line) is just across the bridge. Many of London’s best schools are within close proximity.