Oxfordshire Limited Edition – August 2019

90 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition|August 2019

This£ 2 millionhomeononeofthecity’smostdesirablestreetsistheperfect

placetohostfestivities.DeniseBarkleycatchesupwithitscurrentowner

THE WOW FACTOR

A

double-heightglassatrium
andsuspendedglazed
walkwayaddthe“wow”to
afabulousfamilyhomein
oneofHeadington’smost
desirableresidentialstreets.
Themagnificentlyspacious,lightand
airydetachedhouseis 43 SandfieldRoad–
whichsitsinaplumpositionattheendof
anothroughroadlinedwithsimilarlarge
housesandincloseproximitytoOxford
BrookesUniversity,thehospitals,topschools,
Headingtonshops,barsandcafes,andSouth
Park.Afewdecadesago,theroadwasthe
homeofsomeofOxford’sliteratiincluding
LordoftheRingsauthorJRRTolkien,who

livedatnumber 76 inthe 1950 sand 60 swith

hiswifeEdith.

OwnerIanWilliamsismovingon,butwill

misshishandsomehomeinthisupmarket

Oxfordsuburb.“It’ssuchanexceptional

house!”heenthused.“Weboughtitfrom

aninteriordesignerfouryearsago–hehad

alreadyrefurbisheditandbuiltanextension

whichincreasedthefloorspacefrom 2 , 500

to 4 , 000 squaremetres,andwefinishedoff

theworkhehadbegunandinvestedinthe

gardentoo.”

Thewhite-paintedfive-bedroomproperty

isanexcellentexampleof 1930 s’architecture,

dominatedbytheprofusionoforiginal

CrittallHopemetalwindows.Thisstylehas

beenreplicatedincontemporarystyleinthe

glassatrium,whichisusedasadiningroom.

“Thisisbyfarmyfavouritepartofthe

house,”Ianrevealed.“Comingthroughthe

frontdoorintotheentrancehall,youturn

leftintothekitchenandasyouwalkthrough

theretheatriumopensupinfrontofyou–

filledwithlight,andtwo-storeyshigh,you

canseethegardensinalldirections,itreally

isquitesomething!Ialsolovethestainless

steelandglasswalkwaywhichstylishlyjoins

thenewpartofthehousetotheolderpart,

avoidingtheneedforasecondstaircase.”

Cleverly,thepreviousownerrealisedthat

thisbreathtakingglassstructurewouldbewell

shadedbytwolarge,maturetrees,ensuringit